Tourism and smoke not a good mix

            Local  tourism promotion groups--as well as businesses and residents--were looking for a breath of fresh air (literally) in mid-August as smoke from wildfires enveloped Central Oregon in a brownish gray haze.

            Put another way if you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression, a visitor could very well have come and gone wondering “where are the mountains” in those brochures.

            Air quality monitors for an extended period were edging into the unhealthy range, especially for “sensitive” groups with respiratory issues. And most locals and visitors were plagued by burning eyes and irritated noses, even prompting some of Bend’s hardcore outdoor enthusiasts to cut back on their activities.

            On Aug. 23 the air quality index (AQI) as reported by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality reached the unhealthy level of 155, and was gauged as unsafe for sensitive groups (USFG) at 130 the following day.

Bend's Air Quality Index

Tuesday, Aug. 25 provided some respite as the index dropped to 88, or moderate.

            Meanwhile, National Guard troops from Bend and other areas of Oregon headed east to the John Day River Basin to help in fighting the Canyon Creek Fire that by Aug. 26 has reached nearly 75,000 acres and was only 42% contained.  The fire has claimed dozens of homes and many outbuildings since starting Aug. 12.

            Less than 75 miles to the north of Bend a wildfire on the Warm Springs Reservation was over 65,000 acres early Aug. 26, but was reportedly 70% contained.

The Okanogan Complex fire in Washington

            Much larger fires were burning in Washington state including the Chelan and Okanogan complexes, at 80,412 and 280,267 acres respectively, the latter registered as the largest wildfire in the state’s history and only 17% contained.

            Altogether the incident information system, InciWeb, of the Northwest Coordinating Group for wildfires reported 29 active fires in Washington state early Aug. 26, and 19 active blazes in Oregon.

            In terms of acreage the Washington blazes totaled 902,200 acres or more than 1,400 square miles and Oregon, 453,539 acres or 708 square miles.

            Adding to the smoky skies were wildfires that continue to burn in Northern California, Idaho and British Columbia. But the Bend area thus far has been spared nearby fires that have threatened homes, unlike the hundreds of Northwest residents who have lost their homes, livestock and pets. And, most tragic, has been the deaths of three young firefighters in the Methow Valley of Washington

Gauging Bend real estate by price segments

       Anyone looking for a dramatic change in the trajectory of Bend real estate will not find many surprises in the statistics through the third quarter of 2015.

            Essentially, it’s more of the same trends--upward price migration and continued tight inventory in the lower price ranges even with brisk activity in new home construction.

            Some bullet points-for Bend single family sales on all lots/acreage sizes:

·        Unit sales up 11.90%

·        Median prices up 14.50% from $292,500 to $334,900

·        Dramatic drop of 74% in sales of $100,000 to $199,999

·        Substantial rise of 54% in sales in the $300,000 to $399,999 range.

     For homes sales on lots under an acre:

·        Unit sales up 10.68&

·        Median prices up 15.04% from $279,900 to $321,900

·        As in larger lot size sales a large drop of 75% in $100,000-$199,000 sales

·        A rise of nearly 54% in sales from $300,000 to $399,999.

      Looking at other price ranges, a notable item is the increase in unit sales

from $500,000 to $599,000 of more than 60% on homes on all acreage and nearly 53% on lots less than an acre. At the same time there were only modest increases in the $400,000 to $499,000 price range.

            Refer to the table below for a complete picture of Bend sales in $100,000 price segments. Also the chart below shows the rise and fall of residential sales at $1 million or more in all of Central Oregon from the "pre-bubble" year of 2005 to the peak in 2006. The number of sales in that category are edging upward but still a small part of regional activity.

Foundations poured for new OSU-Cascades campus

            Construction of the new OSU-Cascades campus continues with pouring of concrete for the first academic building foundation and the university also announced it will “explore” the possibility of acquiring a nearby 76-acre former landfill property from Deschutes County.

            The university’s construction update on Aug. 21 noted that the new “mat” foundations will support the buildings shear walls that are engineered to resist high winds and provide additional safety in a potential earthquake.

            Also underway is installation of underground utilities including storm sewer connections to drywells and lines for fire service and domestic water.

            Conduits for power, natural gas and data/communications are scheduled for installation in the next few weeks.

            In an announcement Aug. 13 the university also revealed it has signed a “non-binding letter of intent” to determine the “viability” of the former county demolition landfill to the north of the 10-acre site where construction is underway.

photo provided by OSU-Cascades

            The university has also considered buying an adjacent privately-owned 46-acre site that is a former pumice mine, and has an purchase option agreement for that property.

            “The landfill site provides yet another option from which OSU-Cacades can evaluate development of a comprehensive university campus,” the announcement noted.

            Under the letter of intent for the landfill the university will have two years to evaluate potential environmental remediation and other issues. If acquired the 76-acre site could support the university’s goal of housing 40% of an anticipated 3,000-5,000 future students on campus.

            The announcement noted other Bend-are projects that have been developed on previous “brownfield” sites requiring cleanup, including the Old Mill District, Sunriver Homeowners Association Recreation Center and Skyline Sports Complex.

Construction site web cam along Century Drive

http://webcam.oregonstate.edu/cascades/