By Jerry Keene, Editor, The Oceansider
The year ahead is expected to bring changes and developments with long-term ramifications for the Village. The Oceansider has polished and peered into its crystal ball to offer a brief outline of what lies ahead.
Short Term Rentals – Paused, Capped and … Now What?
During the incorporation debate in 2022, proponents and opponents disagreed sharply on whether Oceanside’s STRs should be regulated by an elected Oceanside City Council or continue to be governed by the County Commissioners. Those who portrayed continued county regulation as more stable and less intrusive were surely surprised by events in 2023. In a single year, the county abruptly “paused” new STR licenses, enacted sweeping regulatory reforms on STR operations and imposed localized “caps” on future STRs. In Oceanside, we have reached the cap of 130 STRs (20% of all residences), relegating future applications to a waiting list.
During 2024, the STR situation will continue to be roiled by two ongoing developments. First, the new county STR rules are the subject of ongoing legal challenges that will likely be addressed by the Land Use Board of Appeals and, eventually, by the Oregon appeal courts. An adverse decision would roll back some or all of those changes. Second, the Oceanside Neighborhood Association has announced its intent to accept the county’s invitation to form a committee for consideration of whether and how the STR “cap” in Oceanside should be revised or refined. (For example, should the 160-180 residences in The Capes and/or Terrasea be included in calculating the percentage of Oceanside residences that have STR licenses, given they essentially prohibit STRs by contract.) The Oceansider will cover both of these ongoing developments.
New Hotels and Housing
The continuing saga of Oceanside’s hotel situation should resolve in 2024 – although we were advised of the same in 2023. The developers behind the proposals to build new hotels at the current site of the Oceanside Cabins (17 units), and at the former House on the Hill (23-24 units) tell The Oceansider they are still on track and hope to commence construction this year. For now, they are continuing preliminary discussions with state regulators, county officials and local utility districts to firm up the infrastructure elements required for approval. The Oceansider will continue to monitor and report on their progress. Meanwhile, new residential development at Cougar Ridge was at a standstill during 2023 – which owner Bill Hughes attributes to the surge in interest rates. While only 1 of the 11 developed homesites was sold, Hughes indicates that he intends to move forward with preparing 22 more lots for sale later this year. “It’s a cycle,” Hughes told The Oceansider. “When interest rates come down from 6% to 5%, things will start moving,” Hughes remarked, “I want to be ready.”
Leadership Changes at the Oceanside Neighborhood Association
The Oceanside Neighborhood Association is a community advisory group recognized by the County Commissioners as the Village’s representative on land use and other issues of significance to the community. Its officers are elected by ONA members at annual meetings in June. As things currently stand, both President Sharon Brown and Vice President (and former President) Jerry Keene have indicated they intend to step down this year to make room for new voices and new energy on the Board. (Secretary Carol Miller and Treasurer Mary Flock have not yet made their intentions known.) Brown and Keene have played a significant role in shaping the ONA’s structure and priorities over the past seven years. The election of different leaders in 2024 may set the stage for new ideas and initiatives.
Clutch Time for the Oceanside Action Partnership Initiative
As
The Oceansider has reported, the
Oceanside Action Partnership is a locally led, nonprofit association devoted to organizing and seeking outside funding for infrastructure improvements in Oceanside. The OAP spent 2023 organizing itself and then sponsoring public workshops to formulate a prioritized list of such projects. In 2024, the OAP hopes to transition from gathering ideas and concepts to fundraising and project design. Whether it can do so depends in major part on whether it succeeds in obtaining IRS recognition as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. While the IRS has made no commitments, the OAP is hopeful that it will receive a decision on its application in
April 2024. A positive decision could have a significant impact on Oceanside’s future.
The Return of the Current Cafe
After a year of uncertainty, the owners of the Current Cafe and Surf Shop at the Three Arch Inn tell The Oceansider that they are close to finalizing a new, multi-year lease with the owners of the Three Arch Inn that will enable them to reopen for food and beverage service this month (January). In an interview last month, Corey Shields and Tyler McComas indicated that they are working to join forces with an experienced chef and restaurant operator from Pacific City to allow for more food options and expanded hours of operation as time goes on. It will be good to have them back!
The Oceansider plans to be around all year to offer “news and views” regarding these developments and other news in 2024.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
January 8 Oceanside Community Club Potluck
Oceanside Community Hall – 6 p.m.
February 3 Oceanside Neighborhood Association Meeting
Oceanside Community Hall and Zoom – 10-11:30 a.m.
And that’s the view from Oceanside!
www.oceansidernews.com
jerrykeene@oceansider.com
