The Villages at Mt. Hood is taking serious steps toward developing a safer,
more sustainable community.

Two projects will be on the agenda at the upcoming Town Hall meeting, to be
held from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Jan. 12, in the Trees Room of The Resort
at the Mountain.

The early portion of the meeting will be reserved for location and start-up
funding for a local pharmacy.

After a break, a presentation from Toole Design Group will outline a project to
brand the Mountain community as a cycling destination.

“I believe our community must become proactive and participate in the
development of our own infrastructure,” Villages Director George Wilson said.

“We need a plan ... which will enhance our livelihood and increase our quality
of life. Currently, residents must drive 40 to 50 miles to pick up a prescription.
If you live in Government Camp, your drive is even further.”

The possibility of a local pharmacy will be outlined by Mountain resident Jeff
Williams, a pharmacist interested in providing his professional pharmaceutical
services to the community.

Wilson added that the board supports the establishment of a local drive-thru
pharmacy/drug store that will provide convenient and improved services for
all our residents, including our elderly, disabled and less fortunate.

The branding project is an ambitious one. It includes developing a biking and
pedestrian master plan, an overpass over Hwy. 26, biking and pedestrian
pathways along the highway, and exploration into burying power lines and
coordinating with PGE, AT&T, Verizon and Sprint to lay down high tech fiber
optic cable.

“There are many things we can do to improve our way of life and make it
much more sustainable and livable,” Wilson said.

He went on to urge Mountain community members to attend this important
Town Hall meeting.