While some believe this is the marketing equivalent of turning a pig's ear into a silk purse, some innovative design work is being done. The next phase of River Trails will have clusters of seven detached condominiums arranged around a courtyard. Each cluster will have its own entrance and garages will not be visible from the street. While the units will be larger than what has been offered in previous phases, project manager Liz Soldano expects that the buyer profile will still consist of singles and childless couples. Construction has begun on the first division.
Grand Ridge has a dense residential plan.
A majority of the lots will be smaller than 5,000 square feet and multi-family densities will range from 12 to 40 units per acre. Port Blakely has designed a community concept that reflects traditional Seattle neighborhoods with narrow streets in a grid pattern, alleys and design standards that call for a variety of facades and roof-lines. Builders will be discouraged from constructing the usual suburban home with a three-car garage dominating the front of the house. The small lot size dictates that many of the single-family homes be duplexes. Of significant importance is the requirement that 30 percent of the housing at Grand Ridge must fall within King County's three-tier affordable housing guidelines.