GRANITE FALLS — Work has started on a housing development that was planned years ago and is expected to add more than 300 new homes on the north side of Burn Road near Granite Falls High School.
The development is called Suncrest Farms and it’s on 82 acres that once were dairy land. The property is just west of the roundabout that connects Burn and Quarry roads.
Eventually, the new neighborhood would have room for 327 houses. Crews are preparing lots and infrastructure for the first round of construction, which would be about 95 houses.
An affiliate of Westcott Homes is handling the ground work. Site preparation is scheduled to be done by early summer. After that, houses can be built, the company said in a written statement. A builder has not been selected. Prices and floor plans for the homes also have not been decided.
The developer is required to build or improve infrastructure such as roads, sidewalks and gutters around Suncrest Farms. The company also is upgrading city sewer and water systems to make sure they are braced for the influx of new houses.
“This development will also have some open spaces and park areas located within it that will be a nice addition to the west side of the city,” said Brent Kirk, Granite Falls City Manager.
The plans call for 4 acres of park and up to 16 acres of open space.
The last large housing development Kirk can recall in town was about 30 homes. In a community with less than 3,500 people, 327 new houses is a major addition.
A separate proposal for 96 units of multifamily housing, also on Burn Road, has been submitted to the city. It still is in the early review process, Kirk said. It can take years for a proposal to go from an application to construction.
The Suncrest Farms development gained preliminary plat approval from the city in 2013. Plans had been started years earlier but were derailed by the recession.
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.
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