CATHCART — Cathcart Crossing, a development that will add 286 townhouses along Highway 9 south of Snohomish, cleared a final hurdle from the Snohomish County hearing examiner this week.
In August 2022, some neighbors appealed approval of the project, claiming they were not properly notified about the project — and citing concerns about encroaching development in what they described as “a rural, quiet community.”
Weeks later, Snohomish County Council voted 5-0 to dismiss their appeal.
In April 2023, the developer Pacific Ridge-DRH, LLC applied for approval of the subdivision. At a public hearing on Jan. 18, representatives from Pacific Ridge and county planning supported the project. No members of the public testified at the latest hearing, county documents stated.
The chunk of land was part of 600 acres the county bought in 1986 for a landfill, which closed in 1992 after reaching capacity. In 2005, the Snohomish School District bought 63 acres of the land, turning it into Glacier Peak High School and Little Cedars Elementary School.
Another portion of the land turned into 84-acre Willis D. Tucker Community Park.
Pacific Ridge-DRH purchased its parcel from in the county in 2020 for $8.5 million.
The site is about 28 acres and construction is underway, county documents stated. County planning and development has issued 10 commercial building permits for townhouses.
The site includes one stream — Garden Creek — and 10 separate areas considered wetlands. Property to the west and north is zoned for industrial use and contains a county maintenance facility. Property to the south, east and southwest is all zoned for residential use.
“The Hearing Examiner finds the proposed subdivision as conditioned will serve the public interest,” the decision stated.
The townhouses will be served by the Silver Lake Water and Sewer District.
A nearby park-and-ride lot with 154 spaces is also in the works.
Snohomish County is in the midst of a housing crunch, with the county planning for 143,000 more homes by 2044 to “accommodate pent up demand and … projected growth.”
Jordan Hansen: 425-339-3046; jordan.hansen@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @jordyhansen.
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