What You Want to Know About Growth in Grand Mound
My property was assessed a fee to
help build and purchase water rights for the Grand Mound
water and sewer systems in 2000. Is the county requiring new
developers to pay their fair share?
Yes,
developments outside the original payment-and-access
boundaries ("Utility Local Improvement District") must pay
additional fees to pay for their share of financing the
Grand Mound Water and Sewer System. (See
"Grand Mound Utility
Financing at a Glance".)
Did Thurston County plan for all this new development?
County,
business, community and Tribal leaders recognized the
potential of the area some years back and developed
land-use, transportation, utility and business plans to
stimulate economic development. Over the past few years, these
plans and infrastructure investments have attracted the
economic development envisioned by local leaders.
What improvements have, and will, occur?
- I-5 exit improvements: In 2007,
Thurston County, the Chehalis Tribe, and the Port of
Centralia successfully lobbied the Legislature to
reinstate $42 million to improve the I-5 exit to Grand
Mound (Exit 88). (The governor’s proposed 2007-2009
budget had deferred the project, forecasting that funds
would not be available until the 2019-2012 biennium.)
The north and southbound exits from I-5 onto Highway 12
have resulted in serious traffic accidents and
congestion. Work began in 2010.
-
Improvements to Old Highway 99: Through an
Intergovernmental Agreement, Thurston County and the
Chehalis Tribe made significant improvements to Old
Highway 99 in 2008-2009. The Tribe has completed road
improvements that include travel lanes, a center turn
lane, bike lanes, a sidewalk, street lights and
stormwater treatment.
As new development continues to move into Grand Mound
Thurston County will ask developers to make or pay for
their fair share of transportation improvements.
Eventually the Old Highway 99 corridor will be a five
lane road with four travel lanes, a center turn lane,
bike lanes and side walks.
-
Water and sewer lines: The Great Wolf Lodge/Chehalis
Tribe worked with Thurston County to extend water and
sewer lines well past the Tribe’s footage on Old Highway
99.
Thurston County’s water/sewer lines originally ended
north of the resort, at the intersection of 203rd Avenue
and Old Highway 99. The Tribe extended the lines down
along their own property and worked with Thurston County
to extend the lines even further down Highway 99 into
the southern area of the Ground Mound UGA. This allows
future businesses in the southern area to connect to the
water/sewer system without having to build, and pay for,
long extensions to the public lines. This additional
stretch of water/sewer lines, coupled with a new pump
station, have opened up the southern UGA area to growth.
Questions? Call
Mark Petrie at 754-2930 or route an e-mail message through
wwm-webmaster@co.thurston.wa.us
Last updated:
01/14/11 10:19 AM
