Developers propose sports complex for Town Center
June 30, 2010
By Caleb Heeringa
New: June 30, 10:13 a.m.
Developers envision a large private sporting facility with a pool, basketball and racquetball courts just north of Sammamish City Hall, but will need the city to make some zoning exceptions for it to proceed.
As envisioned by Seattle-based Gramor Development and Caron Architecture, the Sammamish Sport Club would be close to 65,000 square feet on approximately 3.5 acres southwest of the corner of Southeast 4th Street and 228th Avenue Southeast. Though the exact details of the project are still being ironed out, a 9-lane swimming pool, sauna, aerobic studio and massage parlor are among the amenities mentioned in conceptual materials presented to the City Council at a June 15 meeting.
Radim Blazej, owner of Caron Architecture, said the facility could fulfill the community’s indoor swimming needs without a huge capital investment. He suggested it could be a joint venture between the city and the developers.
“You don’t need to raise a bunch of money or sit there scratching your head about how you can do it,” Blazej said. “Instead of punishing every citizen (through taxes), let the people who use it pay for it.”
It remains to be seen whether the developer’s vision is in line with that of the city. Councilmembers have supported a facility open to and affordable for all citizens.
The council is awaiting the results of a phone survey to determine exactly what sort of facility the community wants.
Councilwoman Michele Petitti said the council and city staff have reached out to the developers for more details but have yet to hear back. She questioned the size and location of the proposed club and whether it would add too much traffic to 228th Avenue.
Petitti, interviewed after touring a new community center in Vancouver, Wash. with fellow Councilman Tom Odell, said she’s still more interested in partnering with a non-profit like the YMCA, but that does not preclude the private facility from proceeding. She pointed to a deal the city of Snoqualmie recently struck with the YMCA for a community center on Snoqualmie Ridge as an example of what she envisions. Under that agreement, the agency will build the facility and sell it to the city, who will then lease it back to the YMCA to run the facility.
“We’re going ahead with our process of examining how we can do this,” she said.
As proposed, the facility would need some significant exemptions from or changes to the Town Center Development Regulations, which the City Council is scheduled to vote on in July. As a profit-making entity, it would be classified as commercial development. And with 600,000 square feet being the total commercial space allowed in Town Center, the club would take up a little more than 10 percent of that.
So Blazej said the development group would be asking the council to consider the project as a “recreational” use that doesn’t suck up the available commercial space.
“A racquetball court takes up a lot of square footage, but I don’t think that that’s what (the council) has in mind when they think of commercial development,” he said.
As the development regulations are written, a sports club could be permitted on the land, but the facility would go through an extra level of administrative scrutiny of its allowances for open space and parking and would require public notice.
Reporter Caleb Heeringa can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or cheeringa@isspress.com.
Other Stories of Interest: Town Center
Comments
3 Responses to “Developers propose sports complex for Town Center”
Got something to say?
Before you comment, please note:
- These comments are moderated.
- Comments should be relevant to the topic at hand and contribute to its discussion.
- Personal attacks and/or excessive profanity will not be tolerated and such comments will not be approved.
- This is not your personal chat room or forum, so please stay on topic.
Concerning the sports complex, here are some key issues.
The proposed location has no infrastructure. Who will build out SE 4th, level the hill, and buy up the land for right of way? Who will pay for sewers and water mains?
The proposed site is land repossessed by a bank. The previous owner tried to sell his property for years but since the Town Center Plan creates more obstacles to development than incentives, no one was interested in buying the property. As a residential property, it was no longer of value.
All of the residential properties in the town center have lost their value as homes.
City Council members talk about a community center/pool facility but never address the issues of location, infrastructure, financing and all the other demands the Town Center plan places on development.
Developers are interested in Sammamish when and if ever our city council decides to be realistic.
By the way, the SE Quadrant http://www.sammamishtowncenter.com offered the city land for a community center as part of development in the SE quadrant. City Council members showed no concern. The land has great potential. It is within walking distance of the three high schools. It has three access routes therefor great traffic circulation. Unfortunately, the city council really doesn’t want a town center and thinks someone is going to build them a 30 million dollar community center and present it as a gift.
I think this is a fabulous idea. The best so far. Our city needs someplace like this where kids can do something on those rainy, gloomy days (which is most year) we already have too many outdoor parks and there is only so much improvement one can do on lake sammamish parkway.
Would be nice if we could get more commerical properties in Sammamish as well. Dribing to Redmond and Issaquah for dinner seems to be the norm for most residents.