Snoqualmie mill site developers accepting community feedback at open house on May 23

By Evan Pappas • May 19, 2017 3:00 pm
A map of the three planning areas of the mill site development. Area one is planned as a mixed-use “village” with a pedestrian oriented main street. Area 2 will focus on light industrial uses and area 3 will focus on corporate uses. (Courtesy Photo)
A map of the three planning areas of the mill site development. Area one is planned as a mixed-use “village” with a pedestrian oriented main street. Area 2 will focus on light industrial uses and area 3 will focus on corporate uses. (Courtesy Photo)

Snoqualmie residents will get the chance to shape the environmental review of the proposed mill site development at an open house and scoping meeting at Snoqualmie City Hall on Tuesday, May 23.

The event will begin at 4 p.m. with an open house segment, during which attendees can view information on the project and ask questions. A more formal presentation of the project starts at 6 p.m. Throughout the event, participants can share feedback or concerns; the feedback received will be included in the environmental review of the property this summer.

The 260-acre mill site, owned by Snoqualmie Mill Ventures and annexed into city in 2012, is the location of a proposed development that includes a planned corporate campus, apartments, and commercial retail spaces. Tom Sroufe, a developer with Snoqualmie Mill Ventures, said the proposed development is intended to expand employment in the Valley.

“Our goal and mission here is to provide a place for people to go to work. The types of employment we see coming here are traditional warehouse, some light industry, and we also see a corporate campus component down the road,” he said. “This site was opened for employment in 1917 and here we are in 2017 talking about its role as an employment center for the next 100 years.”

Sroufe said the the overall footprint of the development will be about half of the total property, with the rest being maintained as open space.

“What we are proposing is a very low level of development, the density is very low,” he said. “We have a 260-acre site and 150 acres of that will be retained as open space… natural wetland that will be maintained and enhanced. Maintenance for that is all paid for by the development.”

Snoqualmie Mill Ventures is planning to expand the wine industry in the Valley by incorporating wine production as well as wine tasting, restaurants and event spaces. The development also includes plans for 120 one- and two-bedroom units. There will also be spaces for destination retail to support the employees and residents, Sroufe said.

“The idea is simply if you live in the Valley, you can work in the Valley and you don’t have to drive into Issaquah,” he said.

Snoqualmie Community Development Director Mark Hofman said the open house and meeting will kick off the environmental review process and will allow citizens to submit their questions or concerns about the development impacts. The community feedback will be used to focus the review any of the concerns people might have in order to get a thorough Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

“They are going to study traffic, noise, air, all the standards under SEPA (the State Environmental Policy Act),” Hofman said. “If you have a concern, voice it and they will address it in the EIS.”

Hofman said the a draft of the environmental impact statement could be completed in the fall and sent to the city to review or comment. Any public hearings, planning commission or city council meetings on the environmental impact statement and project master plan would take place in the first few months of 2018.

For more information on the development, visit snoqualmiemill.com.