East Town commercial boom near At least three major retailers waiting for road and sewer plans

Published 12:22 pm Thursday, December 11, 2008

By Dennis Box

The Courier-Herald

Hear that distant rumbling? It's East Town getting ready to bust wide open.

The East Town area of Bonney Lake, between 214th Avenue East and 234th, is on the verge of a major big-box store development.

At an east town stakeholders meeting in April, representatives from Winco and Lowe's were present. Costco has also showed interest in the area, according to city officials.

Winco advertises itself as an employee-owned grocery company. Lowe's is a home improvement store and competitor of Home Depot. Costco is a membership retail store.

Property owners in the East Town area and city officials have said the development of the area is dependent on two state Route 410 improvement projects and providing city sewer to the area.

Pasco Bakotich, assistant regional administrator for the Washington State Department of Transportation, said the transportation budget that included a 9.5 cent tax increase signed by Gov. Christine Gregoire May 9 completes the funding for the SR410 projects.

The projects are a re-alignment of the 233rd and 234th Avenue East intersection and widening of 410 between 234th Avenue East ant 214th Avenue East.

The expansion project would provide two lanes in each direction with a center median and a stoplight.

"We are deciding the best and the easiest way for the project to get done," Bakotich said. "There is some property acquisition that must be completed for the corridor to be widened and there are some environmentally sensitive areas we have to deal with."

Bakotich said the combined projects will cost about $20 million and prior to the passage of the transportation bill the corridor project was about $12 million short.

A timeline for the projects has not been set, Bakotich said.

"We are evaluating whether to do it in two segments or one," Bakotich said. "If we do it as one project it would take one and a half years and would go out for bid in 2007. As two projects we would advertise for a contractor in the fall of 2006 for the first segment, then go back out for the second project."

According to Mayor Bob Young the SR 410 projects are not the most significant impediment facing East Town commercial development.

"What's really holding it up is sewer," Young said. "The road project will get done. We are waiting for the report from Parametrix telling us where the sewer lift station will be put."

The City Council passed an ordinance requiring all commercial development to use city sewer.

The city sewer lines end at 214th Avenue East and a lift station is required because of elevation in the east town area.

Young said a large developer will pay for the lift station and recoup its money with a "late comers" agreement, which allows them to charge other developers that connect to the sewer line.

"We originally asked Parametrix to give us their report on the lift station by the end of June," Young said. "But there are a number of projects the need to know right away. We're meeting this week."

Many of the property owners in the area are hoping for agreements to made and project to begin sooner rather than later.

"Once Bonney Lake and the state gets things rolling this area will open up and things will get started," said Dean Ogle, a 26-year resident who own about 20 acres about a half mile west of 234th. "Places will sell. The sewer plan and the highway is all that's holding it up."

The mayor said information on the lift station may be released as early as this week.

Bonney Lake is a prime market right because there's land," Young said. "That's why homes are being built. We are very hot right now."

Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald.