Planned Use Development Started

Olympia -- Briggs Village, located near Olympia, recently broke ground. The $175 million-dollar project will be broken into 4 phases. Phase 1 will also include the 90-lot development of residential single family housing. The remaining phases will include a park, multifamily housing, senior housing, retail, and office spaces.

The Briggs Village master planned community will be comprised of 810 residential units, including single family homes, duplexes, lofts, townhouses, apartments, and senior living; and 224,000 square feet of commercial space around the centralized "Town Square," including office space, grocery anchor, and shop retail.

Parsons has already commenced grading operations for the North Residential Phase for delivery to homebuilders in spring, 2006. Parsons will also be involved in roadway widening, utilities, and lot development.

Nuprecon Opens Hawaii Office

Snoqualmie -- Nuprecon opened a regional office in Honolulu, to support its recently created Pacific Division. The demolition contractor is working on several large projects in the state of Hawaii, and recently completed Phase I of the Waikiki Beach Walk project for Outrigger Enterprises. This project called for the demolition and abatement of four existing hotel towers in addition to multiple retail structures prior to construction of a new hotel, retail and shopping center that will occupy eight acres.

Feds Mandate New Stormwater Permit Requirements

Olympia -- The Washington State Department of Ecology published a new Construction Stormwater General Permit. Required by the federal Clean Water Act, the new Permit will regulate construction sites of one acre or more, considerably smaller than the old five acre standard.

The state is implementing a 90 day grace period until February 14, 2006 for operators of 1-5 acre sites. This grace period is not in the permit, but is a verbal commitment from the Department of Ecology. Within this grace period operators without a permit must submit a permit application no later than February 14, 2006. Application forms and rules are available at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/stormwater/construction.

For projects that will begin in the future, applications must be filed at least 38 days before starting construction in order to give time for the mandatory public notice periods.

New Gas Tax Funds Spokane Area Project

Olympia -- The first state transportation construction project since the election that includes new gas tax money, is being advertised for contractor bids on Monday, November 21st. Bids received on the Potato Hill Bridge replacement over Interstate 90 in Moses Lake will be opened on January 12th with construction to start next spring and finish by fall. The project includes $750,000 from the new gas tax for a bicycle and pedestrian structure over I-90 in Moses Lake.