AMAS - An estimated $175 million in housing and other development could rise inside Camas Meadows Business Center under fast-track plans by a Clark County husband-wife development team.
Rick Bowler and Marilee Thompson propose construction of up to 320 units of luxury condominiums and townhomes at Camas Meadows, which wraps around Camas Meadows Golf Course.
"The area out there is very pristine, and it lends itself to a nice quiet environment," Bowler said. "It is what I would call a genteel environment, and the views of the golf course and surrounding vegetation are second to none. There is not another site like it in the county."
The projects are being proposed in the business park once exclusively zoned for light industrial use. But city of Camas planners say now that the city's new comprehensive plan calls for more mixed-use development and multi-family development in the area. Even an environmental group, once opposed to the project, is now on board.
Plans unfold as work on the 192nd Avenue interchange off state Highway 14 enters its final months. The interchange, expected to be finished by year's end, will open up access northward along the entire 192nd corridor. Camas Meadows is only a short distance east.
"Clark County is coming out here," Bowler said, adding: "We are just about all sold out in our lots on Westridge Place."
With 320 lots, that development at the southeast corner of Southeast First Street and 192nd Avenue has houses ranging from $300,000 to $900,000.
His proposed development at Camas Meadows would be on two parcels within the center. One project, called "Ambiance," would be on 13.78 acres between Camas Meadows Drive and the ninth fairway. That site potentially could contain 160 condominiums overlooking the undulating golf course, a 30,000-square-feet office building, an 8,000-square-foot restaurant and a 7,000-square-foot conference center, all with underground parking.
Planned northeast of that would be the primarily residential Two Creeks at Camas Meadows, on the west side of Heritage Trail. Bowler said Two Creeks could contain up to 160 attached town houses, tennis courts, a pool and Jacuzzi, barbecue stations, charging stations for golf carts, walking trails, RV storage and a center where residents of the complex could access professional office equipment, such as color printers.
Starting at $400,000
If all goes as planned, the developments featuring town houses and condos priced between $400,000 and $800,000 apiece could be finished as early as fall 2005. Bowler said that it would take about eight months to prepare drawings, during which the review process will be under way. Construction is expected to take about six months.
The development would come to an area formerly zoned for light industrial use. Although a number of uses were allowed, none were residential. Then just over a year ago, things started to change.
"The city had been in the process of upgrading its comprehensive plan, and the idea of having some mixed-use and multi-family zones came up as a way to accommodate the growth," recalled Camas Planning Manager Marty Snell.
That gave rise to allowing some areas within the 335-acre corporate center for housing and commercial use. Bowler and Thompson have options to purchase land for their proposed uses within the specified areas. Doing business as Long Drive LLC, they would purchase the 13.78-acre site from Tom and Betty Shipler. Doing business as Pacific Links LLC, they would purchase the roughly 20-acre site from Adolf Hertrich of Vanport Manufacturing of Boring, Ore. Tom Shipler and Hertrich worked together to develop Camas Meadows.
Bowler declined to specify the selling price of the land. But at build-out, Bowler said the value of the two projects could reach $175 million.
Snell was asked about any challenges to the plans.
"What I have seen is straight down the line of what we intended to set up," he said. "It is master planned, so it certainly meets the intent of what (city) council adopted."
Snell noted that the plans still have to hold up to the design-review process and conform with expected development agreements.
The concept is being praised by environmental attoreny John Karpinski, who's had a hand in drafting language to ensure that the city's growth-management goals were being met. Karpinski's support is in spite of the fact that it would mean using land for housing and commercial use that his environmental group, Clark County Natural Resources Council, originally wanted saved for industry.
More potential
But Karpinski said the land in question probably has more potential for its proposed use because it is interspersed with wetlands and is apart from core industrial areas.
"Right now, commercial jobs are jobs for this city," he said.
"Meanwhile, if we can get some jobs and houses in the same spot so people can walk to work, it seems like a good thing to try. We need to be more creative and efficient in how we use land because we are starting to run out of it."
Seven years ago, the natural resources group intervened in a lawsuit over the future of the Camas Meadows area. The environmental group wanted to protect the integrity of the industrial zoning. In a settlement, the city, the then-property owner and the group agreed to prohibit residential development for 15 years.
In retrospect, Karpinski said, "We are obviously modifying the order with those two parcels." In fact, he helped draft the enabling city ordinance.
Last Thursday, Bowler held preliminary discussions with Camas city staff to get a better understanding of how to meet expectations for the development.
Working with the couple on their projects are Olson Engineering of Vancouver; and R & H Construction general contractors, Fletcher Farr Ayotte architects and Mitchell Nelson Group landscape architects, all of Portland.
More marketing
Meanwhile, Camas Meadows developer Tom Shipler said he is launching full-scale efforts to market the remainder of the corporate center for light-industrial and office development.
Currently, CID Inc., a scientific research instrument manufacturer is the only business occupant. Retailer Craft Warehouse has bought 21 1/42 acres for corporate offices.
"We have been waiting for 192nd to be completed," he said. "Once that is completed, it is going to make this property a lot more accessible."
Shipler said that in addition to that project, Southeast First Street is being widened, which will further open access from the Vancouver area. He anticipates full build-out of the corporate center within five years.
Source: The Columbian (Vancouver, Wash.)
