Lennar Multifamily Communities has received approval, with some conditions, to move ahead with its multi-family development, originally called Seventh at Gilman, now known as Atlas.

The notice of decision, dated May 21, indicates that Lennar has met the pre-construction requirements asked of it. Lennar plans to build 346 stacked apartments constructed in three buildings on the old Lombardi’s site, which is just over six acres. Each building will be five stories, with underground parking. Approximately 400 parking stalls in the two garages and in two surface parking lots will be provided.

This is the first big project approved for the Central Issaquah Plan, which encourages density on the valley floor. The city decision states that Seventh at Gilman is within the boundaries established by the CIP, and that is complies with the Issaquah Shoreline Master Plan.

Initially there was some controversy because the site is fully within the 100-year flood plain of Issaquah Creek. The site has flooded during extreme storms. Engineers will create a flood channel to contain any flood water and grade the site to raise the floor elevations above the 100-year flood plain elevation.

The site, which is the home to the old Lombardi’s restaurant and the Gilman Square shopping center, is composed of eight parcels, which will be consolidated or modified before construction permits are issued. Lennar is also going to have to design and build a traffic signal at 7th Avenue and NW Gilman Boulevard, in addition to bike lanes, sidewalks, landscaping, a neighborhood park and street lighting. Lennar Development Director Tom Bartholomew said the city was very pleased with the landscaping plan.

Much remains to be done before any building begins. First the developer has to demolish everything on the site and remove the material including clean up where an old dry cleaning business was on Seventh Avenue, which left Trichloroethylene, a chemical compound used in industrial solvents, which will have to be remediated along with any other contaminants.

Then they will bring in preload, which is basically a whole lot of dirt, which has to sit and compact for two to three months before excavation begins, possibly in October or November.