Measure 4-249: Clatsop Care Center Health District Bond

Clatsop Care Center Health District (CCCHD) has been providing Clatsop County with exceptional senior care for over 40 years (founded in 1979). With a graduated care approach, CCCHD offers In-Home Services, Memory Care, Assisted Living, and Skilled Nursing to meet the specific needs of each individual. As a not-for-profit organization, our mission is to serve the needs of our community first.

The district operates four service lines: Skilled Nursing — 24/7 nursing care for residents with complex medical needs (the current facility serves 38 residents); Memory Care — specialized care for residents living with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia; Assisted Living / Retirement Village — supportive daily living for seniors who need some help but not full-time nursing; In-Home Services — care delivered directly to people in their own homes.

CCCHD is a public health district — a governmental entity, not a private company and not run for profit. It is governed by a board of directors.

The nearest comparable skilled nursing facility is approximately 43 miles away, in Wheeler, Oregon.

646 16th Street, Astoria, OR 97103.

The current facility opened in 1926 and cared for generations of residents. Today it operates 24/7 as Clatsop Care Center, providing skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and long-term care.

Because of the efforts of our talented care staff and maintenance team, residents and families don't always notice the hard work that goes into maintaining and staffing the current facility to provide high-quality skilled nursing care. The building is a four-story structure and it operates today under existing-use provisions. It has limited temperature control for resident comfort, and its age and original design create real, ongoing maintenance demands. A new, purpose-built facility allows care to be organized entirely on the ground floor, with modern systems designed for today's standard of skilled nursing care, and it would sit on land the District already owns.

On Olney Street in Astoria, on land already owned by the District. The site is adjacent to the District's existing assisted living building.

The new skilled nursing facility is designed with all resident rooms and care areas on the ground floor — no upper-floor living for residents. It is being designed with modern heating, cooling, and ventilation systems; safe, straightforward evacuation routes for all residents, including those who are non-ambulatory; and comfortable common spaces where residents can spend time with family and each other.

No. The new Olney Street building is skilled nursing only. The District's other service lines — In-Home Services, Memory Care, and Assisted Living — continue to operate as they do today; this bond funds the new skilled nursing facility specifically.

The new facility is designed for 44 residents — an increase from the 38 residents served at the current facility today.

Yes. The new facility will include 45 parking spaces.

Co-locating the new skilled nursing facility with the District's existing assisted living building is estimated to create meaningful savings through shared maintenance and operational efficiencies — approximately $200,000 to $300,000 per year. Actual savings may vary.

A general obligation bond measure for the Clatsop Care Center Health District will appear on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot. The measure seeks approval for CCCHD to issue up to $34 million in principal amount of general obligation bonds.

A general obligation bond is a way for a public entity to borrow money for a specific capital project — like building a new facility — and repay it over time through property taxes within the district. It is one of the more common tools used by public entities in Oregon to fund capital projects such as schools, fire stations, libraries, and health facilities.

Proceeds of the bonds would finance capital costs to provide a new skilled nursing facility and related improvements. The new facility is expected to: expand affordable healthcare on the North Coast, including short- and long-term care covered by Medicare and Medicaid; improve health outcomes by helping patients stay close to home, rather than being placed at a facility in another county; increase resident safety in case of emergency, regardless of mobility; and reduce operating costs and improve efficiency.

The bond amount is up to $34 million. Bonds may be issued in multiple series, each maturing within 30 years from issuance.

Yes. A citizen oversight committee would ensure bond proceeds are used only for the purposes approved by voters. By law, general obligation bond funds can only be used for the voter-approved capital purposes described in the ballot measure.

Yes — the District has an existing operational levy, which is separate from this bond. The operational levy funds day-to-day maintenance and operations. The bond is one-time capital funding, specifically to construct the new skilled nursing facility. The two are not interchangeable. If the bond measure passes, the District's board has voted to sunset the existing operational levy one year early.

The estimated annual bond tax rate is $0.3746 per $1,000 of assessed property value. Actual levy rate may differ due to final interest rates and/or changes in assessed value.

Yes. By co-locating the new skilled nursing facility next to the existing assisted living building, the District estimates it will save approximately $200,000 to $300,000 per year through shared maintenance and operational efficiencies. This figure is an estimate; actual savings may vary.

Yes. The project would use competitive bidding with prevailing wages.

If the bond passes in November 2026, preliminary work is expected to begin in March 2027, with foundation work beginning by June 2027. (Timeline per the District's background planning materials; subject to updates as the project is finalized.)

Completion is targeted for late 2028.

The new facility is being built on a separate site (Olney Street), not on the current skilled nursing site (16th Street). Residents will continue to receive care in the current building throughout construction. There is no displacement during construction.

Yes. The Olney Street site requires specialized deep soil cement mixing to address subsurface soil conditions, and wetland permits are required as part of the project. These factors have been considered in the District's project planning.

Once residents and operations have moved to the new facility, the board of directors will make decisions about the future of the current building, in consultation with the community.

No. The focus right now is on the new facility. The future of the 16th Street building will be a board-level decision made after the transition is complete.

The Clatsop Care Center Health District is a governmental entity. That means: a citizen oversight committee would review spending and ensure bond proceeds are used only for the purposes approved by voters; bond funds are legally restricted — money raised through the bond can only be used for the capital purposes voters approve; and the board is elected — the people responsible for the district's decisions are accountable to the community they serve.

No. General obligation bond funds are restricted to capital purposes — in this case, building the new facility and related improvements. Bond money cannot be used for day-to-day operating expenses.

As a public entity, the district is subject to the financial oversight and reporting requirements that apply to Oregon public bodies.

If the bond does not pass, the district would continue to operate the current facility.

Renovating the current facility to meet today's building and seismic codes would be extremely expensive — and replicating the benefits of a new facility (all residents on the ground floor, modern kitchen and dining, earthquake standards) may not be possible without largely rebuilding the structure.

We will be elevating the new building to the same height as the existing assisted living facility, which will take it out of the tsunami zone. The elevations on the site as it stands now are below the tsunami zone line, but once the building is elevated it will be above the line. Evacuation routes will be the same as the existing facility and evacuation plans will also be synced. There is a small portion of the site which is in the flood plain (about four feet up from the river bank). We are currently preparing a flood zone application, which includes an environmental impact assessment, for that narrow strip that falls within the flood plain. We have had a couple of pre-application meetings with the City and are anticipating their approval of the flood plain application. There will not be any construction in the flood plain section.