More Homes for NE Tacoma
With all the focus on the possible redevelopment of the Northshore Golf Course, not a lot of attention has been paid to other development in the Northeast Tacoma neighborhood.
There is a project going through the permitting process at the City of Tacoma, however, that would add 65 lots to the area on a piece of land that is currently undeveloped. The project is called Watchtower Heights.
The development is fairly different from the North Shore course in a couple of key respects. First, it’s already zoned for residential. Second, the developer is not looking for density bonuses—lot sizes will a fairly standard 7,500 sq. ft.
There is a public hearing for the space on March 20th at 9:30 am.
Any thoughts?
Link to the Public Notice (pdf)
13 comments
N NOSaturn January 29, 2008
this looks like one of those developments that we’ll have to accept as is simply for lack of energy to fight it.
T tct2326 January 29, 2008
Is there something wrong with the link?
D derek January 29, 2008
Is there something wrong with the link?
Yes. Wrong document. It’s fixed now.
A Andrew January 29, 2008
I’m not a big environmentalist or anything, but do people in this area just get a complete kick out of paving over patches of trees? Yeesh.
D drizell January 30, 2008
The gross density is about 3.5 dwellings per acre. This is lower than the 4 du/ac threshold for “urban development” that has been upheld by the Growth Management Hearings Boards.
Down in Lewis County, several small towns have minimum densities of 4 du/ac for new development. I find it insane that a city the size of Tacoma could permit something with such a low density.
NE Tacoma lacks the character found in the rest of the city of Tacoma. Unfortunately, there is an active NIMBY group called Save NE Tacoma that seeks to prevent the type of development NE Tacoma needs to appear like it’s part of Washington’s second-largest city.
D Droid16 January 30, 2008
Right drizell.
A NIMBY group that doesn’t want a developer with the lowest JD Power rating to build over a golf course that was contractually obligated to stay that way. That wants to add density that the infrastructure can’t handle. A developer that had numerous opportunities and appointments NEVER showed to a single community meeting. A developer with outstanding mitigation requirements at other developments.
You have shown great ease in dismissing the population of NE Tacoma, which houses the families of many of us who work downtown and continue to make Tacoma a great city. My experience has been that it is an active and committed community trying to protect what they have built together.
The impacts to the community reach into Federal Way as well. Instead of attacking a group like SaveNETacoma, you should be appreciating what people who care about their community can do, even in the face of deep pocketed antagonists.
D Droid16 January 30, 2008
For the sake of accuracy, I cannot confirm that the mitigation of erosion at the site that came to mind when writing this has or has not been fixed since last reported. The point being that even with proposed mitigation, you still need to follow through.
http://www.theolympian.com/101/story/72526.html
E Erik B. January 30, 2008
The golf course is so remote from any urban area that it is not really effective infilling to build there.
What would be ideal is if some of the area was left green and they had some mixed use areas with some retail in there so that NE Tacomans could create a more walkable neighborhood. This space is around alot of housing.
Right now, much of NE Tacoma is an isolated suburb which forces everyone to have to drive to nearly everything.
T tct January 30, 2008
NE Tacoma is just an extension of
Federal Way anyways, and this is seen in the coments of Tacoma. NE Tacoma is never mentioned. NE is not T-Town, its FW TOWN.
D Droid16 January 30, 2008
An interesting example of the power of the web. Not long after my post, someone from Lewis County’s servers visited my personal blog through the link on this thread.
Then, not long after that, my blog was visited through this posting by the very developer being discussed above. Through their mail server no less. Which likely means someone mailed them the link to the post.
D drizell January 30, 2008
That’s very interesting, Droid16. I wish I knew as much about computers as you do. Ironically, someone from the University of Washington-Tacoma’s server visited MY blog shortly before your post showed up. Whoever did that must have assumed that anyone who is a professional land use planner in Lewis County has no basis for criticizing a NIMBY group in Northeast Tacoma. You may vent your frustrations about cybersquatting, but please let me vent my frustrations related to my own profession here on Exit133.
D Droid16 January 31, 2008
Actually, I thought the visit to my site from the Lewis County servers was from someone tracking the Olympia Crescent mitigation story. Thanks for connecting the dots for me.
My real interest was in how someone sent the developer an email with a link to the post.
D drizell January 31, 2008
It wasn’t me. I apologize for sounding like an a**hole. I guess it’s pretty useful knowledge if you can figure out how to track where your page views are coming from.