Press ReleaseCity of Yelm
Press Release
105 Yelm Avenue West 360.458.3835
P.O. Box 479 360.458.3144 FAX
Yelm, WA 98597 www.ci.yelm.wa.us
For Immediate Release
April 18, 2006
For further information contact:
Grant Beck, Community Development Director
(360) 458-3835
cdd@ci.yelm.wa.us
City of Yelm begins review of the Thurston Highlands Master Planned Community
The City of Yelm has received a Conceptual Master Site Plan application for a 1,251-acre mixed-use development known as Thurston Highlands, located southwest of Yelm’s central business
district.
The conceptual plan for the Thurston Highlands Master Planned Community includes single-family residential, multi-family residential, and commercial development; public services; and
open space and recreational facilities. The proposed development scenario includes approximately 5,000 residential units in a mixed range of densities.
The City’s review and consideration of the development proposal is expected to occur over a period of approximately 18 months. Phased development of the site would be expected to occur
over a 20 to 30-year period thereafter.
The City’s Community Development Department has determined that the proposed Master Planned Community will require the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The first
step in preparing an EIS is determining what potential impacts require further study, known as the scope of the EIS. The Community Development Department has issued a draft scope and
is currently soliciting pubic input on what should be covered in the Impact Statement. The City of Yelm is committed to a transparent public review process and will continue to be innovative
in getting quality information to the public and soliciting public comment.
Towards this end, public open houses to present information about the project and solicit comments on the draft scope will be held on April 25 and May 18, 2006, both at the Yelm Middle
School located at 402 Yelm Avenue West, and
running from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. In addition, written comments can be submitted any time during the 35-day EIS Scoping period, which ends at 4:00 PM on Friday, May 26, 2006.
After the scope is finalized, preparation of the Environmental Impact Statement will begin under the supervision of the Department of Community Development. A draft impact statement
may be expected to be released during Spring of 2007, which will begin a second round of public participation.
The application and all related documents are available for public review during normal business hours at the City of Yelm, 105 Yelm Avenue West, Yelm, WA 98597, or may be viewed at
the City of Yelm’s website at www.ci.yelm.wa.us. Anyone who wishes to follow the project may request to be placed on an electronic (email) mailing list to receive all project notifications
and updates.
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