Development Services – Monthly Report – September 2020

Planning items:

Above is the updated platted and tentative platted lots list through September 30, 2020. We issued 9 single family homes between July and September.  The six remaining lots in Sandy Woods have all been reviewed and will likely be issued in October.  The seven remaining lots in Mt. View Ridge are in various stages of review and will likely all be issued before the end of the year.  The 15 remaining lots in Marshall Ridge were recently purchased by Lennar who also bought the 100 lots in Shaylee Meadows.

Speaking of Shaylee Meadows, Gunderson Road is being installed and the land is currently being graded.  I would expect that land to be ready for house permits in spring of 2021. We also recently heard of revived interest in the nine lots at Jewelberry Ridge and the six lots at Mairin’s Viewpoint.  At this point, staff is unsure of the status for moving forward with the 52 tentative platted lots at Jacoby Heights and Jewelberry Meadows.

You will receive the next update in January 2021.

Space Age Station – October 2020

DCA Code Updates to Chapters 17.100, 17.84 and 17.10 (20-023 DCA):   These proposed code changes, primarily in relation to ADT standards, were approved at City Council’s September 21st meeting and went into effect on September 21st

20-032 DCA code changes associated with House Bill 2001 related to duplexes and ADUs: Planning staff will be holding a work session regarding HB 2001 at the PC meeting on October 26th.

Hood Street Daycare (20-039 DCA/ADJ): This request to construct a new building for a daycare facility at 38422 Hood Street has gone through the pre-app process.  Completeness check is pending.

Sandy Crest Planned Development (20-033): This application was withdrawn completely on September 18th.  We may see a new application for a planned development at this location in the future.

16230 Bluff Road tree removal (20-035 TREE):  Tree removal request at 16320 Bluff Rd – this tree removal request is associated with demolishing and rebuilding a single-family house.  Final order was issued on September 11th.

Tree removal at 38432 Maple Street (20-036 TREE):  This tree removal request at 38432 Maple Street and request to install a retaining wall and grade near retention trees has been deemed incomplete.

Sandy Woods II (20-034 ZC):  This zoning map update with FSH overlay for Sandy Woods II has been deemed incomplete.

Rogue Fabrication zone change:  This request to change zoning designation from I-1 to I-2 for Rogue Fabrication’s new facility at the corner of Champion Way and Industrial Way is in process.

Upcoming pre-apps:  Pre-apps are scheduled for the following future projects

  • An accessory structure on Kelso Road
  • Two proposed residential dwellings on Jacoby Road

Vista Loop Lot Line Adjustment (20-031):  Staff is waiting on an updated plat map from the applicant.  Once that is complete, the final order will be issued.

Pleasant Street Master Plan (18-022 CPA):  This project remains on the back burner for a bit as staff works on Bull Run Terrace and The Views.  We will revisit this project when those larger projects are complete.

Design Review:

  • Bull Run Terrace (19-050 CPA/ZC/SUB): Staff has now received updated application materials from the applicant and are working on producing an updated staff report.  This project will be heard by Planning Commission at their October 26th meeting.  Shelley Denison will be creating an updated video summary of this project shortly.
  • OAOR Annexation (20-025):  Staff asked for a continuance for this project at the last Planning Commission meeting due to a fairly serious code violation with Clackamas County.  Staff will be meeting with the applicant in mid-October to correct this issue.  This project will be brought back before the PC once that is complete at a date to be determined.
  • The Views Planned Development (20-028):  Planning Commission review of this project has been rescheduled to the November 23rd PC meeting.  Staff report in progress.
  • 16320 Bluff Road (20-037 DR):  This request to construct a new single family residence on Bluff Rd is currently under review by staff.

Internal projects

  • Minor changes to Community Center: The City of Sandy Urban Renewal Agency is looking to upgrade a couple of items at the Community Center
    • Lighting: Fixtures on order, work to be completed by next report.
    • Garbage enclosures:  Complete
    • West entrance awning:  Design for awning has been received and approved.  Contractor is currently building the awning in his shop.  Should be installed by next report.
    • West entrance – new metal door:  The Community Services Director asked me if Urban Renewal could replace the metal door and frame at the west entrance – it has never worked properly and is beginning to become an issue.  I have accepted a quote from the same company that is designing and building the permanent awning, and am awaiting their suggested replacement door.  New door will be as close to identical to the old door as possible – metal door with window and interior crash bar.


Economic Development items:


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

  • Rogue Fabrication – EZ project:  This Sandy business mentioned in last month’s report is slowly moving forward with a development project at the recently purchased Eastwinds site.  As this company is a light manufacturing company that produces tools and machinery for pipe bending, they qualify for 3 years of partial property tax abatement through the Enterprise Zone program offered by the State of Oregon and Clackamas County.  I have been working with the business owner and Cindy Moore from ClackCo Business and Economic Development to explain the program, and an application was sent to him on October 12.  This is the first Enterprise Zone project in the City of Sandy that I am aware of.
  • Commercial vacancies:  I did not notice any new business closures in September.  We have lost about 10 businesses in the age of COVID-19 thus far; about half of them have been confirmed COVID casualties.  On the positive side, we have seen a few new businesses move into some of the vacant spaces – two commercial landlords have told me that all recent business vacancies in their buildings have already been filled.  A 2020 round of “musical businesses” (businesses moving within town to a) take advantage of better rental rates or b) upgrade their space) is now starting, with Impact Jiu-Jitsu moving into the space formerly occupied by Wolfpack Theater.  I anticipate several more moves like this between now and the end of the year.
  • Expedited process for temporary outdoor seating covers:  Development Services has instituted a new streamlined process for temporary covers for outdoor seating areas in Sandy restaurants.  A simple, one page application with a quick staff-level review and a inspection by the fire marshal is all that is required for non-permanent structures to be erected for this purpose.  This new process has no fees and will be in place until later stage COVID restrictions governing indoor occupancy levels are lifted.  Letters and email notices were sent to all Sandy businesses (also applies to gyms) in the first week of October announcing the new procedure.  We have already had three Sandy businesses complete the  process entirely (Boring Brewing, Le Happy, Smoky Hearth).  Feedback from member Bill Schwartz (owner, Boring Brewing) at the October Ec Dev Committee meeting was extremely positive – easy to apply, City staff was responsive, and no fee required was very much appreciated. 

Le Happy – Approved temporary outdoor seating covers

Econ Devl – Internal Projects:

Downtown maintenance:

  • AntFarm downtown maintenance crew: New work requested from the maintenance crew for the month of October includes:
    • Clean up SE corner of Meinig and Proctor (weeds) — COMPLETED
    • Weed the planter strip on Proctor adjacent to DQ
    • Major weeding of planter strip on SE corner of Pioneer and Bruns at car wash (remove blackberries, weed and trim back plants in strip)
    • Clean up small corner planter strip on south side of Proctor at Bruns (remove grass, put down weed matting and barkdust)
  • Flower baskets:  The flower baskets were removed during the last week of September.  Our watering contractor took good notes relating to what worked and what didn’t in the baskets this year and will forward to our basket provider for next year.  Considering the wind and wildfire damage sustained, the baskets performed admirably.
  • Holiday street tree lighting:  Coming soon – will be installed by the end of October.


Econ Devl – Economic Development Committee:

The October meeting of the Economic Development Committee was held virtually on October 7th.  It began with a presentation in the Updates section highlighting the new expedited process for installing outdoor seating cover structures at local restaurants, a review of current commercial construction projects in Sandy and updated local business closures.   Member discussion started with member COVID and wildfire updates (most were ok, Wippersnappers is really hurting), and then proceeded into a continuation of our current discussion about urban renewal spending priorities.  One point that members seemed to agree on is that we should be considering some sort of media marketing campaign to extoll the virtues of the City of Sandy. 

We concluded the meeting by giving our members a target area (space to be created by 362nd extension) for future commercial development – we asked members to consider what specific kind of development might be prosperous there, and what kinds of new incentives the City should be considering to help drive this development  The discussion will continue on November 4th.

Econ Devl – Conferences/training:

No conferences or training in September due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but I will be attending the 2020 OEDA (the Oregon Economic Development Association) Conference on October 26-28 (full days) as well as Travel Oregon’s Outdoor Recreation Summit during the first half of October (Zoom meeting series).  Both events are virtual.