Working together to preserve valuable open space enhances the quality of life for all.
It ensures efficient utilization of land identified for development through public processes, while maintaining the beautiful, natural surroundings we all value and cherish.
That is why we have worked with the City of Issaquah to set aside 101 acres on Tiger Mountain for public open space rather than a proposed housing development. We sought to ensure that any transfer of housing to Issaquah Highlands would be done to the benefit of that community with minimal impacts. The TDR transaction recently approved by the City Council meets those objectives.
It will provide several community benefits, including an important second access road. That road could create additional emergency access, ease school drop-off congestion and offer an alternative to Park Drive during peak times. Other transportation measures, such as a new signal at 15th Avenue and local public bus service, will preserve road network capacity.
There is no doubt the land transfer will also help stimulate the retail town center. Additional residential offerings will provide more of the critical mass retailers, like a grocer, cinema, drug store or restaurant, seek within the center. It will continue momentum generated by Swedish Hospital and other projects currently being built. This is important at the beginning of a project, especially in today’s market.
More affordable interim parking will also help attract key entertainment, dining and shopping. Adequate parking lots have always been consistent with our goal of a pedestrian friendly mixed-use center that meets the daily and weekly needs of residents, with public areas and amenities.
Several lots, not one big one, would be built on land formerly mined for gravel. Our storm water system was designed with the assumption that 100 percent of the town center would be impervious surface, such as parking or buildings.
Garages were never required and are not yet economically feasible anywhere in this area. Interim lots will, however, make garages more likely in the future.
Importantly, the transfer will create and protect 144 acres of new public open space on land that would otherwise be developed, including 43 acres next to Issaquah Highlands.
Current King County zoning allows for large-lot residential and institutional development on 78 acres adjacent to Issaquah Highlands, including the proposed Bellevue College campus. That development, under present zoning, can occur without setting aside this kind of open space.
Clustering development on portions of the 78 acres preserves over half that space. Only 35 of those acres will be developed. The remaining 43 acres will be converted to public open space in addition to the 101 acres on Tiger Mountain.
This grows the original 1,400 acres of open space at Issaquah Highlands that we later extended by over 300 acres in a prior TDR transaction. It also supports the Growth Management Act; rather than encouraging sprawl, the net effect will be 66 fewer developable acres within the urban growth area.
Valid concerns including capacity of the elementary school, traffic and storm water have been addressed. The school, for example, was overcrowded this past year. However, the school district expects several things already in motion will create adequate capacity.
Roughly 300 students from outside the community will shift to a new school opening this fall on the Plateau. New students will not start arriving for a few years, and the district projects that around 2014 the elementary student population will begin to decline as the community ages.
The district has indicated that adding students over a several-year period will help maintain a solid and consistent population, which is important to the preservation of Grand Ridge Elementary as a neighborhood school. It projects 23 new students from the condos in the town center plus 100 if all of the homes moved from Tiger Mountain are built.
We are a values-driven, family-owned company with a 20-year history and commitment to creating a quality community. We care about the community and work every day to make it better for everyone. After viewing all of the consideration, we hope people will agree that the TDR transaction is a mutual win that will preserve open space, stimulate retail and provide additional access and improvements at Issaquah Highlands.
Judd Kirk is a former President of Port Blakely Communities, the master developer of the Issaquah Highlands, and currently serves as Port Blakely’s Senior Adviser in the Highlands.
