A substantial portion of the Matlock
Farms property may soon be developed. Applications have been filed
to obtain a development permit review for a one hundred fifty (150) plus
acre site into sixteen (16) single-family residential lots with an average
lot size of 9.7 acres, with the minimum lot size of 3.48 acres.
The property involved is between 96th
St. E and 106th St. E to the north and south and from the Puyallup River
west. Property along SR162 will not be developed at this time.
The McAlder elementary school will be nestled within or should we say
surrounded by the development.
The development will be accessed by a
developer- provided private roadway connecting 96th St. E. and 106th St. E.
It will be developed as a high-end gated community with large lots that
would be compatible with the AMCPB vision to maintain the rural character
of the Valley.
Land use classification will be
Agriculture (A) which also meets the desires of the community planning
board. Ideally, there is potential for fenced pastures for horse
owners or other agricultural applications. While not rich acres of
crop rows, it preserves the valley character much better than the track
developments that Pierce County neglectfully allowed in the same area of
this valley.
Questions do arise, however.
What prevents the owners of these lots from someday subdividing their lots
or requesting multi-family rezoning? The developer says that a
covenant will be established, but if land owners agree to changing the
covenant, would County planners neglectfully allow such a change?
These are questions that the
Alderton-McMillin Community Planning Board (AMCPB) must ask the County.
You, as citizens, can also ask these questions and some of your own
during the comment period. I suggest that you attend an upcoming
meeting of the AMCPB. Thirty minutes prior to the start of the
scheduled meeting, non-agenda items are discussed. The first few
minutes of the official meeting are set aside for public comments.
To conclude, the Matlocks have been
great stewards of the land for many years and we respectfully understand
why this decision is being made. The family has been unable to find
markets for their crops that could sustain their commercial farming.
Farming is no longer a sustaining career for new generations to follow and
farm land values reflect that reality. This proposal, with added
safeguards, may be the best of what is left for the family and the valley.
HOMEPAGE
MAP
