Planning Department items:

Bell Street/362^nd tree removal (22-029 FSH/TREE):  Staff is currently working on this request for additional tree removal associated with this project.  Staff does not technically have an application for this project yet, although one is pending.

362^nd Ave and Bell Street Extension (22-003 FSH/MP):  Construction continues to move forward on this project.  Grading of both roads is approximately 60% complete.  The dry sewer line is mostly installed.  We are currently waiting on a permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers to tie together the culverts and the Lundeen’s shop, so Konell is currently unable to start work in this area or on the demolition of the shop building.  They will also start working on the stormwater system once the permit is received.

38190 Sandy Heights replat (20-028 MP):  This request for a minor replat of the properties of two homeowners at Sandy Heights & Bluff Road is currently being reviewed.  Staff intends to issue a final order sometime within the next two weeks.

The Riffles Food Cart Pod (22-012 DR/VAR/ADJ):  This application for a food cart facility at 37115 Highway 26 (next to the MHAC & the dialysis center) was approved with conditions by the Planning Commission at their regular meeting on July 25^th.  A final order was issued by staff on August 2nd.

Pleasant Street Master Plan:  Planning and Economic Development staff, working together on this project, are changing directions on this project.  We are currently working on a presentation for City Council to explain the basics of the project (what it calls for, why it’s needed, how much it might cost, how long it might take, what problems it will solve for the community, etc.) We hope to make this presentation sometime in September or October to see if this work is something that Council would like us to pursue with more vigor.

Bornstedt Views Subdivision (21-021 SUB/VAR/FSH/TREE):  At the June 27^th PC hearing, this 42 lot subdivision between Bornstedt Rd and Averill Parkway south of Cascadia Village was approved with conditions.  The final order was issued by staff on July 28^th.   

City of Sandy Comprehensive Plan Update:  We’re wrapping up the visioning portion of this project and getting ready to do some robust sentiment and coding analysis of the data we’ve collected so far.  This analysis will help both staff and the consulting team come up with the draft vision statement.  This vision statement will be revealed to the public at an open house (which we’re calling Future Fest) at the end of September.  We’re partnering with Wippersnappers to hold Future Fest there in order to support a local business and encourage resident turnout (note: Economic Development gives this move two thumbs up!).  We’ll also be supplying both Planning Commission and City Council a high-level summary of the engagement data as well as a detailed report.

Economic Opportunities Analysis (EOA):  The TAC had its first meeting on July 28^th.  Our contractor presented initial findings regarding employment lands and a draft assessment of land sufficiency showing a slight to moderate deficit of industrial lands to develop.  We also discussed Sandy’s competitive advantages and disadvantages for business recruitment and retention.

The technical advisory committee (TAC) will move forward from this point with only one local business owner – other business owners contacted either didn’t respond or are already serving on other committees.  The TAC consists of the City’s Development Services Director, IT Director, Director of Policy and Community Relations, PW Crew Supervisor, Economic Development Manager, the Executive Director of the SACC and the CEO/founder of AEC, Inc.

Kelly’s Kudos:

This month I want to say thank you to Rebecca Casey in our office for taking on additional hours and assisting with multi-department coordination.  Rebecca has been working more hours for the Public Works Department and has been coordinating development review between Development Services and Public Works.  Her additional work hours have made a noticeable difference in communication, review timelines, and consistency between the two departments.  

Thanks Rebecca!

2^nd Quarter Report 2022 – Vacant Platted & Tentative Platted Lots:

Attached is an updated platted and tentative platted lots list through June 30, 2022.  We issued 23 single family homes between April and June in Shaylee Meadows, Mairin’s Viewpoint, and Jewelberry Meadows.  The Jewelberry Ridge (9 lots) plat was recorded, and the subdivision is now available for home construction.  Staff is currently reviewing five single family homes and three are approved and waiting to be issued.

On June 27, 2022, the Planning Commission approved The Bornstedt Views subdivision which includes 43 lots and is located south of Cascadia Village.  However, the final order has not been published yet and therefore these 43 lots are not included on the list yet.

You will receive the next update in October of 2022.

Planning Department items:

Parks Code Changes (21-032 DCA):  Changes to the parks code (Chapters 17.32 and 17.86) recommended by staff, the Parks and Trails Advisory Board and the Planning Commission were formally adopted as an emergency measure by the Sandy City Council at their regular meeting on June 6^th.

362^nd Ave and Bell Street Extension (22-003 FSH/MP):  The final order for this application to partition and construct an extension of Bell Street and 362^nd Avenue was issued on May 19^th.  Construction of the Bell Street extension started shortly after the “golden shovel” event pictured below was completed on the morning of June 29^th.

The Riffles Food Cart Pod (22-012 DR/VAR/ADJ):  This application for a food cart facility at 37115 Highway 26 (next to the MHAC & the dialysis center) was deemed complete by staff on May 16^th and is currently scheduled for a hearing before the Planning Commission at their regular meeting on July 25^th.

Immanuel Church playground (22-022 DR):  The initial application for a new playground at Immanuel Church at 39901 Pleasant Street has been processed and approved.  Final order issued on June 28^th.

Pleasant Street Master Plan:  Planning and Economic Development staff are currently collaborating on completing this report.  Current project status: the report is undergoing a complete re-write to improve readability and clarity, and to create more robust versions of small visual items like inset maps and tables, as the current draft versions of these items are merely placeholders for data and not visually appealing.  [This is a “back burner” item and is worked on by staff when time allows.  We are currently complete with the intro and the first five chapters of the report and have almost completely redrafted Chapter 6 – about 90% done with the first draft of the report.]

Bornstedt Views Subdivision (21-021 SUB/VAR/FSH/TREE):  This 43 lot subdivision between Bornstedt Rd and Averill Parkway south of Cascadia Village was approved with conditions at the June 27^th Planning Commission meeting.  Staff is currently in the process of drafting the final order.

City of Sandy Comprehensive Plan Update:  Throughout the month of June, Planner Shelley Denison will be holding community conversations with multiple stakeholder groups in the community as she assists 3J Consulting with this outreach process.  She has already completed a good portiion of the public engagement and outreach actions for the comprehensive plan as part of the visioning process, including holding sessions with the Economic Development Advisory Board, Sandy High School students, the SACC Board and the AntFarm Board.  This month, Shelley will also have a presence at the Sandy Mountain Festival, so please keep an eye out for her in the community space in the parking lot behind City Hall.  

Economic Opportunities Analysis (EOA):  The technical advisory committee (TAC) will move forward with only one local business owner – other business owners contacted either didn’t respond or are already serving on other committees.  The TAC is currently standing by for our first meeting with ECONorthwest.

Clear and Objective Code Audit:  The kickoff meeting for this audit was in late June – this project is underway.

Kelly’s Kudos:

I want to congratulate our Parks Superintendent Joe Preston on a well-deserved retirement.  I want to also thank him for the countless times he assisted the Development Services Department with facility needs around City Hall.  He was always quick and eager to help move office furniture, repair lights and smoke detectors, and assist with other needs around City Hall.  I truly appreciate his years of service. Congratulations Joe and enjoy your next adventure!

Note:  This sentiment is shared by the Economic Development Department.  Over the course of my career here, I have leaned on Mr. Preston more times than I can count in my efforts to make downtown Sandy a more welcoming place.  Whether it was replacing a flower basket taken out by a semi-truck, getting the electrical service in a street tree well working again for our holiday lighting or lending a hand to help keep Centennial Plaza clean during Mountain Festival, Joe was always available and happy to help.  Joe’s job also covered so much more than what a typical Parks Superintendent would be responsible for – I hope the Parks Department can keep up in his absence.  His cheerful attitude and dedication to our fair city will be missed, and I wish him nothing but the best in his well-deserved retirement. – dcs

Planning Department items:

15234 Dreamcatcher Avenue (22-016 ADJ):  The final order for this set of adjustments to the front and rear yards of the residential property at this address was issued on May 18^th.

Jewelberry Ridge tree removal (22-018 TREE):  This application to remove four trees was approved with a number of conditions, including two mitigation trees, additional tree protection fencing, and additional measures to protect the remaining nine trees on the subject site.  Unfortunately, the property owner did not adequately protect all of the trees in accordance with the land use decision and was issued a fine for $2,000.

Parks Code Changes (21-032 DCA):  The Parks and Trails Advisory Board and Planning Commission have jointly forwarded a recommendation of adoption to the City Council which will be heard at a public hearing on June 6, 2022.

362^nd Ave and Bell Street Extension (22-003 FSH/MP):  The final order for this application to partition and construct an extension of Bell Street and 362^nd Avenue was issued on May 19^th.

The Riffles Food Cart Pod (22-012 DR/VAR/ADJ):  This application for a food cart facility at 37115 Highway 26 (next to the MHAC & the dialysis center) was submitted to the Planning Division on March 18^th and was deemed complete by Planning staff on May 16^th after additional requested materials were received.  This project is currently under review by Planning staff.

Immanuel Church playground (22-022 DR):  The initial application for a new playground at Immanuel Church at 39901 Pleasant Street has been received by Planning staff and is currently being checked for completeness.

Pleasant Street Master Plan:  Planning and Economic Development staff are currently collaborating on completing this report.  Current project status: the report is undergoing a complete re-write to improve readability and clarity, and to create more robust versions of small visual items like inset maps and tables, as the current draft versions of these items are merely placeholders for data and not visually appealing.  [This is a “back burner” item and is worked on by staff when time allows.  We are currently complete with the intro and the first four chapters of the report, which comprises about 70% of the full report.]

Bornstedt Views Subdivision (21-021 SUB/VAR/FSH/TREE):  This 42 lot subdivision between Bornstedt Rd and Averill Parkway south of Cascadia Village is currently being reviewed by Planning staff and is scheduled to come before the Planning Commission at their regularly scheduled meeting on June 27^th.

Deer Meadows Subdivision (21-014 SUB/TREE & 21-061 AP):  The final order for the Deer Meadows Subdivision was issued on May 2, 2022.  On May 18, 2022, the City of Sandy received notice that the applicant has filed a Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) appeal contesting the decision by the City Council to deny the subdivision.  Staff will share more information on this LUBA appeal as we learn more.

City of Sandy Comprehensive Plan Update:  Throughout the month of May, Planner Shelley Denison will be holding community conversations with multiple stakeholder groups in the community as she assists 3J Consulting with this outreach process.  She has been doing a lot of public engagement and outreach for the comprehensive plan as part of the visioning process.  To date, staff has completed or have scheduled community conversations with the following groups (see also “Kelly’s Kudos”):

• Community Advisory Committee
• Sandy High seniors
• Library Advisory Board
• Economic Development Advisory Board
• SandyNet Advisory Board
• Chamber of Commerce
• Sandy PD
• Parks and Trails Advisory Board
• Rotary Club

Shelley will also have a presence at a number of community events this summer such as the Farmers Market, the Longest Day Parkway, the Sandy Mountain Festival, and others.  Additionally, staff has worked with the consultant team to finish a series of background reports which constitute an existing conditions assessment.

Economic Opportunities Analysis (EOA):  City staff is forming a technical advisory committee (TAC) to assist ECONW and staff with the analytical evaluation completed as part of the EOA.  The TAC will consist of key staff stakeholders, the SACC Executive Director, and at least one prominent business owner.  Additional business owner recruitment was performed by staff; however, it is proving difficult to obtain commitments from these stakeholders.

Clear and Objective Code Audit:  The contract for the code audit has been executed by City Manager Wheeler and MIG/APG is now officially under contract.  An internal kickoff meeting with staff is scheduled for mid-June. 

Kelly’s Kudos:

In mid-May, Shelley Dension and 3J Consulting met with over 200 seniors at Sandy High School to ask them what they love about Sandy and what they want to see improved.  Youth are a key stakeholder group in the Comprehensive Plan outreach efforts as they use and experience the City in different ways than adults.  The students were excited to be part of the process and had a lot of thoughtful and insightful comments and questions.  

We’ll be using their feedback alongside the other public input we’re gathering to inform the visioning piece of the comprehensive plan.  We’re committed to being inclusive in our public outreach efforts to make sure we hear from everyone in Sandy.  We thank the Sandy High School Seniors who participated and the Oregon Trail School District staff for helping make this happen.

Planning Department items:

15234 Dreamcatcher Avenue (22-016 ADJ):  This set of adjustments to the front and rear yards of the residential property at this address has been deemed complete and is currently under review.

Jewelberry Ridge tree removal (22-018 TREE):  The application for this removal of three trees in the new Jewelberry Ridge subdivision is currently undergoing a completeness check.

Parks Code Changes (21-032 DCA):  The draft parks code modifications were reviewed by the Parks and Trails Advisory Board on April 13 and by the Planning Commission on April 25.  The PC made a few recommended amendments to the draft code modifications.  Both the Board and Commission have forwarded a recommendation of adoption to the City Council which will be heard at a public hearing on June 6, 2022.

362^nd Ave and Bell Street Extension (22-003 FSH/MP):  This application to partition and construct an extension of Bell Street and 362^nd Avenue has now been deemed complete by staff and is currently under review.

The Riffles Food Cart Pod (22-012 DR/VAR/ADJ):  The application for a food cart facility at 37115 Highway 26 (next to the MHAC & the dialysis center) was submitted to the Planning Division on March 18^th but was deemed incomplete.  An incompleteness letter was sent, and a response has been received – staff is currently reviewing the new submittal items.  This facility proposes 18 carts, a 3,600 square foot dining facility, a permanent restroom facility, and ample parking.  As this request includes a few variances and design deviations, it will be reviewed by the Planning Commission at a future meeting before moving forward.  Staff has received the application and materials and is currently undergoing a completeness check.

Smoky Hearth covered structure (22-009 DR):  Final order for this covered structure project was issued on April 7^th.

Pleasant Street Master Plan:  Planning and Economic Development staff are currently collaborating on completing this report.  Current project status: The report is still undergoing a complete re-write to improve readability and clarity and creating more robust versions of small visual items like inset maps and tables, as draft versions of these items are merely placeholders for data and not visually appealing.  [This is a “back burner” item and is worked on by staff when time allows.  We are currently about 55% complete with the re-write.]

Senate Bill 458 (21-059 DCA):  Sandy City Council adopted the following ordinances at their May 2^nd meeting in relation to Senate Bill 458

• Ordinance 2022-07 adopts SB 458 related code amendments effective July 1^st, 2022.
• Ordinance 2022-08 adopts non-SB 458 related modifications to Chapter 17.100 (Land Division) of the SMC, effective May 2, 2022.

Bornstedt Views Subdivision (21-021 SUB/VAR/FSH/TREE):  The applicant for this 42 lot subdivision between Bornstedt Rd and Averill Parkway south of Cascadia Village has now submitted updated materials for this project and staff will begin review shortly.  PC hearing on this matter will likely be held in May or June.

Deer Meadows Subdivision (21-014 SUB/TREE & 21-061 AP):  On April 18, 2022, the City Council denied the Deer Meadows subdivision application and upheld the Planning Commission decision. The final order was issued on May 2, 2022.

City of Sandy Comprehensive Plan Update:  Throughout the month of May, we’ll be having community conversations with multiple stakeholder groups in the community. These groups include the chamber of commerce, the economic development advisory board, staff at the Community Action Center, and the library advisory board, among others. We’ll continue facilitating these conversations through the summer. We’ll also be doing extensive engagement this month with about 350 seniors at Sandy High School. We just finished a review of the background reports that analyze the existing conditions of the City across multiple topics. These reports will give us the baseline to work from when developing goals and policies for the comprehensive plan.

Building Department items:

SPRING 2022 – Building Division Report

With the winter over and covid restrictions greatly reduced, the number of construction projects has risen at a rapid pace.  The City of Sandy is vibrant with optimism and activity.  New and relocated businesses has also added to the inspection workload of the Building Official and the Fire Marshal.  Sandy’s Building Division is busy with both commercial and residential plan reviews and inspections.   

Current commercial projects included:

• Clackamas County Health Clinic  – at Ten Eyck and Hwy 26
• Mt Hood Senior Living – 60 Bed Residential Care Facility on Scenic Street
• Sandy Vault – 4 Self-Storage Buildings on Champion Way
• Trickle Creek Apartments – West of Ruben Lane
• Tickle Creek Village Development – on Dubarko Drive, east of Ruben.
• Completion of the new Domino’s Pizza – at 37425 Hwy 26

The common complaint that we hear from all the project managers is their difficulty in getting the materials and workers.  The single biggest challenge of a backlog in the supply chain.  For instance, delays in installation of mechanical ducting and plastic piping materials at TRICKLE CREEK APARTMENTS has been stalled due to the suppliers being out of stock.  LENNAR HOMES has been frustrated with window deliveries being backlogged a month and more beyond the usual 6-week lead time.  SANDY VAULT SELF-STORAGE buildings have been delayed additional months due to lack of material and supplies.

Residential construction projects and plan submittals have remained active.  Lennar Homes has completed almost two-dozen homes and has 22 houses under construction.  Lennar also has about a dozen more house plans on hold in plan review still waiting for revised details and engineering. Russ Bartels has submitted house plans for the new Jewell Berry Meadows Subdivision.  These have also been reviewed and are waiting for revisions to comply with the latest edition of Oregon’s Residential Code.   

A significant recent change in the Oregon Residential Code is the new mandate to change from standard framing to “Intermediate Framing”.  Framing at the corners of exterior walls are limited to no more than 3 studs.  

This allows better insulation at the corner and eliminates 8 to 12 studs in the average home. 

Respectfully submitted by
Terrence Gift, Building Official

Planning Department items:

Meinig Park hazard tree removal (22-013 TREE):  A final order was issued for this hazardous tree removal in Meinig Park on April 1.

Parks Code Changes (21-032 DCA):  Planning Commission is scheduled to review staff and attorney approved changes to the municipal code pertaining to city parks at their regular meeting on April 25^th.  City Council to review in May or June.

362^nd Ave and Bell Street Extension (22-003 FSH/MP):  Deemed incomplete – staff is waiting on additional information from the applicant for this application to partition and construct an extension of Bell Street and 362^nd Avenue. 

Freeup Storage Partition (22-006 MP):  Staff has completed this property partition at the new self-storage facility at Champion Way and Industrial Way.  Final order issued April 1^st.

The Riffles Food Cart Pod (22-012 DR/VAR/ADJ):  An application for a food cart facility at 37115 Highway 26 (next to the MHAC & the dialysis center) was submitted to the Planning Division on March 18^th.  This facility proposes 18 carts, a 3,600 square foot dining facility, a permanent restroom facility, and ample parking.  As this request includes a few variances and design deviations, it will be reviewed by the Planning Commission at a future meeting before moving forward.  Staff has received the application and materials and is currently undergoing a completeness check.

Smoky Hearth covered structure (22-009 DR):  Submission has been deemed complete, and staff is currently reviewing this type I design review for our first covered structure outside of the urban renewal district.   

Pleasant Street Master Plan:  Planning and Economic Development staff are currently collaborating on completing this report.  Current project status: The report is still undergoing a complete re-write to improve readability and clarity and creating more robust versions of small visual items like inset maps and tables, as draft versions of these items are merely placeholders for data and not visually appealing.  [This is a “back burner” item and is worked on by staff when time allows.  We are currently about 50% complete with the re-write.]

Senate Bill 458 (21-059 DCA):  Sandy City Council have scheduled a hearing on Senate Bill 458 code modifications for their May 2^nd regular meeting to finalize how the City of Sandy shall proceed with adopting the requirements of this Senate bill. 

Bornstedt Views Subdivision (21-021 SUB/TREE):  The applicant for this 42 lot subdivision between Bornstedt Rd and Averill Parkway south of Cascadia Village was given a 120-day extension  on March 2^nd.  PC hearing on this matter will likely be held in May or June.

Deer Meadows Subdivision (21-014 SUB/TREE & 21-061 AP):  At the City Council meeting on February 22^nd, the applicant was granted a continuance to the hearing to the meeting scheduled for  April 18.  The applicant asked for the continuance to take additional time to resolve some or all of staff’s concerns regarding the application and potentially revise the application to better address those concerns.  The applicant submitted additional material to this effect on March 14^th, and staff is now processing that information and revising the appeal staff report as necessary.

City of Sandy Comprehensive Plan Update:  The project kickoff with 3J Consulting occurred on March 7^th before the City Council.  The first Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting occurred on March 16^th and the video of the meeting can be viewed on YouTube.  The City of Sandy is now soliciting input via a survey on our new engagement website: Sandy-Speaks.

39601 Scenic Street (21-064 DR/FSH/TREE):  The final order for this duplex conversion of a single-family home and request for tree removal was issued on March 9^th.  This was the first House Bill 2001 conversion processed in Sandy.

Kelly’s Kudos:

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Mike Walker on a well-deserved retirement.  His resume includes an impressive list of past projects and work objectives for the Public Works Department.  Furthermore, his commitment to work objectives in collaboration with Development Services, such as land use review, construction plan review, and meeting with prospective developers lead to countless successful projects around Sandy.  I will definitely miss his wisdom and camaraderie in the office, and the evening conversations we had over the years about non-work related matters.  Thanks Mike for your service to Sandy and your friendship in City Hall!

Planning Department items:

Freeup Storage Partition (22-006 MP):  Staff has not yet started on this request to partition the remaining undeveloped lot left over from the development of the old Benson property (AM/PM, Tractor Supply, Sandy Vault).  We have received a land use application from the former property owner requesting this transaction, but we have not yet to receive a signed application requesting this from the current property owner.

Sandy Storage Tree Removal (22-004 TREE):  The final order for this request for the removal of one beaver-damaged tree from the wetland area at this location was issued on 2/1/22.

Parks Code Changes (21-032 DCA):  Staff and the attorney’s office are working on revisions to the Parks Code (Chapters 17.32 and 17.86) with a tentative schedule as follows – Planning Commission on April 25, 2022 and City Council in May or June.

362^nd Ave and Bell Street Extension (22-003 FSH/MP):  Staff is waiting on additional information from the applicant for this application to partition and construct an extension of Bell Street and 362^nd Avenue. 

Pleasant Street Master Plan:  Planning and Economic Development staff are currently collaborating on completing this report.  Current project status: The report is undergoing a complete re-write to improve readability and clarity and creating more robust versions of small visual items like inset maps and tables, as draft versions of these items are merely placeholders for data and not visually appealing.

Senate Bill 458 (21-059 DCA):  A combined work session for the Planning Commission and City Council has been scheduled for March 7^th to discuss how the City of Sandy shall proceed with adopting the requirements of this Senate bill.  Planning Commission will then hold a hearing on Senate Bill 458 code modifications on March 28^th, and City Council will do the same on May 2^nd (tentative).

Bornstedt Views Subdivision (21-021 SUB/TREE):  The application for this 42 lot subdivision between Bornstedt Rd and Averill Parkway south of Cascadia Village was scheduled for the PC meeting on February 28^th, but staff is still waiting on application materials from applicant.  Possible PC hearing in April (if staff receives materials by then.)

Deer Meadows Subdivision (21-014 SUB/TREE & 21-061 AP):  At the City Council meeting on February 22^nd, the applicant requested to continue the hearing to a date certain (April 18, 2022).  The applicant asked for the continuance to take additional time to resolve some or all of staff’s concerns regarding the application and potentially revise the application to better address those concerns.  The City Council granted the continuance.

39601 Scenic Street (21-064 DR/FSH/TREE):  This duplex conversion of a single-family home and request for tree removal has now been deemed complete, and staff is currently processing the request.

38941 Creekside Loop (22-005 TREE): This request for a Type I hazard tree removal has been deemed complete and is currently being processed.

Connelly property replat (22-008 MP): The property owner has requested to replat the properties between the Action Center and Grandma’s House child care center in preparation for new commercial construction.

Comprehensive Plan update:

• Staff has been steadily working towards a visioning kick-off — this includes putting quite a bit of time and resources into developing a public engagement strategy. 
• Members of our Citizen Advisory Committee have now been officially selected. Staff will begin meeting with them in March.
• Our consultant teams are working on developing some background reports to give us a clear picture of existing conditions on a number of different plan topics.

Kelly’s Kudos:

I would like to introduce Johnny Vollendroff, our newest employee in Development Services who is also a Sandy resident.  He started in October as a contracted building inspector to assist the Building Official, Terre Gift.  After three months as a contracted inspector, the City hired Johnny as a half-time employee.  Johnny has been a great addition to our department, has been well received by the local building community and has helped tremendously with Terre’s workload.

DEPARTMENT REPORTS NOTICE: The Economic Development department report now exists under it’s own heading and section for the first time since early 2019. Please go check it out!

Planning Department items:

18243 Antler Avenue Dish Wireless Cell Tower (22-022 DR):  This request to co-locate wireless antennae on an existing tower at the site is complete.  Final order issued 1/19/22.

Sandy Storage Tree Removal (22-004 TREE):  This request for the removal of one beaver-damaged tree from the wetland area at this location is approved.  Final order will be issued on 2/2.

Parks Code Changes (21-032 DCA):  Staff, legal counsel, and Councilor Walker will meet on February 2 to discuss the code modifications.  Staff is also working with the Parks and Trails Master Plan consultant, ESA, and the FCS Group to determine a dedication factor per 1,000 people, a revised fee in-lieu of land dedication amount, and revised system development charges.

362^nd Ave and Bell Street Extension (22-003 FSH/MP):  This application to partition and construct an extension of Bell Street and 362^nd Avenue has been deemed incomplete.  Staff is waiting on additional information from the applicant.

Senate Bill 458 (21-059 DCA):  A work session has been scheduled for March 7^th to discuss how the City of Sandy shall proceed with adopting the requirements of this Senate bill. 

Bornstedt Views Subdivision (21-021 SUB/TREE):  The application for this 42 lot subdivision between Bornstedt Rd and Averill Parkway south of Cascadia Village was deemed complete on August 17^th.  The Planning Commission postponed this hearing from its original hearing date of October 25^th, 2021, to the PC meeting on February 28^th.

Deer Meadows Subdivision (21-014 SUB/TREE & 21-061 AP):  The City Council will hold a public hearing on February 22^nd at 7 PM.  This meeting was originally scheduled for January 18^th, but the applicant asked to reschedule the hearing.  At the hearing, the City Council will consider an appeal of a 32-lot subdivision application, which the Sandy Planning Commission denied on November 18, 2021.

City of Sandy Comprehensive Plan Update:  The contract with 3J Consulting has been fully executed and a press release was placed on the City of Sandy website.  3J Consulting, Planning staff, and City administration completed a project kickoff on January 4^th.  Staff and 3J Consulting are now discussing a public outreach strategy and are creating an application and solicitation process for recruiting for a citizen advisory committee (CAC).  The CAC application closes on February 4^th.   Project kickoff is tentatively scheduled for March 7^th.

39601 Scenic Street (21-064 DR/FSH/TREE):  This duplex conversion of a single-family home and request for tree removal has received on December 15^th and deemed incomplete by staff on December 28^th.  Staff received no additional material in January.

OTSD tree removal (21-042 TREE):  This request by the Oregon Trail School District to remove trees at Cedar Ridge Middle School (17100 Bluff Road) was deemed incomplete in September.   No additional material was submitted within 180 days of the incompleteness letter, so by rule this application has now expired.

Internal projects: 

• Permanent Outdoor Covered Structures grant program:  The status of the first round of this program is reviewed semi-monthly at the City of Sandy Ec Dev Advisory Board meeting – here is the status of the program as of the beginning of February 2022:
  • Tollgate Inn – Keystone Architecture continues to refine the design with input from the building owner.  We are expecting a design sometime before the end of February.
  • All other projects are now complete, structurally and financially.

• Covered Structures Round 2:  Designs for the second round of the City of Sandy Covered Structures grant program were reviewed at the SURA and City Council meetings on January 3^rd.  Designs for the following businesses were approved outright:
  
  
  • La Bamba Mexican Restaurant (currently at the engineer’s office)
  • Thai Home
  • Mt Hood Athletic Club
  • Wippersnappers Kid’s Play Place
  • The Smoky Hearth (currently at the engineer’s office)
    
    
• More information has been requested by the Sandy Urban Renewal Board before a final decision can be made for the following projects:
  
  
  • Sandlandia II
  • Bigfoot Growlers
  • Sandy Inn Best Western (approval given for design work)
    

Staff has forwarded the first two projects (La Bamba and Smoky Hearth) to the engineer’s office for final drawing and analysis.  Each of these projects has a small additional land use action needed before construction can begin – the La Bamba project requires the completion of a turning template to ensure that traffic can still flow properly through the parking lot once the structure is completed, and the Smoky Hearth project requires a parking analysis to ensure that the loss of parking spaces from structure construction will not drop them below the minimum parking requirements for the zone.  

Staff is estimating that these first two projects will be ready for bid sometime in March 2022 and continues to collect information requested by the SURA Board for remaining projects.  The next two projects in line for the engineer are Thai Home and Wippersnappers. 

Economic Development items:

• Façade project – Clackamas County’s Sandy Health Clinic:  Construction continues on this new County health care clinic next to the Sandy PD, which is tentatively scheduled to be completed in October 2022.
• Façade project – Mt. Hood Cigar:  Sandy’s cigar retailer is pursuing the addition of a smoking deck on the west side of the store with the property owner’s blessing.  This project is currently in the bidding stage.
• Façade project – Les Schwab:  This project is now complete. 
• Public infrastructure project – Small library planter:  This project is now complete – see picture above.
• Façade project – Fun Time RV fencing:  Contractor is currently installing the stone wrapping on the concrete fence posts.  Pedestrian right-of-way and street work is complete – bulb-out improved, new sidewalk and curb added.  This project will be completed in February.

Econ Devl – Internal Projects:

Downtown maintenance:

• AF Downtown Maintenance:  We have nothing for the DT Maintenance crew this month, although we have asked them to stand by in the event that their assistance is needed with a few ongoing individual cleanup projects around the city. As we transition into spring, we will be tasking them with cleaning up the remainder of planter strips on Pioneer and Proctor Boulevards.

Econ Devl – Economic Development Advisory Board:

There is no EDAB meeting in February.

At the January meeting of the EDAB, the board was given a draft copy of the proposed RFP for the Economic Development Strategic Plan.  Discussion focused on the length of time the report should focus on and what elements should be highlighted.  It was determined that using a 15 year focus would be a better approach than the 10 year focus we were planning on, and our future business retention and attraction activities (whatever they end up being) should focus heavily on attracting living wage jobs and the industries that provide them.

Econ Devl – Conferences/training:

There were no training opportunities for Economic Development in the month of January.

4^th Quarter Report 2021 – available lots in subdivisions:

Attached is an updated platted and tentative platted lots list through December 31, 2021.  We issued 22 single family homes between October and December.  Jewelberry Meadows (20 lots) and Jewelberry Ridge (9 lots) are both in the final stages of public improvements, but neither development has received substantial completion so the plats cannot be recorded yet.

With the approval of Cedar Creek Heights (89 lots), Ten Eyck Rim (9 lots), and Sandy Woods II (43 lots) we will see additional subdivision construction for those three subdivisions in the near future. 

City Council will be hearing Deer Meadows (formerly Bull Run Terrace) on appeal on January 18. Staff is still working with the developer of The Bornstedt Views on subdivision modifications. You will receive the next update in April 2022.

Planning Department items:

Parks Code Changes (21-032 DCA):  Staff continues to work wih ESA, the City Attorney’s office, and Councilor Walker on the amendments.

Senate Bill 458 (21-059 DCA):  A work session has been scheduled for March 8^th to discuss how the City of Sandy shall proceed with adopting the requirements of this Senate bill. 

Mt. Hood Cleaners addition (21-057):  Review of this Type I application for the construction of a storage addition to their existing building has been completed by staff.  Final order was issued on December 22^nd.

Bornstedt Views Subdivision (21-021 SUB/TREE):  The application for this 42 lot subdivision between Bornstedt Rd and Averill Parkway south of Cascadia Village was deemed complete on August 17^th.  The Planning Commission has postponed this hearing from its original hearing date of October 25^th to the PC meeting on February 28^th.

Deer Meadows Subdivision (21-014 SUB/TREE & 21-061 AP):  The applicant filed an appeal of the Planning Commission decision on November 30 within 12 days of the Planning Commission decision as required by Section 17.28.10 of the SMC.  The appeal will be heard by the City Council at their regular meeting on January 18, 2022.

City of Sandy Comprehensive Plan Update:  The contract with 3J Consulting has been fully executed and a press release was placed on the City of Sandy website.  3J Consulting, Planning staff, and City administration completed a project kickoff on January 4^th.  Staff and 3J Consulting are now discussing a public outreach strategy and are creating an application and solicitation process for recruiting for a citizen advisory committee.  Project kickoff is tentatively scheduled for February 22^nd before the City Council.

39601 Scenic Street (21-064 DR/FSH/TREE):  This duplex conversion of a single-family home and request for tree removal has received on December 15^th and deemed incomplete by staff on December 28^th.

19555 SE Arletha Court annexation:  This property was just purchased, and the new owner would like to annex it into city limits.  Pre-application meeting was held on January 6^th.

OTSD tree removal (21-042 TREE):  This request by the Oregon Trail School District to remove trees at Cedar Ridge Middle School was deemed incomplete in September.  Staff is still waiting on additional information from applicant.

Kelly’s Kudos:

This month I want to thank Ron Lesowski and Don Carlton for their service and dedication to the City of Sandy Planning Commission. They have both been instrumental in numerous code amendments, long range planning objectives, and of course land use reviews. Their time spent on the Commission for over a decade is inspiring and very appreciated.

Internal projects: 

Permanent Outdoor Covered Structures grant program:  The status of this program is reviewed semi-monthly at the City of Sandy Ec Dev Advisory Board meeting – here is the status of the program as of the beginning of December 2021:

More information has been requested by the Sandy Urban Renewal Board before a final decision can be made for the following projects:

• Sandlandia II
  • Bigfoot Growlers
  • Sandy Inn Best Western (approval given for design work)

Staff is researching and collecting the information requested for the first two projects listed above for review by the SURA Board at a future meeting and will work with the general manager of the hotel to get a design concept drafted for the final listed project.  Design work for approved projects will now be forwarded to the engineer – all projects will be re-drafted by the engineer and will incorporate any changes he requires.  Economic Development anticipates that the first project may be ready to go out to bid in March.  Watch this space…

Economic Development items:

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

• Façade project – Clackamas County’s Sandy Health Clinic:  Construction continues on this new County health care clinic next to the Sandy PD, which is tentatively scheduled to be completed in October 2022.
• Façade project – Les Schwab:  This project is now essentially complete.  Staff is still waiting for the general contractor to request a final inspection.  Email status request to project manager Jordan Hoffart is pending.
• Public infrastructure project – Small library planter:  This project on hold – contractor currently out with COVID but anticipates completing the project in January.
• Façade project – Fun Time RV fencing:  Work has resumed on this project – concrete base for fence posts now installed. 

Econ Devl – Internal Projects:

Downtown maintenance:

• AF Downtown Maintenance:  The urban renewal agency is keeping our AntFarm downtown maintenance crew busy to start the new year.  Their primary task in January will be to clean up the back lot of the Smith Building pending the redevelopment of the building by the new owner in the coming construction season.  This project will focus on digging out existing blackberry bushes, trimming the landscaping, removing a 15-year layer of moss from what remains of the rear parking lot and general cleanup.

We also had the crew address the series of sidewalk drains that were installed on Proctor Boulevard during the undergrounding project.  These drains were installed to avoid pooling where there were low points in the new sidewalks that were lower than the base of the adjacent buildings.

Econ Devl – Economic Development Advisory Board:

At the January meeting of the EDAB, the board was given a draft copy of the proposed RFP for the Economic Development Strategic Plan.  Discussion focused on the length of time the report should focus on and what elements should be highlighted.  It was determined that using a 15 year focus would be a better approach than the 10 year focus we were planning on, and our future business retention and attraction activities (whatever they end up being) should focus heavily on attracting living wage jobs and the industries that provide them.

Econ Devl – Conferences/training:

There were no training opportunities for Economic Development in the month of December.

Planning Department items:

Ace Hardware accessory structure (21-060 DR):  Final order for this accessory structure to provide additional materials storage at Ace Hardware was issued on November 30^th.

Parks Code Changes (21-032 DCA):  City staff, ESA, and the city attorney’s office continue to work on the code changes.

Senate Bill 458 (21-059 DCA):  Staff has started researching the requirements of Senate Bill 458 to determine what the City of Sandy will need to adopt. The deadline for adoption is June 2022. This senate bill allows for lots with a duplex to be partitioned.  

Mt. Hood Cleaners addition (21-057):  This Type I application for the construction of a storage addition to their existing building has been completed by staff.  Final order will be issued by the end of the first week in December.

Bornstedt Views Subdivision (21-021 SUB/TREE):  The application for this 42 lot subdivision between Bornstedt Rd and Averill Parkway south of Cascadia Village was deemed complete on August 17^th.  The Planning Commission has postponed this hearing from its original hearing date of October 25^th to the PC meeting on February 28^th, 2022.

Deer Meadows Subdivision (21-014 SUB/TREE & 21-061 AP):  The Planning Commission denied the Deer Meadows subdivision proposal with a vote of 5:0 on November 8.  The final order (i.e. written decision) was signed by Chairman Crosby and issued on November 18.  The applicant filed an appeal of the Planning Commission decision on November 30 within 12 days of the Planning Commission decision as required by Section 17.28.10 of the SMC.  The appeal will likely be heard by the City Council on January 18, 2022.

City of Sandy Comprehensive Plan Update:  City Council approved the plan update at their regular meeting on December 6^th.  Staff continues to work with 3J Consulting to develop the contract details for this report.

19555 SE Arletha Court annexation:  This property was just purchased, and the new owner would like to annex it into city limits.  Pre-application meeting scheduled for the 28^th of December.

OTSD tree removal (21-042 TREE):  This request by the Oregon Trail School District to remove trees at Cedar Ridge Middle School was deemed incomplete in September.  Staff is still waiting on additional information from applicant.Transportation System Plan update:  The results from the TSP survey (closed on November 19^th) will be shared at the work session on December 13^th.  Staff, ODOT and DKS continue to work on the revised TSP.

Kelly’s Kudos:

I want to recognize Emily Meharg’s efforts on numerous projects over the last few months.  Emily has taken on several larger projects, including the Sandy Woods II subdivision, The Bornstedt Views subdivision, Senate Bill 458, and recruitment of our next traffic engineer consultant.  These projects are time consuming and complex.  Her dedication to submission details, timelines, and code requirements is what makes these projects successful.  Thank you, Emily, for all your hard work!

Internal projects: 

• Permanent Outdoor Covered Structures grant program:  This status of this program is reviewed semi-monthly at the City of Sandy Ec Dev Advisory Board meeting – here is the status of the program as of the beginning of December 2021:
  
  • Ria’s/SFR – Construction is complete!
  • Le Happy – Construction is complete!
  • Sandlandia – Construction is complete!
  • Boring Brewing – Construction is complete! 
  • Red Shed Public House – Construction is complete!
  • No Place Saloon – Construction is essentially complete! – The basic structure has been completed for many weeks, electrical work is complete and the dry well was installed and passed inspection in the final week of November.  The only remaining item is the gutters – Neilson Construction is waiting on their gutter subcontractor to provide some specialty pieces for the gutter system and says they have 4 hours of work remaining on the project once those pieces arrive.  The No Place Saloon covered structure should pass final inspection by the next report.
  • Tollgate Inn – We are moving forward with a design concept from architect Blane Skowede from Keystone Architecture.  Mr. Skowede has experience with opaque building materials and is confident that he can design a structure to meet Mr. Lesowski’s design requirements for the structure.  An initial design meeting between the Ec Dev office, Mr. Skowede and the two principals at the restaurant went very well, and staff is .  We hope to have an engineered design for this structure completed and out to bid by the next report.

• Covered Structures Round 2:  We are now in the design stage of the second round of this grant program.  We have tentative designs for all eight qualifying projects and our design contractor is currently finalizing these designs for UR Board review.  We will also be asking for UR Board guidance on the one project that is outside the bounds of program requirements.  We hope to have designs ready for your review at the next urban renewal board meeting in January.
  
• Christmas Tree lighting ceremony: This event is now “owned” and operated by the staff at the Sandy Public Library.  This event occurred on Friday, December 3^rd and was once again a drive-thru event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  https://www.ci.sandy.or.us/community/page/holiday-tree-lighting-1

Economic Development items:

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

• Façade project – Clackamas County’s Sandy Health Clinic:  Construction continues on this new health care clinic next to the Sandy PD, which is tentatively scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2023.
• Façade project – Les Schwab:  This project is now essentially complete.  Staff is currently waiting for Les Schwab project manager Jordan Hoffart to call for a final inspection.
• Public infrastructure project – Small library planter:  This project will remove the black bricks used as capstone for this planter (about 30 of which had already broken off) and replace with an appropriate capstone for a surface meant for seating.  Contractor is adding anti-skateboarding measures as well.  If the result is appealing, we will do the same with the larger planter in the spring of 2022 in addition to painting the planters and replacing plants as needed.
• Façade project – Fun Time RV fencing:  Work seems to have stopped on this project.  Reason unknown.
• Derelict building – Smith Building: Planning and Economic Development met with Chris Gunderson, the new owner of the Smith Building, on December 7th. Mr. Gunderson has already put a badly needed new roof on the building over the last few weeks, and will be pulling a demolition permit shortly to get started on removing some of the damage and unpermitted work that has accumulated inside over the years. There are currently several design options he is considering – the final design will depend on which one of the potential tenants he is talking to right now decides to take the space. As a courtesy to Mr. Gunderson, we are going to contract with our AntFarm maintenance crew to perform a once-over on the landscaping behind the Smith Building prior to construction work getting into full swing.

Econ Devl – Internal Projects:

Downtown maintenance:

• AF Downtown Maintenance:  The AntFarm crew will be performing some more minor maintenance work for us in December.  Tasks will focus on the Heritage Square parking lot – the crew will be removing moss from the east edge of the lot and trimming up the landscaping island at the center of the lot so that it can no longer be used as a mini homeless encampment.
• Future AF Downtown Maintenance:
• Flower basket program:  Holiday street tree lighting is now installed on Pioneer and Proctor.

Econ Devl – Economic Development Advisory Board:

During the last several weeks, staff was researching the possibility of having the contractor providing our comprehensive plan create our economic development strategic plan (EDSP) as well.  While there were positives and negatives to this possibility, it was ultimately decided that we would go with the original plan and put an RFP together for the EDSP. 

The December meeting of the EDAB was postponed until the first Wednesday in January (1/5/22) to give staff enough time to put the RFP together and to give our board members a break during the holiday season.  At our meeting in January, we will ask the board to review the RFP prior to making it public to see if they have any suggestions for improving the document.

Econ Devl – Conferences/training:

There were no training opportunities for Economic Development in the month of November.

Building Department items:

October 2021 Building Division Report

The summer of 2021 has been busy, and the year has been full of changes in the City of Sandy.  New home construction and commercial building projects have kept the building division busy. 

SPACE AGE Gas Station was able to open early this summer, but still has a few minor landscaping details to finish.  The new Clackamas County Health Clinic got off to a slow start by getting their permit late due to plan changes, followed by supply shortages and difficulties in scheduling sub-contractors.  The general contractor is now rushing to get the roof on before the winter snows.  

The new business building located between Industrial way and Highway 26 is being built by Kyle Ruthardt, owner of Bull Run Electric.  The attractive red metal building is nearing completion, and Kyle hopes to obtain occupancy and get his business moved in before Christmas.  The large building can accommodate at least 2 or 3 other businesses.   

Foundation work is in progress for the Sandy Vault Storage buildings south of Tractor Supply and the Arco AM/PM.   And the project manager for the Trickle Creek Apartments is also rushing to construct foundations for their 69 unit apartment complex just west of Ruben Lane.

Residential projects worth noting are the 100 single-family homes being constructed by Lennar Homes at Shaylee Meadows, north of Highway 211.  Also, the last of the new homes are now in the finishing stages at Mt. View Ridge and the Marshall Ridge Subdivision.

A few last items of note have to do with the Building Division and Permit Staff:  Noryne Robinson, our Permit Technician II, retired on September 3^rd.  Noryne was an exceptional team member, working tirelessly in the Building Department more than 14 years.  Over the past year, Noryne spent many a late evening working to help merge Sandy’s permitting system with the Oregon E-Permitting system.  It was a huge undertaking.  The State’s system has been a nightmare and looking back, we realize now how easy we had it with Sandy’s GRAIL system (created by former City Manager Lazenby).  But we are moving forward and onward.   And several months before Noyrne’s retirement, we hired Marisol Martinez to become Permit Technician.  She is a quick learner and has done a terrific job in keeping things flowing at the counter. 

We are all looking forward to the Thanksgiving Holiday!

               Respectfully submitted by

               Terrence Gift, Building Official

Planning Department items:

Ace Hardware accessory structure (21-060 DR):  Staff has received this application for an accessory structure to provide additional materials storage at Ace Hardware but has not started a completeness review yet.

Mt. Hood Cleaners addition (21-057):  This Type I application for the construction of a storage addition to their existing building is currently being processed by staff.  Final order will be complete in the coming weeks.

The Pad Townhomes (21-046 DR):  This application for a 10-unit townhouse development on Meinig Avenue just south of Joe’s Donuts has now been deemed complete; staff is currently working on the staff report for this item.  This Type III application will be heard at the November 22^nd PC meeting.

Bornstedt Views Subdivision (21-021 SUB/TREE):  Staff review is complete for the application for this 42 lot subdivision between Bornstedt Rd and Averill Parkway south of Cascadia Village.  The Planning Commission has scheduled this project to be heard at their regular meeting on October 25^th.

39480 Kimberly tree removal (21-054 TREE):  This request to remove trees at a residence on Kimberly Street has been approved with conditions.  The final order was issued on October 29^th.Deer Meadows Subdivision (21-014 SUB/TREE):  With all three open records periods now officially closed, this application for a subdivision moves forward and will be heard by the Planning Commission at their regular meeting on November 8^th.

Sandy Woods Phase 2 (21-037 SUB/VAR/TREE):  This application for a 43 lot subdivision south of Kelso Road was deemed complete on October 29^th and is currently under review.  This project is scheduled to be heard by the Planning Commission at their regular meeting on November 22^nd.

City of Sandy Comprehensive Plan Update:  Staff continues to work with 3J Consulting to develop the scope of work and contract details for this report.

OTSD tree removal (21-042 TREE):  This request by the Oregon Trail School District to remove trees at Cedar Ridge Middle School was deemed incomplete in September.  Staff is still waiting on additional information from applicant.

New Building Inspector: The Building Division has contracted with Johnny Vollendroff, a Sandy resident, to assist our Building Official with plan review and inspections on a part-time basis. 

Transportation System Plan update:  Staff, ODOT and DKS continue to work on the revised Transportation System Plan (TSP).  The City launched a survey on October 29.  The survey closes on November 19.

Kelly’s Kudos:

I want to thank Marisol Martinez for stepping up in a big way since Noryne’s retirement in early September.  Marisol has assumed Noryne’s job duties and is doing a superb job in her new role. Marisol is great at handling customer issues and resolving complicated building division matters. She is a true team player and is a phenomenal asset to the Development Services Department. Thanks Marisol!

Internal projects: 

• Permanent Outdoor Covered Structures grant program:  This status of this program is reviewed semi-monthly at the City of Sandy Ec Dev Advisory Board meeting – here is the status of the program as of the beginning of November 2021:
  
  • Ria’s/SFR – Construction is complete!
  • Le Happy – Construction is complete!
  • Sandlandia – Construction is complete!
  • Boring Brewing – Construction is complete! 
  • Red Shed Public House — Construction is complete!
  • No Place Saloon – Construction is almost complete.
  • Tollgate Inn – Staff is meeting with Mr. Lesowski during the first week in November to discuss options for how to move forward with this project.  This project will likely be kicked into the 2^nd round of this program.
    
• Covered Structures Round 2:  The application period for the second round of this wildly successful program is now closed.  We received eight applications from eligible businesses, and one application from a business that is not eligible according to program rules.  They are as follows:
  
  • La Bamba Mexican Restaurant
  • Smoky Hearth
  • Thai Home
  • Mount Hood Athletic Club – 2 separate applications
  • Sandlandia – 2^nd structure
  • Bigfoot Growlers
  • Wippersnappers
  • Sandy Inn Best Western (ineligible under current rules)

• Trick or Treat Trail:  This Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce event occurred on Saturday, October 30^th and once again was a smash hit.  The weather was very cooperative – while there was a brisk chill in the air and a little bit of wind, clear skies and sunshine more than made up for that.  Final counts from the day saw 618 at the Sandy Historical Museum and 1942 kids at the Sandy Public Library.  While this is not a record for this event, it was pretty close….and a solid showing for the community.  Our local business owners seemed quite pleased with the turnout.

Economic Development items:

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

• Les Schwab:  This project is approaching completion, although it seems to have stalled out over the last few weeks.  Les Schwab project manager Jordan Hoffart confirmed for me that they have been having some minor labor availability issues with the contractors as well as some weather delays, but they are still hoping to have the project completed by the end of November.
• Façade project – Fun Time RV fencing:  Contractors have paved the lot and are moving along briskly with the project.  Fence construction will likely be one of the last elements of this project to be constructed, so stay tuned. 

Econ Devl – Internal Projects:

Downtown maintenance:

• AF Downtown Maintenance: 
  • The AntFarm crew helped us out with a spot maintenance problem in October over at the new home of Impact Jiu Jitsu at US26 and University Avenue.  The landscaping at this site (formerly Precision Archery) was not properly maintained over the years, resulting in English ivy and a rogue rhododendron growing out into the pedestrian ROW.  The crew removed all of this vegetation and cleaned up the site, including around the transit stop.
• Flower basket program: 
  • Fall/winter plantings are now installed in the downtown planters.
  • Our contractor (Cedarglen Floral of Damascus) will be installing holiday lighting on the street trees on Pioneer and Proctor in early November.

Econ Devl – Economic Development Advisory Board:

The EDAB met in person on October 6^th, once again at the SandyNet offices.  This meeting featured Community Attributes, Inc, a firm that specializes in local/regional economic data analysis, giving a presentation to our board defining what an economic development strategic plan is, how one is developed and how analysis like this can guide the development of our local economy to our satisfaction.  CAI has performed many economic development strategic plans for cities in Washington state, and more recently for the cities of McMinnville and Astoria.

Econ Devl – Conferences/training:

There were no training opportunities for Economic Development in the month of October.  The Oregon Economic Development Association 2021 conference will kick off virtually on November 8th.