On November 18 the Lewis County Public Facilities District voted to pursue the purchase of a 40-acre site in Winlock for The REQ Center. You can see the entire story at the news link. One minor correction - The REQ Center main arena will be a 5,000 - 7,000 seat multi-purpose facility. Phase 1 will include a 2,500 seat working arena, which is what was mentioned in the article. All facilities will be built by The REQ with private resources, and will not be owned by the PFD as reported.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW MULTI- PURPOSE RECREATION CENTER/ARENA AGREEMENT FOR SW WASHINGTON
Olympia, Wash: Representative Gary Alexander and REQ Project Director Larry Hewitt announced today that a new regional multi-purpose recreation center/arena will be built in SW Washington. Representative Alexander stated, "The Southwest Washington Regional Equestrian Center will bring 1,500 new construction related jobs to the region and more than 500 permanent jobs for the project and related developments' operations." Larry Hewitt stated he was very pleased with the partnership which will assist in bringing this economic engine to Lewis county. The project will be built using over $125,000,000 of private capital and will not use tax dollars for construction or operations.
On the Internet:
Crawford Architects
Sports Finance and Management Group
Click here for the complete text
An article that appeared in the Seattle PI on November 6 discussed changes in regulations proposed by the Department of Revenue that require all of our immediate attention. Please read this article.
On November 13 two public hearings were held in Olympia that were heavily attended by small farm operators representing the equine industry and other forms of agriculture. At issue are interpretations of what constitutes agricultural activity, and whether such activities that do not include breeding - such as boarding and recreational-use horse husbandry - qualify a property under the Open Space tax provisions.
A third public meeting will be held Thursday, Dec. 4 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Upper Terrace Conference Room of the Red Lion Hotel at 607 E. Yakima Avenue.
RCW 7.48.310 states, in part: "(4) "Farm product" means those plants and animals useful to humans and includes, but is not limited to, forages and sod crops, dairy and dairy products, poultry and poultry products, livestock, including breeding, grazing, and recreational equine use, fruits, vegetables, flowers, seeds, grasses, trees, freshwater fish and fish products, apiaries and apiary products, equine and other similar products, or any other product which incorporates the use of food, feed, fiber, or fur."
Yet according to repeated public testimony many small farmers have been slapped with extraordinary new taxes and penalties sometimes going back 7 years where county assessors have determined that certain activities - clearly contained within the RCW's definition - do not qualify a farm for the tax provision. This permits them to tax the land at its highest use, even though many of the farms have operated for years with the benefit of that provision. See other news articles as they are posted.
Many in the audience testified that their tax bills and penalties would simply put them out of business, opening the land up to development.
On Friday, November 14, the Department of Revenue issued a letter to all county assessors (click here for a copy) asking them to "DELAY ENFORCEMENT OR COLLECTION ACTIONS" under WAC 458-30-200. What this actually means is unsure at this time. This issue has attracted substantial attention from farmers, activists, legislators, lobbyists and the public at large. We will keep you informed in a dispassionate manner as to its development. Let there be no mistake, however, that The REQ Center opposes any move that has negative consequences for the equine industry, or any other farm activities.Small farms are a major part of the quality of life in Washington state, a major contributor to our economic vitality, and protecting them is everyone's responsibility.
Links for reference:
Complete Text, RCW 7.48.310
Complete Text, WAC 458-30-200
Seattle PI article, November 6
Department of Revenue Response, November 14
SaveWashingtonHorseFarms.org
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Pre-Register Your Group We know that many equestrian groups need to plan ahead for their shows - both large and small. We are now taking requests for reservations so you can get in on the ground floor of The REQ. Please click here to send us your request. If you have already signed a Letter of Intent with The REQ, we will be contacing you soon with a personal update.  The two most common questions I am asked every day is "When will The REQ Center open?" and "How's the Project going?"There are times in a complex project like The REQ that it seems that time has virtually stopped. Sitting over a cup of coffee at The Oly Club - our morning ritual - I sometimes ask myself those same questions. So to bring you the latest news on the REQ development progress, you can check here... at the eNews Updates. |
Breeds, Clubs, and Other Stuff We are asked nearly every day if we will support a certain breed, or a certain riding discipline. Or if we are going to only have large shows, or only expensive ones. Will we be able to ride at The REQ? The answer to all of these questions is...Yes, Yes, No, No, and Absolutely Yes! The REQ Center will be designed and operated with one single philosophy - to serve all riders, all enthusiatsts, all lovers of this wonderful equine world. Call us, or drop us an email, and let's talk about how we can bring your group, your breed, your discipline, your family into The REQ family. |
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See all the action of the hottest 8 seconds in sports.
The REQ Center Story
The REQ Center is a planned climate-controlled sports entertainment complex situated on Interstate 5 in southwest Washington midway between the metropolitan areas of Seattle and Portland.
Southwest Washington is the perfect location for an indoor performance arena, catering to the large equestrian communities of the Pacific Northwest. The area is rural in nature, yet immediately adjacent to the interstate for easy access.
The REQ Center is an ideal destination for all kinds of spectator events: top rank professional rodeo and bull riding, Olympic jumping competitions, national equestrian shows, conventions, concerts, graduations and more.
Our larger development plan includes visitor services to make The REQ comfortable and convenient, including hotels, restaurants, retail shops and travel services.
All of this will be set in a beautiful rural surrounding, yet close to Interstate 5, international and regional airports, and city services - and breathtaking views of the Cascades, Mt. Rainier and thundering Mt. St. Helens.
I received an email recently that reminded me that while we have designed The REQ Center for the unique needs of horse riders, we are planning to build a multi-purpose facility. We welcome all kinds of users - from dog competitions to alpacas and llamas, from auto shows to home shows, from conventions to concerts.
I would like to hear from you and your organization to see just how we can help with your particular interests. Please write me at the address given above, or email me using the feedback link. I look forward to hearing from you.
Larry Hewitt
Project Director
Hitchhiker's Guide to REQ Center Project Terms
Not sure what the PFD PDF doc about the REQ means? We thought we'd put up this handy guide to terms, abbreviations and acronyms that end up somewhere along the trail in our path to build The REQ. Good luck...