As city officials consider what to do with its vacant 640-acre plot of land, staff is collecting proposals from applicants on how to develop the land. Applications are due for submission by April 8.
Todd Stancil, Yelm’s city administrator, said the City has completed its request for proposals (RFP) for the land. Advertisements for proposals and developers went out two weeks ago.
“We will have an RFP review committee meet within just a couple days of closing so we can review all the proposals we’ve received. The mayor will choose the committee to review that,” Stancil added. “What the committee will present, our recommendation to council, will be done by April 23. Contracts will be signed the first week of May, and then the timeline for recommendations to council from the group we select will be on, or before, Sept. 3, and would be the recommendations that come to council on actions forward on this 640 acres.”
Mayor Joe DePinto said Councilor Joshua Crossman, mayor pro tem, will serve on the committee. DePinto said he’d like to add another councilor to the committee, in addition to Crossman.
Stancil noted the City has advertised the potential development in the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, the City of Yelm’s website and the Nisqually Valley News. He added staff will also reach out to marketing groups within the area and send them the proposal.
“We’ll do everything we can to get the broadest advertisement for this project,” Stancil said.
Stancil said he’s already received several phone calls from residents concerned about what officials will do with the 640 acres, including worries about a lack of public involvement.
“The only thing I’ve said to these folks is I’ve kind of explained this process, that it will be a very transparent, open and public process before anything is ever decided what to do with it … We’re literally doing this to make sure what we do is the best thing for the City of Yelm,” Stancil said. “Every conversation that I’ve had has ended really well, and they feel really good with how we’re doing this.”
Councilor Terry Kaminski said she hopes that developers have some “good, creative ideas” and that they don’t just add a bunch of houses. She also asked the council members if they were familiar with the herd of elk that often crosses through the 640 acres of property.
“One thing I’ve found out from people that live around there, and maybe this is well known but I didn’t know, is there’s a huge trail or pack of elk that come through that property, somewhere near Manke Road and cross over the highway … It would be kind of cool to be part of a (nature) preserve or something,” she said.
Stancil views the 640 acres and future proposals as a tremendous opportunity for the City of Yelm to do something special with the land.
“Part of the RFP does cover the marketing of that property, which will be another very public piece that will come back to you when the selection is made for the marketing of the property … I think there’s tons of feedback, like the elk, or people that want more park space or ballfields,” Stancil said. “Another piece of this that will be very beneficial to us is working with the neighboring properties, one of which is the other 600-plus acres that we need to have access to our 640. This group would do all that. They would work with them to get the access.”
