BUSINESS
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
HeRMIsTOnHeRaLd.COM • A7
IN THE WORKS
New housing projects coming to Hermiston
elcome to “In
the Works,” a
new feature for
this new iteration of the
Hermiston Herald.
Over the years I’ve
reported on new businesses
when they’ve opened, new
construction
projects when
the ground-
breaking hap-
pened or new
subdivisions
when they
city coun-
Jade
cil votes to
approve their McDowell
neWs edITOR
zoning. But
with this
new column I’m hoping
to provide provide Herm-
iston residents with infor-
mation about projects that
are still in the very earli-
est of phases, giving people
a sneak peek at economic
development in the months
and years ahead.
For the column, I’ll
be checking up on plan-
ning commission meetings,
building permits, busi-
ness filings with the Ore-
gon Secretary of State’
Office and other resources,
but I’m hoping that readers
will be a source of infor-
mation and ideas as well.
Did you hear from a cred-
ible source that a long-
empty commercial building
was just purchased? Have
you noticed that someone
is laying pipes in an empty
lot down the street from
your house? Do you know
someone who is putting
W
HH file photo
Developer Tanner Wideriksen, his wife, Sandra Wideriksen, and children Galilea and Ezekiel cut the ribbon for a new phase of
the Cimmaron Terrace development in December 2019.
together a business plan for
a new restaurant? Let me
know and I’ll look into it.
For this week, I’ll start
with a look at building per-
mits issued in Hermiston in
March.
In March, the city of
Hermiston issued eight
building permits. Four of
those were for new homes,
going up at 938 S.W. Coy-
ote Dr. (for $328,678),
1475 E. Hurlburt Ave.
($218,850), 1547 E. Hurl-
burt Ave. ($250,165) and
1323 E. Newport Ave.
($218,850).
Those joined seven new
homes permitted in Febru-
ary and three in January.
A look at actions of
Hermiston’s planning com-
mission over the past few
months indicate more
homes will likely be on the
way.
In March, the commis-
sion approved the final
plat for Phase 2 of Cim-
maron Terrace. The phase
will be comprised of 38
new homes located on the
southeast corner of North-
east Eighth Street and East
Theater Lane. The homes
will have an average price
of $275,000, according to
documentation submitted
to the commission.
In February, the com-
mission voted to recom-
mend approval of the
annexation of 20 acres off
of East Punkin Center and
Northeast Fourth Street,
which the city council then
approved in March. Monte-
Vista Homes plans to cre-
ate a subdivision with 100
single-family homes, a
multi-use trail and a pub-
lic park.
In December, the com-
mission approved a condi-
tional use permit for San-
tiago Communities Inc.
to construct a 200-space
manufactured home park
on property north of East
Diagonal Boulevard and
west of Northeast 10th
Street.
In November, the city
council approved annex-
ation and zoning changes
recommended by the plan-
ning commission in order
to allow a subdivision that
would include 25 acres of
“moderate” single-fam-
ily homes, plus 45 units
of duplexes and triplexes
for senior residents, walk-
ing trails and a few com-
mercial businesses. The
subdivision, which would
be developed by Lloyd
and Lois Piercy, would be
located on 36 acres at the
intersection of Elm Avenue
and Diagonal Road.
———
Jade McDowell is the
editor of the Hermiston
Herald and has covered
economic development in
Hermiston since 2013.
All that Wood switching to vinyl Umatilla Electric Cooperative
By JADE MCDOWELL
neWs edITOR
All That Wood will
soon feature none of that
wood.
The Hermiston fenc-
ing company is shifting
to all vinyl fencing — a
change owner Mike McK-
amey says came on much
sooner than expected due
to COVID-19.
The pandemic continues
to impact various indus-
tries in new and unforeseen
ways, and for the fencing
business, McKamey said it
has been “extremely busy.”
The remaining wood he
thought would last all sea-
son will likely be gone
within the week, thanks to
the extra time people have
on their hands for home
renovation.
“With everyone staying
home, my inventory went
‘poof.’” he said.
Dropping the cedar
fencing that All That Wood
was previously known for
would have come even-
tually, he said. Canada
recently announced they
are planning to halt all har-
vesting of the old growth
cedar that the business
had been importing. And
McKamey said the avail-
able stock kept increasing
in price and decreasing in
quality.
“What’s available out
there is just nothing I
would sell to customers,”
he said.
In addition, vinyl fenc-
ing has become more pop-
ular, in part because it is
easier to maintain.
As a result, All That
Wood is rebranding now
to All That Wood Vinyl
Fence Sales, and will no
longer sell wooden fence
materials.
Simmons Health Insurance Partners
By JADE MCDOWELL
neWs edITOR
It may include some
familiar faces, but Sim-
mons Health Insurance
Partners is a new business
for the Hermiston area.
Josh Goller purchased
the health insurance side
of The Simmons Agency
in January, splitting those
services from the main
company and launching an
affiliated business.
Prior to the change,
Goller had handled the
bulk of the health insur-
ance work for The Sim-
mons Agency for a decade.
He said the same quality
and breadth of service is
available under Simmons
Health Insurance Partners.
In fact, some customers
might not even realize it is
a separate business.
“Even though per-
haps the the structure has
changed a little, folks can
still expect the same level
of service,” he said.
The business is located
at 125 Southeast Seventh
St., where the original
Simmons offices were.
Goller said health insur-
ance has become an espe-
cially important topic
during the COVID-19 out-
break, as people lose their
jobs and have to try and
navigate the process of
making sure they still have
coverage. Others are wor-
ried about what will be
covered if they get sick,
or are trying to navigate
normal life changes like
the transition to Medicare
coverage.
For more information,
visit www.simmonshealth-
insurance.partners.
set new sales records in 2019
By JADE MCDOWELL
neWs edITOR
Growth at the Port of
Morrow and in the greater
Hermiston area helped spur
increased power sales for
Umatilla Electric Coopera-
tive in 2019.
The board released its
annual report in April, after
holding its annual mem-
bership meeting virtually
because of COVID-19.
The cooperative saw an
almost 20% increase in sales
in 2019, and its operating
revenue went from $126.5
million in 2018 to $151.5
million. For the first time,
UEC sold 10 million kilo-
watt hours in a single day
on June 10, only to top that
record the next day.
“As
our
economy
expanded in technology,
transportation,
farming
and food processing, we
delivered more than 3 bil-
lion kilowatt hours in our
core mission of providing
safe, reliable and affordable
energy to our members,” a
news release
stated.
In its 2008
annual report,
UEC reported
that
indus-
trial custom-
ers made up
Otis
24.7% of its
revenue. In 2018, that num-
ber was up to 64.2%. It rose
again in 2019 to 69.5% of
sales.
Even as UEC sold more
power, it also helped cus-
tomers become more energy
efficient. According to the
news release, during a two-
year federal reporting period
that ended in September
2019, UEC completed 450
projects saving more than
50 million kilowatt hours. It
paid out more than $1 mil-
lion in energy efficiency
rebates.
The cooperative also
completed new projects to
expand capacity and reli-
ability, including news
transmission lines in the
Hermiston and Boardman
areas, rebuilding the Herm-
Can’t come in for an appointment?
Set up a virtual visit with us on the internet through
Platt
Pitzer
iston Butte Substation and
doubling the capacity of the
Hermiston East Substation
built in 2017.
Three of the seven posi-
tions on UEC’s board of
directors were up for reelec-
tion between March 28 and
April 18.
Incumbent Glenn Rohde
was unseated by Tom Pitzer,
who will now represent Dis-
trict 5. Steve Platt survived
a challenge by candidate
Anne Livingston to continue
representing District 6. John
Otis will continue represent-
ing District 7 after a race
against challenger Jim Voss.
For more information,
or to obtain a copy of the
2019 report, email member.
services@umatillaelectric.
com.
Robert B. Hopp, M.D.
& Associates
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