Bloom and Chamberlain’s Thurston Highlands – 9/15/2006

More info on the Thurston Highlands Development

From the now expired domain
yelmcommercialproperties.com

Thurston Highlands could be self-sustaining

09/15/2006

Source: Business Examiner

Author: Hilary Maynard

Developers Doug Bloom and Steve Chamberlain hope their newest residential project in Yelm, Thurston Highlands, will be one of Washington’s first “sustainable developments.” This is a phased 1,200-acre mixed use master planned community situated between State Route 507 and State Route 510, with Fort Lewis to the west. This land parcel, at one time proposed as a NASCAR race track site, was annexed into the City in 1994 as part of the Southwest Yelm Annexation. Some 5,000 homes, along with retail and office space, will be built there during the next 20 years.

Bloom and Chamberlain, principals of Thurston Highlands LLC, are currently preparing an Environmental Impact Statement, outlining the predicted environmental effects of the project. Not only will the development’s effect on the environment be minimal, Bloom said, the building process itself will be “green.” “We are in discussions through the EIS process of about having Thurston Highlands identified as a ‘sustainable development,’” Bloom said, referring to the idea of developing to meet the needs of an expanding population, while allowing the environment to replenish itself during the process. “We’re looking at a variety of ways we can utilize the natural features of the land, re-manufacture materials for building purposes, and further preserve and enhance the local resources,” he said.

Bloom and Chamberlain are also behind Tahoma Terra, located in Yelm at the end of Longmire and Berry Valley.
“Both Doug and I have been developing in Thurston County for 20 years,” Chamberlain said. “We’re locals. We’re not going anywhere. We feel like we’ve got an obligation to do the best we can for this piece. Thurston Highlands is a very special piece of property and, if we do it right, we can make it both sustainable and profitable.”

Bloom and Chamberlain hope to have a draft of the EIS done by the end of the year. This will be presented to the public for comment before a final draft is written in late 2007. Construction is expected to begin in 2008. Transportation planning, wastewater management and availability of sewer systems will also drive the approval process. City officials said the development will also need to include parks, trails and a significant amount of open space

Bloom said he expects both area newcomers and current Yelm residents looking to upgrade to be interested in the Thurston Highlands homes, including military families. Home prices will ultimately be market driven. Yelm’s population has increased 8.5 percent every year during the past decade. Percentage wise, the City is the fastest-growing in Thurston County and the sixth fastest in the state.

“For years, Yelm has been somewhat of the convenience market,” said Grant Beck, community development director for the City, citing the number of people that come to Yelm for goods, but don’t live there. “Because of the infrastructure we built back in the mid-90s, we’re now in place to accommodate significant urban growth.”