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Tillamook Rock for sale ............... PAGE 8 Taft Sports Corner...................... PAGE 10

April 5, 2022

Serving Lincoln City Since 1927

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It’s spring fever

Spring tourism back to pre-pandemic levels, summer events return HILARY DORSEY Editor

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he 2022 spring tourist season is upon Lincoln City as spring break this year is expanded to five weeks as different states take different weeks off from school. Tourism seems to be on par with the spring season of 2019. Explore Lincoln City Director Ed Dreistadt said lodging properties had reported $80 million in revenue in 2019. In 2020, it was $116 million. From the latest report on Feb. 26, lodging was 12.7 percent ahead of 2021 in occupancy, Dreistadt added. The average daily rate was up 22.1 percent versus the prior year. “I’m guessing we’ll see a successful spring break,” Dreistadt said. As far as who is coming to Lincoln City, Dreistadt said COVID-19 changed everything. Before the pandemic, 30 percent of visitors came from Portland, 20 percent came from areas such as Salem and Eugene, and a smaller percentage came from other places. Dreistadt said there has been a tremendous increase in inquiries from people who live in California and Arizona. When COVID-19 hit and travel choices were restricted, the destinations that became attractive were places people could drive to, were

rural and had a beach, Dreistadt added. “A lot more people showed up in Lincoln City than we’ve ever seen,” Dreistadt said of the pandemic. A tremendous number of people were introduced to Lincoln City during the pandemic. Dreistadt believes the city will maintain some of those gains. “We’re so far into such unknown territory, I’m going to guess that we’ll see sustained interest through the summer,” Dreistadt said. “I never would have predicted our business would go up during the pandemic.” This summer will be back to normal with beloved events that bring thousands of visitors to the area. The Summer Kite Festival has not occurred since 2019. It will take place this year from June 25-26 on the beach at D River State Recreation Site. The festival is a major draw in town and will be expanded this year and will include a children’s game area. Fourth of July events will also be back up to normal this year. This year, it will be an all-day festival with bands on stage and food. The festival is set to grow a little more each year. The Fall Kite Festival will take place Oct. 1-2 and may include a big Friday surprise. Send comments to: newsguardeditor@countrymedia.net

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The Summer Kite Festival will be held in June.

Housing update: City at deficit of 94 homes, projects in the works

Patient Access Specialist named Employee of the Year at North Lincoln Hospital

HILARY DORSEY Editor

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n annual housing update was provided during a Lincoln City Council meeting Monday, March 28. The update was focused on the production of housing units in the city. The 2017 Housing Needs Analysis states the need for housing units in Lincoln City over the next 20 years is between 1,484 and 1,814. From 2016 to 2021, a total of 452 housing units have been constructed by the private sector alone. A total of 282 (62%) of these units are single unit detached dwellings. 7 percent of the units have been manufactured homes, 4 percent duplexes, and 25 percent multi-unit dwellings. Alison Robertson, director of urban renewal and economic development said the department has been tracking the number of units that come online. “That 2017 [Housing Needs Analysis], which actually used some data that went back to 2014, that report stated that we need about 5,700 new units in the next 20 years,” Robertson said. “There were a couple of growth scenarios in that report.” The city is at a deficit of 94 housing units. The city hopes to make up for that deficit within the next year or two. Planning and Community Development Director Anne Marie Skinner said the numbers for 2022 to date are one permit for manufactured home placement, 14 permits for detached single-unit dwellings, and one permit for RV placement. There have been no permits for apartments, duplexes, town houses or accessory dwelling units. An application was reviewed March 28 for a duplex. “Another that is in the works is a building permit application that was just submitted today to convert the hotel

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rooms to market-rate apartment units for the hotel that’s right across from the D River park,” Skinner said. New apartment units are currently in development review to include 107 units of IHI affordable housing at the city’s NE 25th Street property and 18 units called the SAM apartments. “The Housing Needs Analysis is in the process of being updated”, Skinner added. An amendment to Title 17 would remove impediments to housing. “Part of the amendment is looking at the requirements for tiny house developments, cottage developments, four-flat dwellings,” Skinner said. “These will open space for multi-family and housing for affordable housing and workforce housing.” Send comments to: newsguardeditor@countrymedia.net.

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tacy Crawford, a patient access specialist described as the “saving grace” for the department, has been named Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital’s Employee of the Year for 2021. Several hospital staff members were able to attend the celebration on Tuesday, March 29, in the hospital’s dining room just before lunch time. This was the first in-person employee of the year celebration inside the

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Classifieds..................... 5 Opinion ......................... 7

Honoring Stacy: Stacy Crawford, third from left, is honored as the Employee of the Year by, from left, hospital COO Virginia Riffle, hospital CEO Dr. Lesley Ogden and Patient Access Manager Ashlee Claunts.

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hospital since pandemic restrictions were enacted in March 2020 – which made the event even more special for Crawford and her co-workers. Among those congratulating her after she was surprised with the announcement was her daughter, Kali, who is a phlebotomist in the hospital’s laboratory.

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