Last October we published a story about the possibility of a 100-unit apartment complex being developed at the corner of Snoqualmie Parkway and Swenson Drive, at the entrance to the Deer Park neighborhood, on Snoqualmie Ridge land parcel S-11.
At the time, Snoqualmie Planning Department Director, Nancy Tucker, had only had a couple of pre-application meetings regarding the potential development and had not yet received any permit applications.
Four months later and Seattle-based Evergreen Housing Development Group is moving forward with the new apartment complex. Evergreen Housing’s website states they “specialize in housing; adding value and building quality at all budget levels.”
According to Nancy Tucker the development will consist of market-rate rental apartments, but the buildings will be designed as townhomes. There will be 11 buildings in total, with 6 to 12 units occupying each.
Site construction plans (including clearing, grading, roads, and utilities) for the new apartment community called, The Woodlands, are currently under review. Building permit plans are also being review by City of Snoqualmie Planning Department.
Tucker said she expects construction to begin late spring or summer 2013.
Comments
De greening of the Parkway continues!
It’s nice that the city did this low key so they wouldn’t get push back from the people that matter. Now we have to make some noise!
We discussed this awhile back and noted a more negatives than positives. First the County will assess homes at a lower value in Deer Park, housesproperty will lose value, forcing people to short sell them, bringing in more low income families to buy the cheaper houses. Then there will be stress on the on already overflowing Schools, roads, Infrastructure, Fire, Police, and local businesses as well as more traffic. [Anyone who goes to work in the morning knows they already wait 10 minutes to get on I90] Sounds like either 1) The city officials were paid off or 2) they really don’t know what they are doing. There is no good reason for allowing more apartments where residents don’t actually pay for the city they are living in. (not even the tax on their rent…) I think it is appropriate in the State of Washington now to stay “What are they smoking!?”
Hate to say it folks, but there is a need for apartments. My family and I relocated to the area last year from out of state and needed temporary living while our home was being built. There was very little available at the time in Issaquah and elsewhere. Corporate relo companies last year were having a hard time finding temp living for people.
Living in 21 places, across the country from the East Coast, Midwest to Seattle, I can honestly say communities and neighborhoods, never ‘need’ apartments. No area NEEDs apartments. Coming into the area myself by Corp Relo, and used Relo around the country, most corporate housing is near the workplace not near to the place you will live one day. It is really sad to see the amount of ignorance that goes on with planning and plotting in this area. It sounds like you don’t live in an area that is affected by poor planning where kids are already having to go to schools in 4 different towns, where there is an upswing in crime and break-ins, where our kids are not feeling safe waiting for the bus, where the road noise has increased waking sleeping babies at 4am,where people are short selling left and right because property values are under water, home sale prices are suffering, and our pretty and amazing wooded areas that line our properties and parkways are being knocked down. Officials who think they know how a city should grow successfully are actually watering down properties values that were once sold for premium prices.
There may be a need, but not here in Deer Park. They can be built next to the church going in across the street by the school district land, but not in a established community where it will destroy home values. Shame on you city planners…something is fishy here. Let the planning dept. know you do not want this in your backyard! Write them an email today!!!
Nancy Tucker
Planning Director
ntucker@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us
425.888.5337
Lauren Hollenbeck
Senior Planner lhollenbeck@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us
425.888.5337
Nicole Sanders
Associate Planner
nsanders@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us
425.888.5337
Gwyn Berry
Planning Technician
gberry@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us
425.888.5337