Jacob Dimond / jake@yelmonline.com
The public will be given an opportunity to voice their opinions at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, April 15, on the proposed Viewmont Place — a 115-unit single-family residential lot on 19.2 acres.
Viewmont Place itself is located at 9410 Mountain View Road, Yelm. The applicant intends to use the planned residential development process, which encourages “imaginative design” and the creation of “open spaces superior to those generally found in conventional development.”
The hearing examiner will decide on the proposal within 10 working days after the conclusion of the hearing. Members of the community may give testimony at the hearing or through written comments that can be submitted prior to the hearing.
Written comments may be submitted to the City of Yelm at 901 Rhoton Road Southeast, Yelm, WA, 98597. They can also be sent via email to City of Yelm Associate Planner Andrew Kollar at andrewk@yelmwa.gov.
Documents related to the project are available and can be viewed by the public at the City of Yelm’s Public Services Building, located 901 Rhoton Road Southeast. If you or a person with a disability are in need of accommodations to conduct business or to participate in government processes or activities, you can contact Kathy Linnemeyer, Yelm city clerk, at 360-458-8816 at least five working days prior to the scheduled event.
According to Cody Colt, Yelm public services director, the public hearing will allow the local community to voice their opinions on the project, state any concerns or bring up any issues related to the potential subdivision.
“It’s a standard public hearing for a larger subdivision. It’s going to be just over 100 homes. It’s called Viewmont Place,” Colt said. “It’s over by the high school. There’s three empty fields by the high school. The back two fields are what the public hearing is about.”
Colt added that he encourages anyone in the community with an opinion on the subdivision to attend the public hearing and voice their thoughts. Typically, public hearing meetings and other City of Yelm gatherings are met with modest to medium attendance.
“Usually, it depends on the project. This project, I’d imagine we’d have a couple of people there. That’s the extent. You can also send comments on the project, support or opposition, ahead of time,” Colt said. “The hearings are also purely a basis of fact. If you have anything you know, factually, that would help or hurt this project, you should give those to Andrew (Kollar) ahead of time or go to that public hearing and testify.
“These are the times you can voice your opinion,” Colt continued. “I know people are always like ‘why does no one listen to us?’ These are the times you can voice it, get it on record on what you think or don’t think about the project. This is a good time to get your voice heard.”
