NEIGHBORHOODS

First Projected Developments

Northeast

The Northeast Neighborhood includes the area of the relocation in Allotment 162. The neighborhood is generally split into two distinct areas by a 25-foot slope generally traversing the allotment approximately 700 feet north of the allotment’s southern boundary. The southern third of the neighborhood, perched above the slope, will house the new K-12 school and its associated athletic facilities. North of the slope, a residential neighborhood will provide the first opportunity for families to relocate from the tsunami zone. The residential portion of the neighborhood is under design.

There are two existing roads in the neighborhood that will be utilized as part of the new village. Kla Ook Wa Road, the road serving the Health Center was extended and paved in 2015 by the School District, provides initial vehicle access and utilities to the area. This road will eventually serve the school and connect to the road network of the Southeast Neighborhood, providing a second ingress/egress route to the neighborhood. Capoeman Ranch Road intersects Kla Ook Wa in the neighborhood and proceeds east to forest lands and the river. While, currently a one-lane gravel road, Capoeman Ranch Road will be improved to a two-lane paved road to the eastern boundary of the allotment. There is a large wetland to the southwest of the residential neighborhood. This wetland will serve as an open space amenity and will be associated with storm water treatment.

To the north, the neighborhood abuts the top of the bluff. A mature forest on the slope of the bluff will remain for erosion control and as a scenic amenity. The existing water main serving the Village is routed through the neighborhood. A north-south street has been aligned to include the water main within its right-of-way. The other streets are aligned in an east-west direction to maximize solar exposure.

The proposed Biomass Energy Facility was originally planned to be located across the street from the Health Center to provide hot water to the various civic buildings scattered throughout the upper village. This proposed site for this facility has been moved from the center of the community to the Northeast Neighborhood, as it would serve buildings in the new village and not existing buildings further west. Thus, proximity to those buildings is not of paramount importance.

Civic Corridor

The Civic Corridor lies along the proposed new entry road on Allotment 164 and to the north of Kla Ook Wa Drive including the existing Health Center and the lands adjacent to the east and west. The Corridor is bounded by the West Neighborhood to the west, the south boundary of Allotment 164, Kla Ook Wa Drive on the north and the proposed school on the east. The uses in the corridor will consist of commercial uses, such as the Mercantile and bank, the post office, public offices and the new Community Center. The Community Center will not only serve as a meeting space for community meetings, bazaars and funerals, but also serve as an emergency evacuation shelter. Extra storage has been provided in the building for cots and emergency food and bathrooms have been oversized to provide showers and extra facilities in case the building is used as a shelter.

The baseball field adjacent to the community building will serve as a helipad for the community. The field is convenient for moving supplies to the Community Center in case of emergency and easily accessible from the police station and Health Center.

The existing Health Center was designed for expansion at the time of its original design. All expansion of the Health Center should be able to be accommodated within the Health Center’s current site. Future facilities that might be associated with the Health Center could be placed on the site adjacent to the west. Interviews conducted with the Health Center staff indicated potential facilities might include an assisted living facility and a residential substance abuse home.

The Multi-use building will house the priority programs for Relocation (the Seniors Program, Day Care, Head Start and Early Head Start), as well as various complementary programs. This facility will be located immediately to the east of the Health Center at the heart of the community, the intersection of Kla Ook Wa Road and the new entry road.
Along with the West Neighborhood, the site will be graded to remove the steep area sloping to the north along the existing gravel Capoeman Road. This will allow streets and sidewalks to be graded at less than a 5% slope reducing speeds on the road and encouraging those of all abilities to walk through the Corridor.

West

The West Neighborhood is located on approximately the western half of Allotment 164A. The existing 25-foot slope will be regarded to allow for street construction at a 5% grade or less on the new entry road. The remainder of the slope will remain so as not to affect a wetland at the foot of the slope on the western edge of the Allotment. The west neighborhood will be largely residential. Capoeman Road will be extended and realigned to intersect the new entry road across from the community center linking the existing Snob Hill development with an important public facility. The sidewalk along Capoeman Road will be enhanced with landscape to provide a vegetated link between the existing recreational facilities in Snob Hill and the Community Center and school.

Single family homes will occupy the area south of the realigned Capoeman Road. Apartments are slated for the area north of Capoeman Road above the slope. The existing wetland will remain at the foot of the slope.  The area along the south side of Kla Ook Wa Drive is set aside for smaller housing units, both cottages and housing for the homeless and others transitioning back into the community from treatment.

The water main serving the community currently follows the existing gravel Capoeman Road. As Capoeman Road is to be realigned and a portion of the slope graded, the water main will also need to be realigned.

 

Southeast

The Southeast Neighborhood is roughly equivalent to the lands of Allotment 164. This neighborhood is generally flat and drains both to the north and south. The neighborhood will be predominantly residential with residential densities increasing as the distance from the school and civic corridor increase. There are also opportunities for a park and open space. Streets are generally laid out in an east-west direction to maximize passive solar opportunities. Walkways are spaced at no less than 500 feet to reduce walking distances and block lengths. The highest point in the Relocation Area is located along the eastern edge of the neighborhood. Property in the vicinity of the high point may need to be set aside for a water tower.

 

Northern Bluff

The bluff at the northern edge of the Relocation Area would remain as open space and subject to the new zoning designation of Village Open Space. Development would extend to the top of the bluff, but the only development activity allowed within the open space area is selective cutting of trees to establish a visual connection to the river and ocean. A trail is planned along the top of the bluff connecting the northeast neighborhood to the wider trail network, including the Lower Village.

Parks, Open Space and Trails

In order to encourage residents to walk more and to reduce driving within the village, a network of trails will connect open spaces and neighborhoods. Pathways will be built connecting the central park and school with new parks in the Relocation Area and to the existing facilities in the Snob Hill neighborhood. The trail system will connect to the existing trail from the Taholah School to the Administration Building, as well as the walking routes created by the Health and Wellness Division.

At a minimum, a pedestrian walkway shall be provided every 500 ft. along any street, connecting it to the next parallel street. Mid-block pathways shall occupy a corridor no less than 15 feet in width and the sidewalk itself shall be no less than 5 feet in width. Trails can be lit with solar lighting, such as that used on the Haxton Way project on the Lummi Reservation. The lights adjust brightness automatically upon sensing oncoming pedestrians and then reduce the brightness as after the pedestrian has passed. This will allow for lighting within the community even in the case of power outage and will cause the least amount of disturbance to neighboring properties and reduce light pollution. Parks and open space provide opportunities to incorporate art and culture into the village.

 

For more information or to give feedback and suggestions to the Project Team, please contact Kelsey Moldenke, Charles Warsinske or Sue Kalama by email or at (360) 276-8211, extensions 1038, 6821, or 6824, respectively. Artwork by Doug James.