Sept. 22, 2017
The Auburn City Council approved on Tuesday the proposal for adding about
230 acres into the Auburn City Limits between Farmville Road and North
Donahue Drive and making it a low-density residential area.
The Auburn Planning Commission previously decided against this plan for
construction. At the city council meeting, Brett Basquin, the chief engineer of
the project, swayed the council into approval when he spoke about what his
firm planned to do with the land.
Although the main use of the land would be for housing, his plan shows that
about 85 acres will be used as “open space,” which means that 37% of the
space will be used for trails and greenery and not as property for the houses.
If the council had turned down this proposal, then the greenway and bike
trails would never be developed. It’s not in the city, so the proposal would
need to be passed in order for the City of Auburn to capitalize on this use of
the land.
“It’s not often that we hear of a development that’s against clear cutting,”
said councilwoman Lynda Tremaine.
The trails should be similar to those in Chewacla State Park, which is about a
20-minute drive away from where the new development will be. The same
certified trail builders who made Chewacla a destination for mountain bikers
is included in this proposal to build about 3-5 miles of biking trails.
“Originally [this] trail system was going to be for the benefit of the
development,” Basquin told the audience. Instead, they changed their plan
to benefit Auburn as a whole.
“We felt like Northwest Auburn is deficient in recreational facilities,” Basquin
said. He told the council that what was originally supposed to benefit the
private residents will instead be a public use of the land.
The plan also caters to those who wish to live in the neighborhood, allocating
space for a swimming pool and a clubhouse. Future residents will be able to
choose from about 445 single-family houses and 72 townhomes.
The council decided that the benefits from this project will benefit the whole
area, not just the neighborhood. Some of these benefits include a sidewalk
on North Donahue Drive and adding a third lane to the road. Each
councilperson voted yes to this proposal.
Although many people in Auburn will be waiting in anticipation, this project
will be gradual. The first phase of the project will start in January of 2018, but
the last phase does not plan on being completed until the end of 2028.
TWEET: Bikers who enjoy riding in Chewacla will enjoy the new trails that will
be built over the next decade in NW Auburn.
TWEET: New development in NW Auburn won't cut down all the trees—
instead, a new greenway and bike trails can be expected in the next 10 years