Nan Wimmers

Planning commission OKs new CGCC building


An application for a new educational building on the Columbia Gorge Community College campus won quick approval from The Dalles City Planning Commission when it met Thursday night.
The building, which will range from 2,500 to 4,000 square feet, will be used for the college's renewable energy training program (RET) and will house a non-working wind turbine for students in that program to work on.
It was not part of the college's original master plan, which was approved about two years age, Senior Planner Dick Gassman said in his staff report. The addition was a major modification to the plan and needed a conditional use permit.
The proposed site for the new facility is close to where a Quonset hut is now located on the college campus. In his report Gassman said the site is sufficiently distant from any other property that the normal operation of a classroom should have minimal impact on the surrounding area. In the approval of the master plan the commission put a hold on construction projects on the east side of the campus, but the proposed site is west of the dividing line as approved in the mater plan, he said.
The approval came with list of 11 conditions, only a few of which caused any commission discussion.
Since the size of the building is now exact yet, the number of parking spaces required (two spaces for every 1,000 square feet) is not known yet, Gassman said. However, he said there is sufficient space to accommodate a building even at the 4,000 square foot size and the requirements will become part of the building application process.
Two witness from the college, Robb Van Cleave, chief talent and strategy office, and Jim Austin, facilities adviser, appeared to testify in favor of the application at the public hearing.
Van Cleave said the classroom will contain equipment that will be used to train in the colleges RET program, including one piece that weights 97 tons.
Having this this building will allow the college to increase class size in that program from the 24 when it first begum to 68 students. At one point he said the college had more than 100 applications to get into the program.
He said the college has a grant of $395,000 to build the facility, which will serve as the RET classroom for a period of time until a larger building is built in three to five years from now.
He said a number of contractors are looking at the plans and a call for bids will come soon.
One of the things discussed was the requirement for pedestrian access to the site, something the current building does not have other than an existing road. The commission went along with a plan to have that pedestrian right of way be only graveled for now and not paved, seeing that it will have to be torn out and replaced once the permanent building is built.
Van Cleave did most of the testifying, and much of that was devoted to the demand for employees with the kind of training they can get in the RET program and the the lack of place where it is offered. He said the RET program at CGCC is the first on the west coast and one of only six in the US as of this past May.

Yes all of the homes that closed last week were under 200,000 BUT look at the days on the market... these homes sold QUICK! If you need to get the home sold pick an active agent that knows the market and how to price the home. There are buyers out there if you price your home correctly for this type of real estate market in the dalles.

Real estate closing that sold last week in The Dalles, Oregon area

1412 E 10^th Pl
Original Asking Price: $158,000
Closed Price: $150,000
Days on the Real Estate Market 57

950 Pomona St
Original Asking Price: $160,000
Closed Price: $158,500
Days on the Real Estate Market 46

1321 E 11th
Original Asking Price: $164,900
Closed Price: $170,000
Days on the Real Estate Market 23

These real estate sales are from The Dalles real estate sales that a REALTOR was involved in but do not include Unrepresented sellers in The Dalles real estate market.The statistics are provided to help you understand how the market is moving in your neighborhood and what locations and prices are seeing success. To learn more about pricing your home and marketing it correctly in The Dalles Oregon, Please give us a call! Nan and Becky @ Columbia Gorge Real Estate

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In order to support the streamlined modification program announced on November 11, 2008, Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM) today issued a notice to its loan servicing organizations and retained foreclosure attorneys directing them to suspend foreclosure sales on occupied single-family properties as well as the completion of evictions from occupied single-family properties scheduled to occur from November 26, 2008 until January 9, 2009.

The temporary suspension of foreclosures is designed to allow affected borrowers facing foreclosure to retain their homes while Fannie Mae works with mortgage servicers to implement the streamlined modification program scheduled to launch December 15. Foreclosure attorneys and loan servicers will be instructed to use the additional time to reach out to borrowers who have defaulted on their loans and continue to pursue workout options. The initiative applies to loans owned or securitized by Fannie Mae.

The streamlined modification program is aimed at the highest risk borrower who has missed three payments or more, owns and occupies the primary residence, and has not filed for bankruptcy. The program creates a fast-track method for getting troubled borrowers into an affordable monthly payment through a mix of reducing the mortgage interest rate, extending the life of the loan or even deferring payments on part of the principal. Servicers have flexibility in the approach, but the objective is to create a more affordable payment for borrowers at risk of foreclosure.

'The streamlined modification program by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Hope Now and 27 mortgage servicers is an important step forward in addressing the systemic issues driving the increase in foreclosures,' said Fannie Mae President and Chief Executive Officer Herb Allison. 'Until the streamlined modification program is fully implemented, we felt it was in the best interest of both borrowers and Fannie Mae to take this extra step to ensure that homeowners with the desire and ability to prevent a foreclosure have an opportunity to stay in their homes. We encourage other servicers of non-GSE mortgages to participate in the streamlined modification program to bolster our collective efforts to stem the foreclosure crisis.'

Fannie Mae will be working with foreclosure attorneys and servicers to reach out to the more than 10,000 borrowers the company estimates would be affected during this period. Borrowers who have Fannie Mae loans that are scheduled for foreclosure between November 26, 2008 and January 9, 2009, will be contacted directly by the attorney handling the foreclosure. If the home is occupied, Fannie Mae has instructed servicers and attorneys to suspend the foreclosure.

Allison also said Fannie Mae's loan servicers are prepared to work with borrowers during this period, even if previous workout efforts have been unsuccessful. As part of the company's 'Second Look' initiative, Fannie Mae personnel have been reviewing seriously delinquent loans to determine if the borrower has been contacted and all workout options have been exhausted.

The streamlined modification program and temporary suspension of foreclosures are two of a series of steps Fannie Mae has taken to expand its foreclosure prevention efforts, which are designed to give loan servicers and foreclosure attorneys tools to find the best solution for a borrower in financial trouble. Fannie Mae and its many partners in the housing industry urge borrowers in financial difficulty to reach out to their loan servicers, regardless of whether they are facing imminent foreclosure. Solutions may be available that could make an existing mortgage more affordable.

'Fannie Mae is committed to working with FHFA to implement the streamlined modification program as quickly as possible to help prevent unnecessary foreclosures,' Allison said. 'We must and will do more.'

Fannie Mae exists to expand affordable housing and bring global capital to local communities in order to serve the U.S. housing market. Fannie Mae has a federal charter and operates in America's secondary mortgage market to enhance the liquidity of the mortgage market by providing funds to mortgage bankers and other lenders so that they may lend to home buyers. In 2008, we mark our 70th year of service to America's housing market. Our job is to help those who house America.

SOURCE Fannie Mae

OCTOBER 4 - JANUARY 11

From rock formations to waterfalls, vast curves and bends to massive mountain views, the Columbia River Gorge's beauty has been an inspiration to professional and amateur photographers alike for nearly 150 years. The images in Wild Beauty, a 90-year photographic survey of the Columbia River Gorge, comprise some of the most striking and poignant pictures taken of the area from 1867 to 1957.

The exhibition, consisting of more than 200 photographs, is a historical journey through unique geography, advancing technology, and abundant talent, chronicling the beauty and changing character of this dramatic passage of river.

Beginning with legendary landscape photographer Carleton Watkins and including work from several photographers drawn to the region when the railroad made the Gorge more accessible, Wild Beauty highlights the growing human impact on the Gorge through transportation advances, tourism, and dam construction.

A full-color illustrated book will accompany the exhibition and be available for purchase in the Museum Shop. A map of the Columbia River Gorge, highlighting historic images from the exhibition and driving directions to 11 sites featured in Wild Beauty, will also be available for purchase in the Museum Shop. A free, print-from-home edition of the map is available here.

Organized by the Portland Art Museum and curated by Terry Toedtemeier, Curator of Photography.

We had a few visitors on halloween, most of which we did not remember to get photos of but here are a few! thanks to all of you for stopping by. Nan & Becky

Brian, Otis & Felix Brown visting the office for trick or treat! congratulations on the new home too!

Our resident pumpkin carver! thanks to tony for getting out office into the spirit!