General notes: First things first…..your Economic Development Manager is very, very happy about the additional urban renewal funding set aside for wiring businesses in the URD with gig fiber. The more businesses we have on the system, the better of an argument we make for Sandy as a gig-friendly community and the better opportunity we have to recruit businesses in the near future. Kudos to the Council for recognizing this fact and making the funds available for this purpose! Huzzah!!!
And regarding using gig fiber for business recruitment….we have our first meeting set up to look specifically at this problem and how to address it. Councilor Pietzold, Seth, Joe and I will be meeting with Skip Newberry of the Technology Association of Oregon on the 15th of May for a strategy session. Skip has a bit of expertise in this area, as he has been working with MINET down in Independence/Monmouth on this very issue. Special thanks to former Oregon House representative Chris Harker (D-Beaverton) for taking the time to meet with me and for making the introduction to Skip. Mr. Harker (also a former founder and CEO of a tech-related company called Cayuse, Inc.) will be attending this meeting as well, and has expressed interest in getting involved in this project out of sheer curiosity (and likely a little boredom related to his recent retirement), and his perspective on this issue is most welcome.
And finally….I was contacted recently by the eldest child in the Muff clan who told me that the kids are basically looking to take over the management and brokering of their parents’ properties here in Sandy. Lilian Muff told me that she and her two siblings will be in town soon, and would like to meet with the City to look at their options for developing this property sooner rather than later. I relayed the breakout of unbridled joy this would cause in the City on pretty much everyone’s part, and scheduled a morning meeting on May 18th between the three of them, myself, our Planning Director and the City Manager. I cannot wait to see what the result of that meeting is…
Commercial Properties (vacancies, new businesses, etc.):
A Place for Your Face Facial Spa: These folks are now open for business. They are currently only open 4 days a week, although I would look for them to add hours and days as they get more established at their current location. I would be interested in any customer feedback I can get on the quality of this operation, so if you find yourself inclined to get a facial sometime in the next couple of weeks and would like to try out a new Sandy business, please let me know about your experience.
Crawlers: This business seems to be growing in popularity with the locals since it opened several months ago. There were some issues regarding open permits that were threatening to become much larger problems, but the owners recently picked up (and paid for) all of their outstanding permits and should be in the process of finishing the work in question right now. We anticipate a final inspection sometime in the next 30 days.
Clackamas County Health: I have spoken with several people now who have confirmed that Clackamas County and Jerry Carlson did recently discuss a build-to-suit opportunity for the County’s Health Department at the site that La Torta Caliente currently occupies. That business has been issued an order to vacate by Mr. Carlson – partially because of the likelihood of this property being commercially developed very soon, and partially because of zoning issues (please contact me directly if you would like additional information about this). Unfortunately, the County will not be ready to move on this project for at least another year, and it is unlikely that Mr. Carlson’s property will still be available at that time.
Magic Bean Bistro: In the last week in April, I noticed a large delivery truck sitting outside this business as I was out making the rounds. I assumed that the new owners of this business were bringing in new equipment or furniture, so I made a mental note to stop by the next day and chat up the new owners to see what was going on and how business was treating them so far.
When I arrived the next day, I was surprised to find that the space had been completely vacated! The only things remaining in the store that weren’t literally nailed down were an old beverage cooler and the ice machine….even the front counter display case and some of the plumbing fixtures were missing. Their window paint displays advertising various Mexican cuisine were still up, but there was nothing else on the premises indicating an active business.
The overnight disappearance of Magic Bean Bistro remains a complete mystery. I have called Mr. Perez three times now asking for an update as to the status of his store, but all calls have gone unanswered. Upon calling Mr. Picking’s local office, his local representative Buzz had no idea that MBB had vacated the space and had not been contacted by Mr. Perez either. Magic Bean Bistro is in good standing with the City regarding business licenses and permitting, so we will not be negatively impacted by this other than the fact that we now have one more available commercial space in Sandy to fill (which at this point is probably more of a positive than a negative).
Peak Mortgage: Sandy’s newest mortgage broker introduces themselves to the citizenry in style on May 7th with their Open House/Ribbon Cutting in the middle of Heritage Square parking lot. Local beer (Bunsenbrewer), wine (Alder Creek) and food (Busy Bee) will be complimentary at the event, and our favorite band from Music Faire & Feast (Dancehall Days) will be performing. Mayor King cuts the ribbon at 6pm.
Red Shed Public House (former Organic Sandy location): This space will open for business, according to plumbing magnate/commercial property manager/entrepreneur Jeff Newberry, on May 15th barring any unforeseen obstacles. The Red Shed Public House will offer a beer and barbecue in a nice, shiny new interior, and if the floor plan is any indication this will probably be the nicest place to have a malted beverage in Sandy. They will also be offering their food every Saturday for the duration of the upcoming Mt. Hood Farmer’s Market.
VIJ Eatery: Good news for Sandy’s only operational food cart – the proprietors have contractually agreed to be a food vendor at this year’s Music Faire & Feast! I don’t think they really understand the scope and magnitude of what they’ve just taken on, but we will be providing them with the attendance numbers from last year shortly. I will make certain that Khrys Jones from the Chamber has smelling salts with her when she shares that information with them.
Sandy Main Street: Our May First Friday had a little bit better turnout than April’s event, probably due to the comfortable weather as well as the participation of Impact Learning Center, the Action Center and a number of home businesses that were not a part of FF in April. The final First Friday that Sandy Main Street will manage is June 5th, and should be our busiest event in 2015 so far unless it rains. This event will have the year’s first business awareness activity [Safari Bingo!] designed to get citizens to visit every participating store.
Project work: Planning and work continue in preparation for the inaugural Mount Hood Farmer’s Market on May 9th. We have already had our vendor’s meeting with all of the current vendors that are signed up, and we do anticipate adding a couple more vendors to the 13 we currently have in the next couple of months. Charity Chalmers of Chariteas is attempting to work out a deal where she can sell her tea and other products using AntFarm kids as the market labor in return for a cut of the sales, and Jeff Newberry from the Red Shed Public House will be selling his BBQ at the market as well.
Physically speaking, the market site is in the midst of its makeover as well. The old barn on the property has had its rolling doors replaced, the interior is in the middle of a remodel and a brand new external paint job (see picture below) was just completed days ago. A new bathroom will be completed shortly after the market opens, so the on-site port-o-john is merely a temporary fixture. Work on the old fueling kiosk in June and July will transform that structure into an area map showcasing the farms and bike trails of the greater Sandy area. Many thanks to Scott from SandyNet for repairing the courtesy on-site wi-fi connection that SandyNet has provided so the farmers can use their point of sale systems at the market.
If you would like more information on the upcoming market, click on the following link to be connected to AntFarm’s MHFM page: http://www.antfarm-international.com/mount-hood-farmers-market-2/
Conferences/training: None in the last 30 days.