Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
Backhoes began clearing Western States Land Reliance Trust land off Clark Mill Road Jan. 18 in preparation for a new subdivision that was approved two weeks by the city Planning Commission.
The first phase of the 432-lot subdivision includes 49 lots just off Clark Mill Road, said WSLRT Managing Trustee Dan Desler. He said he hopes to have work under way this summer and lots for sale as early as July.
“We’ve got people standing in line to buy these lots,” Desler said. Most of them are from out of state, including Washington and California. The lots also are drawing interest from Lake Oswego and Portland.
Workers started clearing land, including brush and the remains of an old home, to make way for surveyors to delineate lots and streets in the subdivision.
As soon as the first phase is complete, Desler plans to go to work on the second phase, some 146 new lots.
According to this month’s Planning Commission decision permitting four phases in three years for the subdivision, WSLRT will begin making improvements to Clark Mill Road during the second phase. The subdivision, part of a master plan that includes more than 1,500 lots and commercial development, will cost approximately $12 million, Desler said.
It straddles the old Morse Brothers and Willamette Industries’ Sweet Home Mill properties. It is bounded to the east by Clark Mill Road properties. Emergency access will cross old Sweet Home Mill land from Tamarack Street, off 18th Avenue.
“This is six years of hard work finally coming to fruition,” said an enthusiastic Desler, giving a thumbs-up sign. “This is what we’ve been working for right here.”
Work on other parts of the western half of the master plan, which is under WSLRT management and called Santiam Commons, continues, Desler said.
The Sweet Home Economic Development Group is working on a grant to complete a feasibility study on an amphitheater proposed as a potential part of this project. The amphitheater is a three-way effort among the city of Sweet Home, SHEDG and the nonprofit WSLRT.
The eastern half of the master plan is owned and being planned by Troy Cummins.