Local developer struggles with the city’s park plan

Published 1:18 pm Thursday, December 11, 2008

By Dennis Box, The Courier-Herald

The image of an uncaring developer rolling over pristine neighborhoods is not how Bill Schuur, president of Schuur Brothers Construction, would describe himself. In his quiet way, he points out he may be a developer, but his story is quite different from the standard plot line.

The problems for the Tacoma Point resident started with a nearly 13-acre piece of land next to Allan Yorke Park that Schuur Brothers Construction purchased after it was on the market for a couple of years.

"We had preliminary meeting in 2003 with the city planning director and engineer," Schuur said. "They said there was a little wetland here and we needed a rezone, but it was all technicalities. So off we go spending tons on consultants to get our plan together."

Around the first of the year was when Schuur heard there was opposition from the public and the City Council.

"We'd been working on this property for a year," Schuur said. "It came as a rude awakening."

Some City Council members and citizens wanted to see the land used to expand Allan Yorke Park. The Council is considering condemning the property to force a sale for public use.

Many of the neighbors also oppose the development because of increased traffic problems.

"I'm used to rowing upstream," Schuur said. "I've never done a development where there is not some public opposition to it. People don't want change in their neighborhood."

However, Schuur resists the notion he is a cold-blooded developer reaching for a buck anyway he can get it.

"I'm not some Mercer Island developer," Schuur said. "I live on Tacoma Point. My wife, Cindy, grew up here where we live now. What people forget is at some time a developer put his shirt on the line to build the house or apartment they live in or office they work in."

Schuur Construction was started in 1976 by Schuur and his brother Dennis. Schuur had graduated with a business degree from University of Puget Sound the year before and his brother was looking for work.

It was originally a framing business until the 1980s when they started building custom and speculative houses. During the late '80s the company began developing land, which is buying a piece of raw land and planning a community.

Today Schuur Brothers Construction is owned by brothers Bill, Dennis and John and a cousin, Stuart.

Schuur stated he usually works effectively with city councils and feels that is part of the job of a developer.

"We don't go looking for fights with city councils," Schuur said. "It is not our intention to destroy the fabric of life in Bonney Lake. Our position is we should not be punished for the city's poor planning? It's hard to justify when the land was never included in the city's park plan."

After attending the recent Council meetings, Schuur said he expects the City Council to condemn the property which will send it to Pierce County Superior Court where a fair market value will be fixed by a jury.

"I think they will probably condemn it," Schuur said. "But I will guarantee you, even if the price is $3 million, there is no way they can compensate for our time and our employees. No way will we be compensated for that cost. And it is very difficult to find decent dirt to develop in this area. We've been perfectly principled in this thing. Every issue they've raised we've dealt with. Now 30 days from approval they've pulled the rug out. It's a little bait and switch."

Schuur knows at times people complain and dislike developers, " But if we're evil, we're a necessary evil. It is really the City Council's responsibility to steer the ship and do the Comp Plan correctly. This exercise is an is an indictment that the Comp Plan and the parks plan wasn't right. That is a fair charge."

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