Black Butte Ranch wins project permit

After many months of waiting and legal wrangling, a major hurdle has been crossed for the Black Butte Ranch (BBR) Entrance Area project.

The decision of the Deschutes County hearings officer was released on February 5, smoothing the way for the start of the construction on the project. The Entrance Area project will include a community center, the administrative complex, a post office and police service facilities. The controversial Welcome Center which was removed from the application will remain on hold.

The original application was accepted and deemed complete by the county on June 30, 2006. The filing of the application resulted in a legal skirmish over the proposed Entrance Area project that is still not resolved. The main bone of contention in the debate was the Welcome Center, which continues to be a thorn in the flesh of the project.

BBR made the decision to remove the Welcome Center from the application in order to be able to proceed with the remainder of the Entrance Area project. It was not an easy decision and may prove to be costly; however, it was the only available option that would allow for the project to proceed this year. The modification of the application was made on December 20, 2006, and Deschutes County began its determination procedure.

The Welcome Center remains far from being a dead issue at BBR. It will be resurrected after additional research is completed on the proposed building site, which is currently designated as wetlands.

"This spring, essentially after the thaw, they have to do a new wetland delineation," said Gary Holbrook of Bend, architect for the project.

It is the belief at BBR that once the additional documentation is in hand, the Welcome Center will be able to proceed with a minimum of additional hurdles. However, there does remain the distinct possibility that some mitigation will be required to allow for the construction of the structure, and costs will mount as a result of the delays.

"The bottom line is that it (the delay) has cost us about $200,000. That is what it looks like from here, and I don't know what they are going to do about it," said Frank Beuhler, BBR's project manager for the capital improvement project in an earlier interview.

The Deschutes County hearings officer, Anne Corcoran Briggs, addressed a number of concerns for the construction of the Entrance Area complex. When the decision was rendered, it included 12 conditions that were placed upon the final approval of the construction project.

The majority of the conditions that have been placed on the project deal with parking, aesthetics and issues to minimize the impact on the area. None of the conditions is anticipated to create any significant additional burden to the project. BBR has two years to make application for the necessary permits to proceed with the construction. Unless appealed, the decision rendered by the hearings officer will become final on February 17, 2007.

Although the Ranch has a two-year window to begin the project, BBR will likely proceed as quickly as possible in an effort to stem the tide of upward spiraling construction costs.

"The plan is to start this spring, but the Ranch still has to award the contract to the contractor - so it is really dependent on the board at this time," said Holbrook.

Holbrook's other project at BBR, the Section Five project, includes a new recycle center, RV storage, ranch storage areas and housekeeping and maintenance facilities. This project is well underway and is proceeding with a minimum of glitches.

"We have completed phase one - the owners' compound (the dump and recycle center) and the outdoor equipment area (RV storage). Those are ready to go right now. We are just waiting for the transition," said Holbrook.

The remaining portion of the Section Five project is ready to proceed.

"Housekeeping, maintenance and storage are next. Right now we are bidding the remaining part of Section Five along with the community complex and police building. Depending upon how those bids turn out - if they are favorable - it will proceed right along with the community complex," Holbrook said.

Holbrook believes that the Entrance Area and Section Five Projects will both be completed in the spring of 2008.