Miller said he expected the new ROD to also be appealed, and that there was “two or three years of federal litigation to go” before the casino could become a reality.
In the meantime, however, La Center isn’t just sitting idly by. Miller said they have done economic development studies, such as the La Center Junction Subarea Plan, which identifies the specific improvements necessary to serve 939 acres near the city’s I-5 junction. Miller said that the long-term goal is to develop 1,000 acres for large-lot industrial use, with an average of nine employees per acre. Targeted industries include material supply, electronics manufacturing, and logistics and distribution (excluding warehouses). Other desired uses include higher education and medical services.
Just a couple years ago, the city upgraded and expanded their waste water treatment plant. The upgraded facility has a current capacity of 1.5 million gallons per day (MGD), and is designed to be expanded to treat more than 6 MGD on less than an acre. Miller said about the same time as the plant upgrade, Clark Public Utilities purchased land for a new substation and water treatment facility.
Such infrastructure improvements lay the groundwork for additional housing, such as Sundstrom’s 100-lot Highland Terrace subdivision, located in the city limits near the intersection of NW Pacific Highway and Bolen Street. Although the project received preliminary approval in 2006, Sundstrom said he was “waiting for continued indications that the housing market will be there” before he moves forward.
“La Center is a great place to live,” said Sundstrom, “but development is in limbo – we need to see more demand.”
So, he said, he will “watch and evaluate,” and is hopeful about starting building homes next spring.
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