Friday, September 14, 2007

Bellevue annexation moves forward, slowly

Council, developer to begin agreement details


By JON DUVAL
Express Staff Writer

Harry Rinker

After two years filled with discussions and public hearings, the seemingly stagnant issue of developer Harry Rinker's proposed 280-acre Woodbridge Village annexation into the city of Bellevue is moving forward, albeit slowly.

At a special meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 11, council members advised the city's legal and planning staff to begin working on an annexation agreement, the critical step that will ensure that impacts on the city are mitigated.

"There is no commitment from the council to annex, and either party may walk at any time," Planning and Zoning Administrator Craig Eckles said in an interview.

While the agreement process will flush out numerous details that are still a cause of concern for city officials, council members expressed more support for the project than they had, especially after the developer revised a number of previously contentious issues.

Galena Engineer's Dick Fosbury, a project representative, pointed out a number of recent changes to Woodbridge Village, resulting from council members' comments and recommendations at last month's meeting. Included was the addition of 14 units of mixed residential and light industrial space and an increase in the overall acreage of a corporate park area, as well as more connectivity between the north and south ends of the project, which sits just south of Bellevue on Gannett Road. Council members supported those changes fully, on the grounds that an increased number of businesses translates to a greater financial benefit to the city than does a solely residential development.

As well, the total number of proposed units has dropped from 720 to 644.

Rinker also reduced the number of estate lots, which are located on an elevated bench on the eastern edge of the project, from 20 to 18. However, those lots remain a debated part of the annexation, as Bellevue's Planning and Zoning Commission recommended against their inclusion in the current location on the grounds that they infringe on a wildlife corridor. Rinker contended that the lots, which will be the most expensively priced in the entire development, are necessary to make the project profitable.

At the council's request, the developer will provide elevation drawings of the project so that council members can get a better idea of what the development would look like from Gannett Road looking east. They will be used to make a decision on any adjustments required of Rinker.

Rinker, who calculated that he's paid over $600,000 to date in processing costs, such as city fees and traffic studies, said that he hired a consultant to determine the "depth of the market" and the potential price range for units, all of which will play into the annexation fee agreement.

With the major issue of water rights still to be thoroughly discussed, both parties agree that there is still a long way to go, and tentatively set the next meeting on the subject for the end of October.

"This process is by no means over," Fosbury said. "We are working to see if it's in accordance with the city's comprehensive plan and annexable."




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