Jennie’s Gems – November 2009

The Port of Columbia is now officially the proud owner of the 28 acre Bell Farm! The land transaction closed on October 30th, setting the stage for Blue Mountain Station’s physical identity to take shape. Conceptual site drawings were prepared as part of the process in seeking funding, but now comes the task of bringing them to life.

Now that the land has been secured, the Blue Mountain Station executive committee is in the process of refining the original site concept to take into consideration comments received from neighbors and adjacent land owners during informational meetings, comments received from the Department of Transportation and the Department of Ecology during the SEPA review process, and eco-friendly elements that need further definition.

The next official step in our planning process will be the preparation of a binding site plan or other subdivision-type plan required by the county. These types of plans define lot configuration, utilities placement, street and road placement, and open space areas – the roadmap for project construction and implementation. Therefore it is important that we spend a little time solidifying our site concept and preparing the appropriate planning documents before breaking ground.

Public input will be sought as our planning proceeds, so stay tuned for notice of your opportunity to help shape the future of Blue Mountain Station!

Side Tracks: Washington State Ranks #2

According to Forbes.com, Washington is the second best state in the United States for doing business.

Washington State #2

2008 Rank
3
Business Costs Rank
27
Labor Rank
2
Regulatory Environment
5
Economic Climate
3
Growth Prospects
1
Quality of Life
24

How about the other West Coast states?

 

Oregon #10

2008 Rank
16
Business Costs Rank
17
Labor Rank
6
Regulatory Environment
41
Economic Climate
13
Growth Prospects
17
Quality of Life
25

 

California #38

2008 Rank
40
Business Costs Rank
50
Labor Rank
22
Regulatory Environment
39
Economic Climate
27
Growth Prospects
10
Quality of Life
26

 

TOP FOOD TRENDS OVER THE NEXT DECADE

Organic
41%
Restaurant meals eaten in-home
20%
Light/lite/diet/low calorie labels
18%
Salty/savory snack foods
16%
Easy meals (fruit, snacks as meals, yogurt, bars)
16%
Appetizers as in-home main meals
16%
Leftovers as end dish foods
15%
Fresh as end dish foods
14%

Source: The NPD Group