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Residents urge faster action as retaining wall collapse and bluff tree remain unrepaired
Summary
Residents told the council the retaining wall collapse near 12th Street (March 2021) remains unrepaired and that a large Sitka spruce poses a risk to homes; speakers said they had raised the issue for years without visible remediation and asked staff for immediate progress before winter storms.
Several residents used the public-comment period at the Aug. 5 Astoria City Council meeting to press the city for faster action after a retaining wall collapse in January 2021 exposed tree roots and left a large Sitka spruce potentially at risk of failure.
Loree Johnson said the wall failure "came tumbling down" in March 2021 and that, three and a half years later, residents have seen no visible progress on rebuilding the wall or steps to mitigate the adjacent 80'to-90-foot Sitka spruce. Johnson told council she feared the tree could fall on nearby houses in a storm and urged immediate action.
Neighbor Scott Salisbury said the collapse threw rocks across 12th Street and that the site still lacks a substantive remedial plan. "When the tree starts dancing around in the winter storms, I can't help but wonder if my residence or I will make it to the next spring," Salisbury said.
Another resident, Allison Larson, said an arborist report accepted by the city recommended repair of the wall to prevent further erosion and that monitoring and enforcement steps described in the report have not been completed. Speakers requested clearer timelines and stronger enforcement of agreed arborist recommendations.
City staff previously reviewed the site with geotechnical and harbor specialists, and staff said they have been working through permitting and technical reviews; residents said the pace has been too slow. The council did not take immediate action during the public-comment period but asked staff to follow up and noted the safety concern.
The residents' remarks highlighted an ongoing neighborhood safety, erosion-control and code-enforcement issue that staff said would be tracked and that the council expects an update from staff on next steps.
