BY PEPPER FISHER
Sequim – The Sequim Bay Development Company has submitted a permit application to the City of Sequim to build up to 600 homes next to John Wayne Marina.
Just over a year after the developer that brought the Seabrook community to Washington’s coastline announced their intention to build “Varied home styles and price ranges [to] support the needs of Sequim residents”, the company made it known on June 23 that they are ready go “after listening and learning from neighboring residents, the local community, and all public agencies.”
Company CFO Jeff Gundersen told KONP via email that approximately 60% of the 160-acre community of Westbay, as it’s now called, will be developed for homes, and 40% will be dedicated to open space, featuring a network of trails, pathways, and parks that connect the neighborhoods and are open to the public.
Gundersen said Westbay “will also feature a small retail district to meet the basic needs of its residents, thereby reducing the number of vehicle trips.”
City Clerk Heather Robely told KONP via email, “The Department of Community Development is going through their technically complete review and has 28 calendar days from receipt of the application to make a decision.”
Sequim’s Public Works Director Paul Bucich has a serious stake in preparing for when construction gets underway. Those new homes are going to need a lot of sewer infrastructure that doesn’t yet exist.
Fortunately, the City was recently approved for up to $16 million in loans from the state Department of Ecology for the construction of the West Sequim Bay Corridor Sewer Extension and Lift Station. Is he ready to start building that extension before he knows when Westbay construction begins?
“This is a pretty major, significant, significant in my opinion, cost to the utility, and burden to the utility ratepayers. As such, I want to make sure that before we pull the trigger on this, I was confident that we were going to have the ability to collect revenues in such a way that would help us to cover the loan costs. There are some question as to the process and timing for them, and when they’re going to be able to get permits. Based on that, I’ve decided that I’m not going to advertise this project for at least another six months.”
Loan repayment would come from sewer utility revenues and begin one year after project completion.
In the meantime, Westbay’s Jeff Gundersen told us, “We look forward to continuing to work closely with the broader community and local officials throughout the review process.”