Economic Development items:

Econ Devl – Strategic Plan metrics:

As we complete the transition to our new License Registrar business license tracking software and are able to deploy the new Development Services Code Enforcement Specialist to assist, staff is having great success eliminating unlicensed businesses in Sandy.  The number of total Sandy business establishments (metric 1e) is currently artificially low because this is the first time we have ever required businesses to renew their licenses online. This has led to an unprecedented number of businesses (157 as of March 1st) that have not renewed their licenses, even after multiple notices have been issued and late fees have been assessed. However, we are expecting this number to rise throughout the next few months as a) businesses renew at the last minute to avoid fines, and b) staff finds and continues to enter unregistered businesses into the system.  We expect the total number of active business licenses to level off sometime this summer.

Econ Devl – Strategic Plan progress:

Action 6.1.2 – Retail market analysis:  Underway!  This report will take ECONorthwest somewhere between 3 and 4 months to complete. Many thanks to the Sandy City Council for providing funding for this report.

Action 2.2.1 – Assess SandyNet as a resource in business and talent attraction: Staff has completed the redesign of the SandyNet landing page in February.  The redesign is not only clearer and more customer-friendly, but it will help staff identify the number of hits we receive requesting residential service versus requesting business service.

Action 3.2.2 – Identify opportunity sites for expansion/recruitment of metals fab providers:  Although their expansion site was identified and purchased by Rogue Fabrication long ago, staff is currently working on an Enterprise Zone application with this business to assist their business expansion through abatement of a significant portion of the property taxes associated with the new development for three years.

Action 5.3.3 – Meinig Memorial Park:  Staff is currently gathering materials from the last wayfinding project in 2013 to order additional Meinig Park signage to install along Hwy 211 approach, Hwy 26 approaches (both directions) and in front of City Hall.  May also order additional wayfinding signage as needed for downtown couplet (Pioneer Parking lot!) to take advantage of economies of scale.

Econ Devl – Commercial Properties (vacancies, new businesses, reports, etc.):

23-001 FAC Sandbar BBQ façade project:  Striping and street tree installation were both completed in February.  Check request for remaining 50% of grant funds has been submitted with Finance and pending one additional small item (filling in of mud section of parking lot with gravel), the applicant will receive the final reimbursement check and this project will be complete.  [note: Sandbar BBQ is now open from noon to 9PM four days a week instead of 4PM to 9PM.  Also, if the number of cars in the parking lot is any indication, this restaurant seems to be doing very well at the moment.]

21-010FAC Tollgate Inn Covered Structure:  Work has begun on this project – the work area has been cordoned off, and excavation for the post holes has begun.  Project must be completed no later than July 2024.

Sandy Marketplace – major improvements:  Sandy Marketplace is the first property that staff decided to focus on after filling the Development Services Code Enforcement Specialist position due to the number of mentions it has generated from both citizens and elected officials.  In addition to the deteriorating condition of the asphalt parking surface throughout the complex, multiple other code violation issues needed correction.  Development Services Code Enforcement and Economic Development have been using a coordinated, multi-pronged approach to address the repairs needed with the property owner (Albanese Cormier, a Texas-based commercial property holding company) since the beginning of 2024.

As of the beginning of March 2024, staff has been able to achieve code compliance from the property owner with regard to the following items:

• All of the Spanish-style roof tiles for the main building in the complex that were broken or missing have been replaced.
• Most of the potholes and failing asphalt sections have been filled/replaced.
• The broken seating area at one of the planter boxes created as a Façade project back in 2019 has been repaired.
• The broken garbage enclosure has been replaced with a brand new code compliant structure painted with Sandy-Style colors.
• All of the broken curbs surrounding landscaping islands throughout the parking lot (about half of the islands had broken curbs) have been removed and replaced.
• Scooter’s: The entire concrete entry path to the front door and parking lot ADA ramp were both removed and repoured.  These sections were deteriorating rapidly and were nearly impassable by ADA standards.
• Pho Viet space:  The windows for this space have been covered in paper so the abandoned interior is no longer visible from outside the building.
• All of the wall signs on the buildings advertising tenants that no longer reside in the complex have been removed.
• In addition to the repairs noted above, representatives from Albanese Cormier recently informed staff that they will be painting the entire complex in Sandy-style colors within the next few months.  This was not a City requirement – the company decided to do this on their own and may follow up with additional façade improvements later in 2024.

To achieve total code compliance, the following items still need to be completed and are being monitored by staff:

• Monument sign: There are sign panels advertising two tenants (K’s Clothing Boutique, Cricket Wireless) that no longer reside in the complex that must be removed, and the lighting for the west-facing Dollar Tree sign panel has failed.
• Landscaping:  There are multiple landscaping plants in the islands around the complex that are completely dead and need to be removed and replaced.
• Siding: There is a siding panel on the front façade of the Dollar Tree store that fell off of the building during the winter storm that needs to be replaced.

Econ Devl – Downtown Events:

There were no downtown public events in February.

Econ Devl – Internal Projects:

Sandy Comprehensive Plan/EOA:  At the EDAB meeting on February 7^th, Beth Goodman and Nicole Underwood from ECO presented draft updates to the economic development goals listed in Block 3 of the Comprehensive Plan (see below for more information).

Bignall Pool/Cedar Ridge demolition:  Bignall Pool is now completely demolished, and Cedar Ridge 1 is about 50% deconstructed as of the last day of February.  Demolition began on January 31^st and is estimated to be completed sometime in March. 

Econ Devl – Economic Development Advisory Board:

EDAB meeting – February 7^th, 2024:  This meeting included:

• A presentation and request for a letter of support from the Sandy Public Library for a mobile library outreach vehicle – at the direction of the Board, this letter was drafted by the staff liaison, approved & signed by the Board Chair and forwarded to library staff on Friday, February 16^th.
• A project update and draft review of ec dev policy goals for the Sandy Comprehensive Plan – this was a review of the incorporation of the suggested changes from the last EDB meeting prior to finalization.  There were no additional changes requested by the Board.
• A review of the scope of work for the approved 2024 retail market report – this was a brief review of the approved scope and request for Board input regarding the add-on Case Study Analysis, which seeks to review the downtown development efforts of three comparable Oregon communities that have been recently active in this arena.  After board review of contractor suggestions and discussion surrounding additional suggestions from the Board, the Chair selected the cities of Hood River, Madras and Sisters for our comparable communities.
• Next meeting: April 7^th, 2024, at 6:30 PM
  

Econ Devl – Conferences/training:

Oregon’s Mt Hood Territory FAM Tour – Winter Urban Fun (February 15^th) – a review of County tourism assets in the “urban” region of the county, which includes Oregon City, Milwaukie and West Linn, hosted by Clackamas County Tourism & Cultural Affairs (a.k.a. Oregon’s Mount Hood Territory).  New featured stops on this tour were at Tumwater Vineyard and Barrel House Tasting Room (a gorgeous, high-end tasting room and events space in West Linn that does tastings on the weekends and serves dinner from a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef on Thursday evenings) and a full building tour of the historic Hive Catering Company building in Oregon City, featuring the Hive Social (a high-end full service restaurant serving brunch daily, dinner and a strong happy hour presence Wednesday through Saturday), an extremely high-end speakeasy called the Hardware Store in the basement available for lease to private parties, along with catering and multiple fully restored private event spaces on the second floor that can accommodate up to 140 guests.

Next up — 2024 Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism (March 11-13, Salem Convention Center) – Oregon’s annual conference for all things tourism, hosted by Governor Kotek and Travel Oregon.  Special shout-out to Jim Austin, Assistant Director of Clackamas County Tourism & Cultural Affairs, for providing a “scholarship” for this conference so that the City’s Ec Dev staff can attend GovCon24 entirely on the County’s dime.