The expansion of Tumwater’s infrastructure and job creation were the primary talking points of developer Bar Holdings, as its representatives discussed the benefits of the Salish Landing project before the Tumwater City Council on Tuesday, April 22.
Bar Holdings intends to develop its property at Old Highway 99 and 93rd Avenue for commercial use. According to Mike Brewer of Bar Holdings, the development would serve surrounding residents and bring services closer to people living outside the urban growth area of Tumwater.
“We have over 2,200 Tumwater households within 2 miles of the site, none of whom have access to simple household amenities or urgent care. …. This will keep people closer to home,” Brewer told the council.
As the site sits in an unincorporated portion of Thurston County, Bar Holdings is requesting the county transfer their 46-acre property into the Tumwater urban growth area in exchange for 65 acres of land near Black Lake, which is within the city’s urban growth area.
The swapping of those two properties is crucial to the development, as the current zoning of the project site only allows one dwelling unit per 5 acres.
Brewer said Salish Landing would bring significant benefits, particularly in terms of revenue, which is something supported by an analysis conducted by the Thurston Economic Development Council.
The analysis states the project would generate $303,000 in municipal taxes, $297,000 in county taxes, $2.4 million in state taxes and $3.9 million in federal taxes.
In terms of employment, the project would generate 227 direct jobs.
Accounting for the economic value generated by direct and indirect jobs, as well as induced jobs created by worker spending, the analysis found the total economic value of the project was estimated at $40 million.
Brewer said the project would also bring water and sewer infrastructure to the site and its surrounding areas.
Brewer specifically mentioned the developer could help the city save costs in building a new water tower at Village Green mobile home park on Old Highway 99, as well as hook up Melody Pines mobile home park to city sewer.
He did not directly respond to a question by Council member Eileen Swarthout about whether they would pay for the connection fees of the 100 units in Melody Pines, but said by extending infrastructure, it would benefit the existing residents and create opportunities for more infill housing.
Extending the infrastructure would also help reduce costs for the development of a school being planned for the area.
He also said that they’ve spoken with Intercity Transit about providing transit service to the area and mentioned Salish Landing could serve as a pivot point should the transit agency create a southern route extending to the site.
Rob Rice, Brewer’s partner, said Salish Landing would be the largest project of his career. He noted he primarily focuses on residential developments and has been active in the county for 40 years. His first project in the city was Bridlewood Park on 79th Avenue, which was launched 25 years ago.
He said he has built close to a 1,000 homes within 2 miles of the Salish Landing site and is currently working on other residential projects in Little Rock Road and the city’s Craft District.
Before ending their presentation, Brewer said they hope to gain the council’s support.
“We don't throw our personal names around, but I can tell you for Rob and I, this is a legacy project. We are very proud of it. We hope to gain your support,” Brewer said.
Asked by Council member Michael Althauser about the council’s role in the process, City Administrator Lisa Parks said it was “complicated,” as the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) would make the final decision whether to approve the urban growth area swap.
Parks noted the Washington State Department of Commerce is currently developing guidelines for how the swapping of urban growth areas should be conducted.
She stated, however, the county may move forward with the swap application before those guidelines are finalized. If that happens, Parks said the city and county may enter into an interlocal agreement to outline the process for the swap.
Swarthout, a member of the Urban Growth Management Subcommittee of the Thruston Regional Planning Council, said they have decided to pause any actions related to Countywide Planning Policies until the Department of Commerce finalizes the rules.
The policies serve as a framework for how the county and cities coordinate in developing comprehensive plans. Proposed updates to this framework, which include new provisions regarding the swapping of urban growth areas, are being reviewed by the subcommittee and the BoCC, which would ultimately decide whether to adopt the policies.
The adoption of the policies has been contentious topic among community members, who argue the policies would pave the way for Salish Landing, which they believe will negatively impact groundwater supplies and contribute to urban sprawl.
Community members are also concerned that the site contains one of the last remaining unpaved segments of the historic Cowlitz Trail, a historic Native American route.
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Southsoundguy
Nobody wants it. Nobody asked for it. It’s a developers pipe dream. Hard pass.
Thursday, April 24 Report this
SecondOtter
I had no idea that the intersection of Hwy 99 and 93rd was so remote, so backward in terms of modern society, so far from any amenity like electricity and coffee shops. Those poor poor people! Left behind in the onrushing tsunami of unbridled and reckless development! are they still driving horse and buggies to the trading post, purchasing barrels of flour and dried peas to take them through the desperate times of the wilderness? My goodness, maybe they have to...gasp...use a landline phone? Oh, wait. Century Link has stopped providing service to landline owners. Please, someone tell me the stagecoach still stops at the intersection to deliver the mail.
My boot. This is just another gaslighting developer licking his lips over HIS chance to slice up the rural pie even closer. They all have the same baloney for sale..how it can Help The Populace, he's not in it for the money, oh, nooooooooooo how narrow minded of those of us to think that.
Oh, yes, of course he said the word "Jobs". Retail, you know. Minimum wage.
Take this salish landing pork barrel and run it up your flagpole, Bar Holding.
Thursday, April 24 Report this
JulesJames
Sure wish JOLT included maps of the proposed trade areas. Those pretty developer renderings are more hopeful than helpful.
Thursday, April 24 Report this
BobJacobs
This is a really bad idea. JOLT needs to talk with the opposition group to get the rest of the story.
Bob Jacobs
Thursday, April 24 Report this
PeggyJoZim
What exactly is this development? Sounds like it isn’t residential? But there seems to be a picture of an apartment house…is it suppose to be retail? Restaurants? Museums? And art galleries. They don’t really say, or did I miss something?
Peggy Zimmerman
Thursday, April 24 Report this
RondaLarsonKramer
Jobs? We don’t have an unemployment problem here. We’ve got state government. In any case, this project is a pipe dream. The developers cannot meet the criteria of the Urban Growth Area “swap law” that they would need to meet to put their 33 acres of forestland into Tumwater’s urban growth area. Developers bought the forestland for $400,000. If they were able to build the mini-city they seek to build, they would reap millions of dollars in profits. As a result, they will say anything they think the city council wants to hear (like money and jobs). But development does not pay for itself. This would require the city to spend money it doesn’t have on extending the fire, utilities and other city services, when there is plenty of developable land inside the urban growth area already. The developers have a pattern of falsehoods in this project. By the way, this forestland is not only important for aquifer recharge for in-stream flows that keep salmon runs viable in the Deschutes River, but it is also a choke point in a wildlife corridor that connects with 770 acres of permanently preserved riparian habitat as well as connecting to land contiguous with the proposed location of the first wildlife crossing bridge over I-5, which would connect the Olympic Peninsula to the Cascade Mountains. All of this information and more can be found at the following website under the FAQs tab: upnotout.net.
Thursday, April 24 Report this
Yeti1981
This will be an awesome project that fulfills many community needs. Growth is inevitable. I wish something like this was close to my house.
Friday, April 25 Report this
Yeti1981
Actually Ronda, studies do show that development does infact pay for itself. The expansion of the tax base alone will be a huge benefit for everyone. However, the economic benefits are exponential.
Friday, April 25 Report this
tolerd
From what I can tell, it appears to be a car-oriented development which the city needs to discourage. No public transport and out of walking distance for most folks. Too bad, it could be great in the right location!
Friday, April 25 Report this
RondaLarsonKramer
@ Yeti1981 I think you and I are talking about apples and oranges. You’re talking about growth inside the existing urban growth area. Planned growth that doesn’t violate the Growth Management Act is necessary to meet population growth projections and can be a huge benefit to the community, as you state. But sprawl isn’t a huge benefit. It’s the opposite. And it’s a drain on a city’s coffers, not to mention a violation of the Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan. Please help advocate for this type of development nearer to the urban core (like nearer to where you live inside an urban growth area). Then you and I can work together to support responsible growth. I think we are on the same side in the big picture. Build up, not out.
Friday, April 25 Report this
52237123abc
Do not trust anything the Tumwater City Administratir or Robb Rice are pushing on us!!!!
Sunday, April 27 Report this
KarenM
The UGA land swap is simply adding more sprawl. Tumwater should be filling in and building up on available land.
I am disappointed that the developer is touting the transit service that they say would be provided. This would add costs to the transit system to run a bus route further south in Tumwater. The way that this will be 'paid for' is loss of service elswhere or reduced convenience of service elsewhere.
This development is car oriented. Living there will require car ownership. Owning a car is expensive so that reduces the affordability of housing.
Tumwater Council should not agree to change their UGA boundary.
Monday, April 28 Report this
Somney
sounds like urban sprawl.
Monday, April 28 Report this