Measure 4-133: College Bond, Take 4 (They Finally Got It Right)
“You can’t afford not to vote for this one”
by Bob Goldberg

Clatsop Community College is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and hoping for a kick start for the next 50 years with a $5 million bond measure to upgrade and renovate the main campus in Astoria.

After three unsuccessful tries, the college seems to have a bond measure that most factions in Clatsop County can support. Measure 4-133 would supply a match for some of the funding the college has already secured to complete the “Jerome Campus Redevelopment Project”. This project will raze Fertig Hall and build a new building in its place that will house nursing and allied health and science classrooms and labs, a bookstore, cafeteria, adult education, student government and a community meeting room. Towler Hall will be renovated with state-of-the-art classrooms, faculty offices and student gathering places, as well as an overdue seismic upgrade. The connection from Towler to Patriot Hall will also be removed, and associated landscaping, accessibility improvements, parking and traffic calming will all provide for better flow and social interactions on campus.

The project incorporates many of the suggestions of the historic preservation community, which was very critical of the previous bond measure, in 2007, that would have destroyed the existing Jerome Campus to move the college to a Warrenton location. In a letter to the college board just before the bond measure went to the voters, Jay Raskin and John Goodenberger, two of the leaders of the preservation community, suggested that the preservation and restoration of Towler Hall should be the keystone to a redesigned Jerome Avenue campus that would also teach historic preservation to future leaders of that community.

That suggestion seems to have been taken, with the renovation of Towler Hall to at least a part of its former glory. The front porch area will be partially restored, with some of the column work that existed in the original building.

The historic preservation community is supporting the bond measure, and is very excited about the redevelopment project. In a letter to the college administration, Goodenberger praised the renovation aspects of the project: “Towler Hall, formerly Astoria High School, was constructed in 1910. Its prominent location and well-built design represented our community’s pride in education. Reuse of the structure reenergizes that idea through stateof-the-art classrooms and faculty and student spaces.” And the view doesn’t hurt: “The campus’ spectacular setting is a strong marketing tool. Views of the Columbia River and surrounding urban forest create an inspired setting.” Goodenberger says that he and the historic preservation community are still working with the college administration to set up a program at the college, and “we have received only positive signs from everyone associated with the college.”

Another reason previous bond measures were defeated had to do with money. The 2002 bond measure, which also would have redeveloped the Jerome campus, was for $29 million dollars, and was soundly defeated. The 2006 measure to move the campus to John Warren Field and the surrounds was for $24 million, and was defeated more narrowly. Though there were other issues associated with moving the football field, losing parking for the pool, and congestion, a major reason for defeat was again the high price tag. Finally, the 2007 measure, asking the voters to fund a move to Warrenton, was again defeated, in large part because of the high costs of constructing a brand new campus (the total price tag then was $60 million, with the bond supplying $22 million).

The college has been busy securing funding for the redevelopment project in the past year. Adding to the $7.5 million the state legislature appropriated in 2005 is a matching loan of $7.5 million that needs to be spent by next year. A special session of the legislature earlier this year granted another $4 million to the college for this project. This grant requires a match to go forward, and is the bulk of the current bond request. Further grants have come this year from the Meyer Memorial Trust, the Miller Foundation and the Swindells Foundation, totaling $850,000, with the Meyer grant needing to be matched by the community. The ShoreEnterprise Bank has arranged a $2.5 million tax credit deal that amazingly, will still fly after the banking troubles of the last few weeks. The $27 million redevelopment project will therefore cost the taxpayers only $5 million, solely to match commitments by the legislature and private sources. This amount is much less than the previous measures, and goes a long way to satisfying the vocal anti-tax community that has opposed the previous bond measures.

Marilyn Lane, a college board member and the leader of the campaign to pass Measure 4-133, says that the voters are getting a great deal, and one that they “can’t afford not to vote for”. “We need to invest in our local area,” says Lane, “with all the problems nationally, and community college is a low-cost starter for many local and sustainable industries and businesses.” She says further, “We have learned what won’t work, and now we need to work together to make the future for the county.”

The college will hold an Open House on Saturday, October 11th, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to celebrate their 50th anniversary. A free BBQ will begin at 11:00 a.m. There will be information and drawings about the Jerome Campus Redevelopment Project at the open house. For more information, see the college web site at http://www.clatsopcc.edu/.