Grand Ridge Project Finally Gets Go-Ahead From County, Issaquah

Grand Ridge is a go.

The Metropolitan King County Council voted 12-1 yesterday to approve the city-size development north of Issaquah.

Councilman Brian Derdowski, R-Issaquah, was the only member to vote against the project, which would bring an urban village of homes, ball fields, shops, restaurants, corporate offices and more than 6,000 people to the Issaquah area over the next 20 years.

The Issaquah City Council voted unanimously last night to put its stamp of approval on the project.

"I think this project will be a showcase example of what can be done in an urban setting, said Issaquah Mayor Rowan Hinds. This project was well-studied, well-discussed, well-sandpapered and is very doable."

Hinds also noted that the City Council took action to begin action on two other large annexations, which will be developed for residential uses - Park Point, a 60-acre project behind Issaquah High School, and a 400 to 500-acre tract on East Cougar Mountain owned by Northwest Investors.

The project required a vote of both the county and city because Issaquah plans to annex the rural portion of the Grand Ridge project, which would encompass about 2,100 acres just north of the city. The project, which would be built by Port Blakely Communities, would include nearly 1,400 acres of open space.

The project would include:

-- Up to 3,950 housing units, with 60 percent as town houses, condominiums or apartments.

-- Up to 2.1 million square feet of commercial space.

-- Up to 425,000 square feet of retail space.

-- Developers would pay about $33 million of $72 million for roads, including a full interchange on I-90. King County and the city of Issaquah would pay the remaining costs.

-- The Grand Ridge Partnership consists of Port Blakely Communities, an Issaquah-based developer, and a Japanese corporation known as Renown.