Washougal developer plans apartments

Goodbye, green space; hello, housing.

Washougal’s downtown soccer fields are slated to become the home of a dozen three-story apartment buildings and a parking lot with space for 241 vehicles.

Robert Angelo, a Washougal developer, has proposed building on the vacant lot at 2340 Main St. nearly 100 apartment units with a clubhouse and manager’s residence.

The development hasn’t been fully approved, however. For those who want to either preserve the soccer fields or make sure the project starts and soon, Monday is the deadline to comment on the proposal by emailing jessica.herceg@cityofwashougal.us or sending a note to City Hall at 1701 C St., Washougal, 98671.

The site is listed as owned by Main Street Village LLC and sits at the east end of a downtown that’s on the rise commercially.

About 30 percent of people who live in Washougal rent, according to U.S. Census data. That’s opposed to about 35 percent countywide and 25 percent in Camas. Nearly half of Vancouver residents rent.

The county’s low housing vacancy rate, coupled with its steady growth, means units could go fast and rent could be competitive.

The median rent in Washougal currently is $1,035.

The Main Street Village development would include two driveways onto Main Street. There is also a proposal to see A Street extended along the south side of the development.

It was not clear, over the holiday weekend, when the Washougal City Council would next take up the issue.