Published: Saturday, July 14, 2007
Have a site for college to use?
State taking offers for property for UW branch
Got land?
The state just might want to make a deal.
The Office of Financial Management on Friday issued what basically reads like a want ad to buy land for a new University of Washington branch campus.
It asks landowners to provide detailed information about their property, which could become a bustling four-year university campus.
"We want to make sure we are using a wide lens," said Martin Regge, a consultant with NBBJ Architects, the Seattle firm hired to lead the site search.
The cost of buying the land has been estimated at $25 million.
In April, the Legislature approved a UW branch campus to serve Snohomish, Island and Skagit counties. It budgeted $1 million for a consultant to analyze options and recommend a site for a permanent college. That recommendation is due Nov. 15.
A wide pool of possible sites already exists. From Stanwood, Everett, Lake Stevens, Snohomish and elsewhere, mayors and city leaders are touting more than a dozen locations for the university.
Gary Wright, owner of Gary Wright Realty Inc.-Coldwell Banker in Marysville, said the state's willingness to reach out is an encouraging sign for the private landowner who otherwise might feel overwhelmed in the search process.
"People never know if it's an already pre-determined destination at some municipality or if there is really a playing field where they can get their property seen," he said.
"There are properties that are getting closer and closer to urban and suburban areas that might have the acreage something like this requires," Wright added.
For the moment, there are no acreage requirements, Regge said. NBBJ is still developing siting criteria with the state and the UW.
However, an urban site with zoning for taller buildings would likely need less space than a rural site that would have regulations preventing three- or four-story buildings, he said.
Although the criteria haven't been set, a $500,000 study in 2006 identified several factors that should be considered, including population, travel time, transit services and access to public utilities.
Reporter Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446 or stevick@heraldnet.com.
The state just might want to make a deal.
The Office of Financial Management on Friday issued what basically reads like a want ad to buy land for a new University of Washington branch campus.
It asks landowners to provide detailed information about their property, which could become a bustling four-year university campus.
"We want to make sure we are using a wide lens," said Martin Regge, a consultant with NBBJ Architects, the Seattle firm hired to lead the site search.
The cost of buying the land has been estimated at $25 million.
In April, the Legislature approved a UW branch campus to serve Snohomish, Island and Skagit counties. It budgeted $1 million for a consultant to analyze options and recommend a site for a permanent college. That recommendation is due Nov. 15.
A wide pool of possible sites already exists. From Stanwood, Everett, Lake Stevens, Snohomish and elsewhere, mayors and city leaders are touting more than a dozen locations for the university.
Gary Wright, owner of Gary Wright Realty Inc.-Coldwell Banker in Marysville, said the state's willingness to reach out is an encouraging sign for the private landowner who otherwise might feel overwhelmed in the search process.
"People never know if it's an already pre-determined destination at some municipality or if there is really a playing field where they can get their property seen," he said.
"There are properties that are getting closer and closer to urban and suburban areas that might have the acreage something like this requires," Wright added.
For the moment, there are no acreage requirements, Regge said. NBBJ is still developing siting criteria with the state and the UW.
However, an urban site with zoning for taller buildings would likely need less space than a rural site that would have regulations preventing three- or four-story buildings, he said.
Although the criteria haven't been set, a $500,000 study in 2006 identified several factors that should be considered, including population, travel time, transit services and access to public utilities.
Reporter Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446 or stevick@heraldnet.com.
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