Column fee doubles

Published 1:44 pm Saturday, February 21, 2026

Astoria City Council votes for fee hike, Aquatic Center gets discounts

Members of the Astoria City Council voted on Tuesday to increase the Astoria Column’s annual parking fee from $5 to $10 by May. They also voted in favor of new discounts to the Astoria Aquatic Center, effective immediately.

The Astoria Column fee hike follows a recommendation during a January work session. The Friends of the Astoria Column recommended the new parking price to keep up with maintenance and preservation costs for the structure. The fee increase will also increase the organization’s coffers.

“We’d be going from roughly $75,000 to $150,000,” said Jordan Schnitzer during the work session. “That helps you, and that helps us build our endowed fund.” Schnitzer, a Portland developer and philanthropist, leads the Column’s nonprofit.

The Friends estimated that maintenance and preservation costs could be as much as $1.5 million over the next 10 to 15 years.

“The friends of the Astoria Column are recognizing the fact that they will have increased costs in the future to maintain a great asset for any community to have,” said City Manager Scott Spence.

According to Mac Burns, executive director of the Clatsop County Historical Society, there is a plan to manage the impact the fees could have on locals: parking fees will drop back to $5 during December and January. This, according to Burns, will encourage locals to get their passes renewed each year.

Burns said 40% of the revenue will support day-to-day needs of the site. From the remaining 60%, 20% will be used to cover capital projects such as new exhibits, 20% will cover preservation and the final 20% will go to the Astoria Parks and Recreation Department.

Discounts OK’d for Aquatic Center

During Tuesday’s meeting, councilors also voted for a pair of new discounts to be instituted at the Astoria Aquatic Center. The discounts for memberships and day passes to the facility will apply to current and former military members and employees of the Astoria School District.

“This is another way to recognize the shared facility use we have between the school district and the city of Astoria,” said Jonah Dart-McLean, director of Astoria Parks and Recreation.

The discounts would be the same as those for youth and seniors.

“If you’re coming to the area to be employed by the school district, this is another benefit that (the district) can communicate about what the support is between the city and the school district,” Dart-McLean said.

“It sends a message that we appreciate what people are doing,” said Astoria Mayor Sean Fitzpatrick.