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The Ranch
at Riverbend
Snapshot:
13 single-family lots across 40 acres, including 0.7 miles of riverfront with meander line defining parcel boundaries for 7 lots.
Reserved 200 linear feet of river frontage as shared common area with access for 11 parcels.
Owner: recently retired Planning Director for the City of Seattle—highly sophisticated with elevated professional standards.
Project required precision in land use, entitlement strategy, and aesthetic cohesion.
General Contrtactor:
Installed all mainline utilities and constructed internal roadways to support phased development.
Built two spec homes and restored the original 1928 farmhouse, adding a new barn for guest lodging and social events.
Developed a long-term professional relationship with the owner, leading to four additional subdivisions and acting as owner’s representative on subsequent projects.
Owner Rep:
This site sat within a highly sensitive environmental corridor—wetlands, salmon-bearing streams, migratory bird habitat, and riparian buffers. Coordination with regulatory agencies was constant and complex. If it wasn’t law enforcement and had 3–4 consonants and no vowels in its acronym, it probably had jurisdiction or overlay.
Acted as the owner’s rep across multiple phases, managing:
Agency coordination with federal, state, and local entities (including fish and wildlife, water resources, and shoreline protection).
Permit sequencing and mitigation strategies to preserve ecological integrity while advancing development goals.
Communication protocols between technical consultants, legal teams, and jurisdictional authorities.
The role demanded diplomacy, precision, and a working fluency in regulatory nuance—balancing environmental stewardship with project momentum.
Take Away
Sophistication in planning, estimating, value engineering, and construction techniques quietly amplifies both tangible and intangible returns.
Always say “yes, please” when invited to review and adapt implementation protocols from peers with deeper expertise—it’s a rare chance to elevate your own practice.
