Planning items:

Platted/Tentative platted lot report: We issued permits for 10 new single-family residential structures (single family homes and rowhouses) over the past three months.  We are expecting 173 apartments to be complete in the next year – 9 at Tupper Hill, 24 at Doug Fir, and 140 at SandyPlace Apartments.  Unfortunately, our current inventory of platted and tentatively platted lots shows that we are basically out of available lots for single family homes:

• The one single-family lot in ViewPoint is already owned by the homeowner
• The three lots in Zion are owned by builders and are intended for speculation
• The two lots in Snowberry may not be built on until the visibility issues with regard to Arletha Court are settled
• The three lots in Salmon Creek are so steep that I have been told they are basically cost prohibitive to build on
• The ‘other’ lots in Sandy are owned by individuals who I do not believe are marketing them for sale.
• We are pretty much out of lots available for single family homes! 

You will receive the next update in early January 2019.

Bloom Annexation:  At the September 24, 2018 Planning Commission meeting it was voted to grant a continuance for Case No. 18-026 ANN, Bloom Annexation, not to extend beyond May 27, 2019 (245 days) to allow them additional time to gather and submit for review the necessary information to make a determination. The applicant’s representative submitted the required TPR analysis and third-party review fee on October 4, 2018. Staff will refer the submitted TPR analysis to the appropriate reviewers to continue the final review and hearing processes.

Sandy Community Campus Street Vacation:  City Council approved to adopt Ordinance 2018-28 by title on September 17, 2018 to vacate 72,085 SF of public ROW to be incorporated into the future Sandy Community Campus and existing Sandy Grade School campus. Following the approval staff has continued to work with the contracted land surveyor to begin the re-platting process to clean up the property boundaries for the two owners (City of Sandy and OTSD).

Zion Meadows:  Final orders for retention tree removal at Zion Meadows (lots 2 and 8) were issued on September 6 and 14 respectively.

Stowaway Mini Storage:  This business has submitted for a design review to incorporate 24 storage unit containers into their overall development.

Other large reviews being conducted:

• US Metal Works: Construction began in early September on the first of three approved structures. The first structure will be used for school but maintenance, dispatching, training and employees.
• TSC, Inc.: This project on the Benson property was brought before Planning Commission at meeting on July 30.  Final order completed and issued to TSC on August 15.

Internal projects:

• Code updates: Modifications to five development code chapters went to Planning Commission at their September 24^th All of the modifications were approved with a few revisions, and will go to City Council’s 2^nd meeting in October for final approval.

Economic Development items:

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

• Joe’s Donuts: Seifert Concrete is in the process of completing concrete flatwork near Joe’s Donuts (complete) and Mountain Moka (scheduled) to clean up the area a little bit.* As luck would have it, when the landscaping islands outside of MM were dug out in preparation for this work, an existing leak was discovered on the City side of the meter and subsequently repaired by our Public Works crew.  We will also be adding a wave-style bike rack, an all-weather table and a municipal bench to the site before we are complete (all on order).  *We have also decided to replace about 25 linear feet of sidewalk including the replacement of an old driveway apron leading to a garage that no longer exists with a proper curb and sidewalk panel.
• Next Adventure: Construction is nearing completion, and should be finished prior to our next monthly departmental report. Our understanding is that the new building will be used primarily for rental storage and processing.
• TI grant project #1: – The building that the former Trout Pub is in was recently purchased by State Farm Insurance agent Chris Corbin. Corbin plans to introduce a new restaurant (tentatively titled Burgers and Brats) in the space, and has applied for and received the City’s first TI grant to help with the internal remodel.  This space has needed an internal update for a very long time, and this update will touch almost every part of the interior, from a new kitchen hood and fire suppression system to new floors (concrete), new walls,  new restrooms and a completely new layout.  He also plans to add some new twists….like a Skee-ball machine!  It’s possible that this new restaurant may be open before the end of the year. Watch this space.

Econ Devl – Internal Projects:

• Downtown maintenance:
  • AntFarm Downtown Maintenance contract: The next area we have asked Cara Seipel’s crew to focus on is the Bignall Pool – the crew will focus on weed mitigation throughout the parking lot, adding ground cover to the east side of the pool exit for erosion (and skateboarder) control and cleaning up the landscaped area at the corner of the pool exit. We are also asking them to clean up the area in the planter strip outside of the building formerly known as the Elusive Trout Pub as a “business-friendly” courtesy as the building owner works on remodeling the restaurant with the help of a TI grant.  As always, if there are areas of downtown that you would like to see them focus on next, let me know.
  • Sandy Community Campus: Now that the small structures have been removed, we are starting to look at the front middle school building and what it might take to get this structure demolished and removed. The first step towards that end has been completed – Certified Environmental Consulting LLC completed a hazardous materials report for the building for us on September
• Clackamas County Tourism’s Community Partnership Program grant projects:
  • Jonsrud Viewpoint: I met with Blake Turin from N8 Construction on October 5^th to discuss turning the results of the auto turn report and what the next steps are to get this project going. They will begin shaving back the curbs, adding some new county signage and possibly replace some sections with low profile curbs shortly.
  • Meinig Park Entry Arch: I met with Neilson Construction on October 5^th to give them engineering and design materials and request a quote for construction. Quote pending.

Econ Devl – Conferences/training:

• Oregon Main Street – Main Street on the Move (Albany, OR) – October 3, 2018: This one day conference was attended by the Economic Development Manager and both staff planners.  The event highlighted recent businesses that have moved to or taken over new space in downtown Albany, OR, and what the City of Albany has been doing to actively convert some of their older, underutilized buildings into usable commercial (and residential) space.