Planning commission to issue recommendation on Dodson request Thursday

EPHRATA - Ephrata's planning commission will decide Thursday whether to approve an application for a new 318-acre housing development off Dodson Road.

If the request is approved, the Dodson Residential Community will be the newest development in Ephrata since Oct. 25.

Last month, the planning commission approved the development application for the 48-lot Railway Estates development, which will encompass nearly 13 acres of land. The Railway Estates development is expected to go before the Ephrata City Council on Nov. 21 for final approval, said Ron Sell, Ephrata's community development director.

But the planning

commission's decision on the Dodson request was tabled until Thursday's meeting because of the large size of the proposal, Sell said.

Between 575 to 750 new homes are planned for the Dodson development, which is being done by Bellevue-based Coyote Investments LLC.

"They wanted more time to consider their decision and what information they had before making a recommendation," Sell said of the planning commission.

The roughly three-bedroom Dodson Road homes may range between slightly under 2,000 square feet to 5,000 square feet, said Tom Wells, a partner with Coyote Investments.

The lots offered may be as small as 6,000 square feet to 7,000 square feet, and then increase to a third, a quarter or a half-acre of land, Wells said. A price for the homes isn't yet available, he said.

Coyote Investments picked Ephrata for a new development because of the favorable demographics, growing economy and interest in Grant County shown by metro Seattle residents, he said.

The Railway Estates development is across from Oasis Park. About 48 homes are expected to be built, and homebuyers can also choose between duplexes and triplexes, Sell said.

Developer Bruce Crawford, with the Marysville-based Bargals LLC, said his Railway Estates homes are expected to cost between $135,000 to $180,000. The land for the homes will likely range between 8,000 square feet to 9,000 square feet. Building is expected to start in April, he said.