Over the last few years, Vicki Fitzsimmons has watched the changes that have occurred at the empty lot at the intersection at Northeast 117th Street and Highway 99.
Fitzsimmons, who lives nearby and serves as president of Sherwood Hills Neighborhood Association and other community groups, said it was first an open lot covered with trees and shrubs. Then the owner cleared the lot, leaving a big pile of trees that she said some neighbors worried would catch fire during a particularly dry summer. She said the trees were later cleared and the lot graded. Now, it holds a big pool of water.
The slow pace of development on the lot has prompted some readers, like Jo Turpin, to wonder exactly what is going on with the property at the busy intersection. They’ve submitted those questions to our Clark Asks feature, where readers ask questions for reporters to dig into and answer.
According to the Clark County assessor’s website, the 5-acre property was purchased in 2012 by General Commercial LLC, a company owned by local attorney Milton O. Brown.
A 2017 report from Clark County Community Development states that a company called Sterling Design Inc. submitted preliminary documents for an ambitious development on the property. The documents mention a 30,000-square-foot retail and commercial development that would include 1,000-square-feet for a coffee shop with a drive-through, 3,000 square feet for a bank (also with a drive-through) and a 10,000-square-foot restaurant.
But Joel Sterling, the owner of Sterling Design, said that these are “just concepts” at the moment, and the owner of the property hasn’t given him a precise direction. Sterling said it might not be until the fall that his company submits a formal land-use application to the county for approval.
“Nothing is concrete right now,” Sterling said.
He said the project could include a restaurant on the southern end of the property next to Northeast Parkview Drive. He said the property has some elevation, and a future restaurant could include some rooftop amenities.
The county owns a 2-acre parcel northeast of the property. Sterling said he might approach the county with a land-swap proposal that would align the development’s driveway with that of Chuck’s Produce, which is north across Northeast 117th Street. Sterling said that doing so would improve access and safety.
He said the land was graded in 2015 and 2016. Currently, there is a pond on the property, which he said is there by design.
“It’s a man-made feature and it’s for erosion control,” he said.
He said that sediment from runoff settles in the pool that’s kept at a constant elevation with a riser pipe. He said the pool keeps sediment from flowing out into Salmon Creek.
Ali Safayi, development engineering supervisor with Clark County Public Works, said that there are nearby springs that run onto the property. He said that the problem has been worked out for now, but he expects it to be an issue as development continues.
“They cannot have a development that keeps receiving runoff from upstream,” he said.
Sterling said that project has been marked by starts and stops driven by the economy. He said the property sold to its current owner for a good price. However, he said that the expense of the site work and grading has slowed progress.
“That’s going to be a prime corner in years to come,” said Sterling, who is optimistic about the project.
Fitzsimmons, who also serves as co-vice president of the Hazel Dell Salmon Creek Business Association and a member of business group Team 99, said that she likes the ducks the pond attracts but knows it won’t last.
“I know it’s going to be developed,” she said.
She said that the neighbors have concerns about the new traffic the development will draw. She said that other neighbors have complained that removing the trees on the lot took away a windbreak for their houses. She also said they’ve been concerned about erosion.
But she said that the nearby stretch has been neglected and is glad to see more focus on it.
“One of my main concerns is to see the area developed in a pleasant manner,” she said.
