ROSLYN, WA — On Wednesday, February 10, a group of nine Roslyn residents kicked off the design and planning efforts for a 30-acre property purchased last November by Forterra, a Washington-based nonprofit. Virtual public meetings begin in March to gather input from the larger Roslyn community.
In 2017, the Roslyn Downtown Association reached out to Forterra about the opportunity to purchase a 30-acre property from Suncadia Resort. The property sits within Roslyn’s city limits and historic district, just southeast of the town center and adjacent to the Coal Mines Trail. Forterra purchased the #4 Mine property with the intention of exploring how to develop the site in a way that reflects Roslyn’s history and community values. While still early in the process, Forterra has already heard interest from the community in developing the site for attainable housing, park and wetland space, community parking and other uses. This week Forterra met with city council to provide updates on the purchase.
“Many developers come with a plan in mind, asking for feedback on designs that have already been made. We take a different approach,” said Michelle Connor, Forterra president and CEO. “We will start by listening to Roslyn residents, so we understand local needs at the outset. We will work with the community throughout the design process, so the land serves Roslyn.”
Forterra has formed a Planning Advisory Team (PAT) made up of nine Roslyn community members who will volunteer their time to advise and guide community engagement and planning for the #4 Mine property. The PAT includes: Bethany Spurrier, Corrine Craven, Doug Kilgore, Janine Brodine, Jeff Adams, Jeri Porter, Jim Nicholls, Nolan Weis and Stephen Melak. These community advocates bring skills, relationships, and viewpoints from their past work in Roslyn to the planning process with Forterra.
Forterra’s Roslyn team includes Tobias Levey the vice president of real estate transactions, Rebecca Bouchey the managing director of community development, Cheri Marusa the senior director of community development, Susan Melrose the senior project manager of community development, Beth Eitan the senior construction and development manager, and Daniel Osterhage the project manager of community development. Architects Ross Chapin and Laurence Qamar will partner in the community design process.
All meetings will be hosted virtually at this time. Beginning in March, Roslyn residents will have an opportunity to share community needs and help drive the design and planning process with the PAT and Forterra. Residents can learn more about this work, public meeting times, and sign-up for a quarterly e-newsletter at www.forterra.org/roslyn.
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ABOUT FORTERRA
Forterra is a Washington-based nonprofit that enhances, supports, and stewards the region’s most precious resources — its communities and its ecosystems. Forterra conserves and stewards land, develops innovative policies, and supports sustainable rural and urban development. In its 30-year history, Forterra has helped conserve more than 250,000 acres. Its work stretches from the farmlands and river canyons of Yakima to the estuaries and forests of Washington’s coastline, reaching more than 100 counties, cities, and towns. Visit www.forterra.org.
CONTACTS
Heidi Taffera
Managing Director of Media Relations and Storytelling, Forterra
htaffera@forterra.org
425-269-9981
Roslyn Downtown Association
