New construction will probably have to wait for Habitat

Published 1:47 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008

SNOQUALMIE – As residents of the Habitat for Humanity of East King County site in Snoqualmie nestle in for the cold winter months ahead, Habitat organizers are beginning to outline future projects. But building more houses may have to wait.

The site of the Habitat development, which is located on the south side of the Snoqualmie Parkway, is not even half full with the 50 houses that Habitat hopes to eventually construct.

The finishing touches were added last month to 20 houses that were started during Habitat’s blitz build in August. Although the completion of the homes was behind the original schedule, Habitat was able to round up enough volunteers and materials to get residents into their new houses by the holidays.

Habitat for Humanity of East King County Manager of Resource Development Jean Ann French said one of the immediate projects for the Snoqualmie site is landscaping the area around the houses, which, other than the completed homes, still looks a lot like a construction area.

French also said Habitat hopes to complete the 21st house and the community center that were started during the build, as well as get to work on two additional houses that already have foundations poured.

Although there have been volunteers for some of the projects, many of them are not in Habitat’s current budget, which runs to the end of June 2002. French said she is starting the search for volunteers and materials for additional projects.

Further development beyond what’s already been built in Snoqualmie, however, would entail new “laterals,” or utility and road installations that need to be laid before any construction takes place.

In addition, new construction might have to wait for other projects in the county that Habitat is working on to be finished first. Habitat has land in Redmond that it has planned to build on since 1997, and in order to appease some grant requirements there needs to be work done at the site, and soon.

“Redmond is really in the forefront now,” French said, adding that Habitat is committed to Snoqualmie and hopes some of the projects, such as the landscaping, can start in February.

“We will continue to build at Snoqualmie Ridge,” French said. “As long as funding and volunteers permit, we’ll be there.”