Emergency vehicles might also be delayed in reaching residents in one section of the subdivision, local fire and safety officials say. A group of about 10 residents filed an appeal with Thurston County last year expressing concern over traffic hazards, wetland effects and possible drainage problems. The county hearing examiner last December ruled that the project could go forward as long as certain conditions were met, such as improving the corner of Littlerock Road and 113th Avenue, northeast of the development. Hilden said he thinks that most of the problems with the neighbors have been resolved. Recently, residents near Nisqually bluff filed an appeal to prevent a proposed 52-home subdivision from discharging stormwater near a slope, arguing that the area is prone to landslides.
People are a lot more sensitive about what's going on in their neighborhood.
Residents who live near the Littlerock development, say they don't oppose having a large cluster of houses in their rural neighborhood, nor do they chafe at having an eventual 350 new neighbors living beside them. The group plans no further action against the development, he said. Artus said the neighbors' beef is mainly with the county, not the developers. The county, he said, should've put up the funds for improving roads, rather than making the developers pay for the upgrades. Traffic around the subdivision, in turn, would have been better relieved, he said.