Port of C-W names new ED
Port of Camas-Washougal commissioners appointed David R. Ripp as the port’s executive director, effective Jan. 7. Ripp served as executive director of the Port of Woodland for more than 13 years.
Ripp actively participates in the Washington Public Ports Assoc. and is the chair of the WPPA Public Relations Committee. He also serves on the boards of Pacific Northwest Waterways Assoc., Columbia River Channel Coalition and Columbia River Channel Improvement Project.
Best in County awards five
Winners of the Best in County awards were announced this month by the Clark County Chamber of Commerce.
Five organizations were honored for their innovative and community-minded business practices. Beastie Boutique won in the visibility category for its marketing strategies. Marsh, Higgins, Beaty and Hatch were top in the networking category for building a network of community organizations and events. In the public advocacy category, Greenstone Architecture won for its environmentally beneficial strategies. Quick Recovery Clinic won in the business services category for healing patients with a minimal number of visits. And Goodwill’s job connection and training programs were awarded for supporting a large population with training, job placement and ongoing support.
Runners-up were Pacific Continental Bank, Calderon Family Dentistry, iQ Credit Union, Dick Hannah Dealerships and Homes for Community Living.
REAL ESTATE + DEVELOPMENT
Christian high school buys Moose Lodge
In a $3.1 million deal, Vancouver Christian High School bought the Vancouver Moose Lodge, 8205 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd., which will be remodeled to serve as a permanent home for the high school.
The acquisition of the 23,000-square-foot lodge nearly triples the school’s space.
The remodel will start in January, with move-in scheduled for February or March. Kelso-based Schlecht Construction will be the contractor.
County and city to work together on growth planning
Clark County commissioners and adopted an agreement for working with the city of Vancouver of growth planning issues in the future. Under the agreement, the county and city expect to become more collaborative on issues of annexation and the sizing of urban growth areas.
In adopting the agreement, the city council approved a resolution stating the agreement would resolve differences “without the necessity of appeals to the Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board.”
NBS client donates space to Salvation Army
The Bennett Family Trust II, facilitated by NAI Norris Beggs and Simpson, donated 20,000 square feet of warehouse space to the Vancouver Corps of the Salvation Army for its Christmas Warehouse, where the charitable group’s holiday distributions will take place.
Environmentalists appeal county growth plan
Futurewise and Vancouver environmental attorney John Karpinski filed a joint appeal to the Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board, alleging Clark County broke state laws in allowing urban development on 12,000 acres of rural land.
They claim the county could have avoided urbanizing 4,218 acres now zoned for farming, concealed the costs of the plan by not calculating savings for taxpayers if growth happens slower than the commission expects and failing to make it clear to the public how and when to voice their opinions. The hearings board has until May 14 to review the charges, unless all parties agree to a delay.
