General Store

[Lumberguy]

Good Morning...I know this is a "LATF" titled discussion board, but I
wanted to bring up something that I feel is important. I spoke with
Scott at the end of August regarding the General Store. I know there
has been some issues regarding mold under the building, and it may be
a situation where the building just cannot be saved. Whether the
General Store is run privately or by BBR, I feel it is important to
have some type of store on the Ranch. I think Management
underestimates the value of such a place. Whether kids are stopping in
for ice cream, movies and snacks, or adults are stopping in for beer,
wine or that "gallon of milk" they just ran out of, I think it would
be greatly missed if it was permitted to shut down this viable
resource. Driving to Sisters at the last minute is really not that
great of an option. I may be way off base here, but I think if the
majority of the Homeowners knew of a possible shutdown of the genereal
store, they would be unhappy.
I personally love having an option on the ranch. I am not involved in
the day to day, so maybe I dont know what I am talking about. But, I
think we need to find a way to have something open year round so
people dont have to drive down to Sisters for the basics. I know my
kids love getting on their bikes to get a movie and ice cream, as I am
sure alot of other people feel the same way. I hope I did not mess up
the apple cart here posting a different subject.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance for your time!

John

[Katie Williams]

Dear Lumberguy - While the purpose of this discussion board is
directed toward the Lodge Area, your comments regarding the General
Store are welcome. I think many share your feelings about the
convenience of the store. What's interesting is that I've been
researching the archives of the Bend Bulletin looking for past
articles written about Black Butte Ranch and recently came across one
that was written on June 5, 1986 and the by-line reads" Black Butte
store receives go-ahead". The article goes on to say that Brooks
Resources received a temporary-use permit to complete the store,
however, many of the ranch's property owners "see the store as move
toward commercial development that they do not want at the ranch."
This is clearly a case-in-point where something that was once viewed
with disdain is now a valuable part of the Ranch experience.

Thanks for your comment and I hope you will invite others to
participate in the discussion.

Katie