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NEWS Through the Roof If you’ve tried to buy building materials lately, you might have encountered unwelcome surprises. What’s driving price hikes and back orders for construction supplies in Central Oregon?
By K.M. Collins
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Shuffling a pallet of tile around for a kitchen remodel, Bend Craftsmen Company Owner Hank Hill remarks on the state of the industry. Most quality builders in the region are booking six months out, at least, and that’s not to mention the costs of the materials those builders will use. Both issues can be tracked at least in part to COVID-19, international tariffs and a summer of wildfires—all which mean building new homes is only getting more expensive. “Times are the busiest a lot of us have ever seen. Material prices have been fluctuating a lot and some of my preferred vendors, especially for appliances and tile, have seen significant back orders and delays,” Hill said.
Damon Runberg, Regional economist for Oregon’s Employment Department, supports Hill’s observations with hard numbers. In late August, during a Central Oregon Builders Association presentation around COVID-19’s impacts on the industry, Runberg noted that the only Central Oregon sector to see gains is construction, growing at a rate of 2.8% in 2020.
Evan Olsen, lumber salesman at Parr Lumber, said a backlog for lumber supplies started a few months after COVID regulations went into place. Mills were shut down in both Oregon and Washington. Washington’s construction work also ceased, while Oregon’s was deemed essential and continued. This ate up supplies which were on site or on sales floors. When the mills in both states, and construction in Washington came back online, supplies were gone.
“Mid-summer,” Olsen explains, “we were two months back ordered for any new material, and sheet goods were triple the cost of pre-COVID prices.” In particular, stud material and composite decking, both in high demand preCOVID, were difficult to obtain, though have now rebounded somewhat.
Construction supplies are still in high demand even in bigger cities closer to shipping routes. Aaron Brent-Fulps, owner of ABF Construction, reports during a visit to Home Depot in North Portland in early October, plywood that normally cost $16 a sheet was selling for $46.
Olsen of Parr Lumber said cedar is the hardest to secure—an issue traced to massive mill closures in Canada, and trade tariffs.
“Softwood lumber import tariffs of around 21% were levied onto Canada last year. Those tariffs are restructuring the entire lumber global supply chain, the National Association of Home Builders told MarketWatch. That then incentivizes U.S. buyers to import from overseas rather than ship lumber across the Canadian border,” commented Robert Dalheim in a September article in Woodworking Network, an online resource.
Ryan Jennings, operations director for Redmond-based Hayden Homes said during the COBA presentation that there’s been an 80% uptick in costs since April. At that time, 2x4s or narrow lumber purchased in bulk cost $300 per 1,000 square feet. As of late August, that rocketed to $835 per 1,000 square feet. Jennings notes this hike adds thousands of dollars to the price tags of new builds and exacerbates the ongoing housing crisis.
This translates to an increase of about $16,000 for the typical new single-family home and raises the cost of a typical apartment by $6,000, estimated an October article in “Builder” magazine. Prices for homes in Central
Micro-Units Come to Bend
Single-room-occupancy buildings are now permittable in higher-density areas in the city
By Laurel Brauns several people spoke in favor of SROs
Last week, the Bend City Council and said they could work well for remote unanimously voted in favor of allow- workers looking for new housing, recent ing micro-unit housing as one alter- college grads and people without homes native to address the city’s housing crisis. trying to transition into a more perma-
Micro-units are small apartments nent situation. or dorms that range between 150 and Several amendments were added to 400 square feet, according to City doc- the original code after the proposal was uments, with some spaces offering a presented to the Planning Commission communal living space and a kitchen. last month. Originally, SROs would have Other cities like Seattle and Portland been permitted in all residential areas of have embraced single-room-occupancy Bend. Melanie Kebler, who’s running for living as a way to address the shortage the Council’s position 1 seat, said some of affordable housing. members of the Neighborhood Leader-
During a public hearing on Oct. 7, ship Association pressured the Planning
Bend Craftsman Company t
A completed project by Bend Craftsman Company.
Oregon have already skyrocketed during the pandemic, setting multiple records for median prices.
Jennings said in March, Oregon mills laid off around 30% of staff. As the economy got moving again, people were unable to return to the mills or weren’t rehired. This, on top of distancing regulations which affected the number of people on any given work shift, combined for multiple wrenches in production. As a result, mills are no longer selling to smaller companies or wholesalers directly, he said. Meanwhile, it’s been challenging to find larger appliances at local suppliers—further straining builders’ budgets and timelines.
Olsen is anticipating another peak in lumber demand, with the looming rollout of new Occupational Health and Safety Administration guidelines on Nov. 1, and the toll wrought from rebuilding infrastructure damaged or destroyed during Oregon’s summer fires.
Consumer due diligence
In a high-demand building climate such as the one in Central Oregon, Karna Gustafson, vice president of government affairs and legal counsel for COBA, encourages consumers to check that their contractor has a Construction Contractors Board license. “Especially post this summer’s wildfires, there is serious concern that flyby-night contractors will have ample opportunity to take advantage,” she said.
Hill, the builder, recommends that people looking to work with a builder establish a “cost-plus” format, or to include contingencies in contracts with contractors in order to cover unexpected extra costs. “If a contractor prepares a proposal now, but the project starts in six to 12 months, it can be wise for both parties to have another assessment of pricing and cost prior to construction commencing to re-evaluate.”
William Hayes Noel
The Roost is a co-living spot for 18 people near downtown Bend. It provides an example of a potential arrangement for a micro-unit living situation. The owner, William Hayes Noel, converted an old motel into single-occupancy rooms with bathrooms and transformed a few rooms into a large communal kitchen.
Noticias en Español
Los inmuebles con habitaciones individuales ahora son permitidos en áreas de mayor concentración en Bend
Escrito por/ by Laurel Laurel Brauns Translated by/ Traducido por Jéssica Sánchez-Millar
La semana pasada, el consejo municipal Puesto 1 del consejo municipal estas elecde la ciudad de Bend votó por unanimi- ciones, dijo que algunos miembros de dad a favor de permitir micro-unidades Neighborhood Leadership Association habitacionales (SORs) como una alterna- (NLA) presionarón a la comisión de plativa para combatir la crisis de vivienda de neamiento para restringir la zona a áreas la ciudad. de mediana a alta densidad.
Las micro-unidades son departamentos Kebler comento a the Source, “La NLA pequeños o dormitorios que miden entre esta formada por propietarios de casas de 150 y 400 pies cuadrados, de acuerdo con raza blanca adinerados. Si restringe esto los documentos de la ciudad, con algunas de las zonas residenciales de densidad viviendas que ofrecen un espacio de convi- estándar, bueno, esas son la mayoría de las vencia común y una cocina. Otras ciudades zonas en la ciudad. Solo lo mantiene fuera como Seattle y Portland han adoptado de la mayoría de los vecindarios” viviendas con ocupación de una habitación individual como la forma de combatir la BLM, el departamento de policía y una escasez de viviendas accesibles. brigada a favor de Trump se enfrentaron
Durante una audiencia pública el 7 de hace dos semanas. Ahora la policía octubre, varias personas hablaron a favor de SROs y dijeron que podrían ser buenas para los trabajadores remotos que buscan una nueva vivienda, para los recién graduados universitarios y para las personas sin hogar que intentan pasar a una situación más estable. Varias enmiendas se agregaron al código original después de haber sido presentada la propuesta a la comisión de planeación el mes pasado. Inicialmente, los SROs se habrían permitido en todas las zonas residenciales de Bend. Melanie Kebler, quien esta postulando por el quiere que muchos de los participantes sean acusados por delitos Hasta 22 personas pueden ser acusadas luego de haber estado presentes en dos manifestaciones rivales en el vecindario del parque Pilot Butte el día 3 de octubre. John Hummel, el fiscal del distrito del condado Deschutes dijo que anunciará su decisión sobre los cargos por medio de una conferencia de prensa a finales de esta semana. Los grupos que se enfrentaron a principios de este mes se reunieron ante todo en respuesta al primer debate presidencial del 29 de septiembre, cuando el moderador Chris Wallace le pregunto durante el debate al presidente Donald Trump si estaría dispuesto a ordenarles a los Proud Boys y a otros defensores de la supremacía de raza blanca que se retirarán. Al contrario, el mensaje que envió Trump a los Proud Boys fue “retrocedan y estén preparados”
Kerstin Arias, co-fundadora de Central Oregon Diversity Project le dijo a the Source que los activistas de Black Lives Matter (BLM) estaban furiosos con la policía por no haber arrestado a un hombre que mostro un arma, así como otros manifestantes a favor de Trump quienes estaban bebiendo cerveza en el parque antes de alejarse del lugar en sus camionetas. Varios manifestantes a favor de BLM se colocaron enfrente de la patrulla que estaba a punto de retirarse y gritaron e insultaron a la policía exigiendo así respuestas.
Al día siguiente, COPK y otros grupos planearon una manifestación fuera de la estación de policía de Bend para presentar denuncias en contra de la policía que estuvo un día antes en Pilot Butte. Un grupo de alrededor de 100 personas bloqueó brevemente el traficó sobre la carretera 20, cerca de la estación de policía. Si bien tenían muchas denuncias, una persona acuso a Cpl. Jeff Frickley de sofocar a un manifestante mientras intentaba hacerla a un lado en medio una pelea.
El martes 20 de octubre, el departamento de policía de Bend publico un comunicado anunciando que terminó su investigación en relación al evento sucedido en Pilot Butte el 3 de Octubre y a la manifestación en la estación de policía en Bend el 4 de octubre. Conforme al comunicado, los inspectores del DPB pasaron mas de 400 horas revisando las imágenes de celular y de otras evidencias.
El DPB dijo que 22 personas deberían ser acusadas por delitos incluyendo el interferir con la policía, robo, asalto, alteración del orden público, uso indebido de un arma, uso de gas pimienta y un arma y por participar en una revuelta.
Mientras que es común que el DPB envié un comunicado de prensa al público para anunciar presuntos delitos, el señalar cargos delictivos a través de un comunicado es nuevo.
Hummel comento a the Source, “Durante los seis años que llevo en el cargo nunca he visto que el departamento de policía informe al publico que cargos piensan que debería presentar. Y creo que nunca antes de mi mandato haya pasado”
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NEWS Plans for a Managed Camp at Juniper Ridge Pressure from BNSF Railway inspires City to establish a temporary campsite
By Laurel Brauns
City of Bend
After years of controversy at Juniper Ridge, the City of Bend plans to build an RV park and campground for people without homes on the property within a few months.
The 1,500-acre City-owned property in northeast Bend was primarily designated for industrial development. But only a few new businesses have moved into the area over the last decade and the site has instead become a camping spot for more than 100 people without permanent shelter.
Last year, the City cleared the homeless camping site at Juniper Ridge in order to build a sewer pipe. During the Oct. 21 Bend City Council meeting, city staff presented plans to put a new 6-acre managed camp off an extension of Cooley Road, near the site of a future public works building, and not far from where the campers lived before the sewer pipe project. The City is currently assembling an Emergency Homelessness Task Force to help coordinate the management of the camp between the City, Deschutes County, neighborhood leaders and nonprofits, according to a City press release.
Last year, after the campers were forced off the property near Cooley Road, some of them moved north and closer to a series of railroad crossings, where two vehicles got stuck on the tracks during separate incidents. One
By Laurel Brauns
the wake of two competing demonstrations at Pilot Butte Neighborhood Park on Oct. 3. Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel said he’ll announce his decision on the charges at a press conference later this week.
The groups that clashed earlier this month gathered primarily in response to the first presidential debate Sept. 29, when moderator Chris Wallace asked President Donald Trump during the debate if he would be willing to denounce the Proud Boys and other white supremacist hate groups. Instead, Trump’s message to the Proud Boys was to “stand back and stand by.”
Kerstin Arias, co-founder of the Central Oregon Diversity Project, told the
A vehicle that tried to drive over a BNSF Railway crossing at Juniper Ridge caught on fire this summer, leading to the evacuation of hundreds of people nearby.
of the cars caused a fire and hundreds of evacuations in nearby neighborhoods this summer, according to Jon Skidmore, assistant city manager.
BNSF Railway informed the City that it wasn’t doing a good job managing the crossings on City property and so the railroad might revoke the City’s main access point to Juniper Ridge on the north end of the property. Eventually, the City may install lockable swinging gates near the tracks to help address the issue, Skidmore said.
But before the City moves forward with the gates, it must help move some ists were furious with the police for not arresting a man who brandished a gun, as well as other pro-Trump demonstrators who were drinking beer in the park before leaving in their trucks. A number of BLM protesters stood in front of a police car that was about to leave and yelled and swore at the police, demanding answers.
The next day, COPK and other groups planned a demonstration outside of the Bend Police station in order to file complaints against the police who were at Pilot Butte the day before. The crowd of around 100 people briefly blocked traffic on Hwy. 20 near the station. While they had many complaints, one accused Cpl. Jeff Frickey of choking a protester while trying to move her in of the campers away from the north end of the property near the tracks.
The City wants to build the new site as soon as possible and maintain it for the next couple of years in order to avoid conflict with BNSF. Housing advocacy groups such as the Central Oregon Homeless Leadership Coalition have been lobbying the City for years to help fund and support the establishment of a legal camp on City-owned land. Eventually, the City wants to build a more permanent campground and RV park at Juniper Ridge.
City Councilor Barb Campbell has before violence broke out later that afternoon. the midst of a fight.
On Tuesday, Oct. 20, the Bend Police department released a statement announcing that it completed its investigation into the Pilot Butte event on Oct. 3 and the Bend Police station demonstration on Oct. 4. BPD investigators spent more than 400 hours reviewing cell footage and other forms of evidence, according to the release.
BPD said that 22 people should be charged with violations including interfering with police, theft, assault, disorderly conduct, unlawful use of a stun been pushing for an established camp for years.
Some of the land on Juniper Ridge may be rezoned for residential development in the coming years.
According to the Homeless Leadership Coalition’s point-in-time count, 968 people are without shelter in Central Oregon in 2020, including 203 children under the age of 18. This increased 10%
After the Brawl at Pilot Butte
Black Lives Matter protesters, Bend PD and a proTrump brigade clashed two weeks ago. Now local police want many participants charged with crimes
Up to 22 people may be charged in
Source that Black Lives Matter activ-
Black Lives Matter protesters mingle with pro-Trump activists on Oct. 3 at Pilot Butte Neighborhood Park
since last year.
Courtney Christenson gun, mace and a weapon, and participating in a riot.
While it is traditional BPD practice to send out press releases to the public to announce alleged crimes, suggesting criminal charges through a statement is new.
Candidate and Measure Endorsements
A recap from last week’s rollout of all the Source Weekly’s endorsements in the 2020 election
LOCAL RACES
Melanie Kebler for Bend City Council Pos. 1 Anthony Broadman for Bend City Council Pos. 2 Chris Piper for Bend City Council Pos. 3 Rita Schenkelberg for Bend City Council Pos. 4 Phil Chang for Deschutes County Commissioner Scott Schaier for Deschutes County Sheriff
STATE RACES
Eileen Kiely for Oregon Senate District 27 Jack Zika for Oregon House District 53 Jason Kropf for Oregon House District 54 Ellen Rosenblum for Attorney General Shemia Fagan for Oregon Secretary of State
BALLOT MEASURES
Yes on Measure 107 – Campaign Finance Reform Yes on Measure 108 - Vape Tax Yes on Measure 109 – Clinical Use of Psilocybin Yes on Measure 110 – Drug Decriminalization YES on Deschutes County Prohibition on New Pot Businesses (Editor’s note: the print edition contained an error on this endorsement. We support a YES vote.) YES on 9-135 – City of Bend Transportation Bond YES on 9-139 – Deschutes Public Library Bond
NATIONAL RACES
Alex Spenser for Oregon’s Congressional District 2 Jeff Merkley for Oregon U.S. Senator Joe Biden for U.S. President; Kamala Harris for Vice President
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COVERED OUTDOOR ICE RINK -----------OPENING NOV. 2
the pavilion let’s skate
Ice skating and sports shine in the heart of Bend! Come skate at The Pavilion - Central Oregon’s only NHL-sized ice rink.
Check online schedules and make your reservations for: • Open Skate • Family Skate • “Cheap Skates” • Skating Lessons
• Curling • Hockey Lessons • Hockey Skills & Drills
Reservations, schedules and safety information at bendparksandrec.org
p. (541) 389-7588 | 1001 SW Bradbury Way
