...And This Is Only the Beginning
We’ve thoroughly enjoyed working out in Sumas this past month and our excitement to start on other projects is only growing as a result. Additionally, we spent time doing site prep at the Telegraph Townhomes and warehouse prep at Mateo Meadows in advance of the What Would You Build event. Another RV Care-A-Vanner Group visited us in April and spent a good portion of their time revitalizing the store with a fresh coat of paint. Continue below for more details about all we’ve been up to and all that’s to come.
Sumas
Our water remediation work in Sumas is nearing completion as a small crew of volunteers has been busy this past month tearing down interior walls. The home is now stripped of drywall and insulation and our next step is to remove all of the non-bearing walls, leaving us with a blank canvas that is still dried-in.
We are undecided as of yet what we will build here, but rest assured we will continue to use our climate resilient construction methods. By building 2 feet above the base flood elevation and to Passive Home Standards, we can be sure that the home we build will be comfortable, cozy, and safe even as the weather patterns of the Pacific Northwest intensify. Stay tuned as we explore how we can best utilize the property to provide affordable housing to this part of the county.
Mateo Meadows
We are still waiting on permits to officially break ground at our Mateo Meadows project site in Everson, but we are very excited to share our architect’s preliminary rendering of the project as seen from the street. In it, you can see the 7,000 sq/ft of commercial space with apartments above, as well as some of the homes that will be partly hidden from the view of passersby.
Below is another POV, including blueprints which show how we will use the 3.5 acre site. Zoom in to see how many bedrooms a given unit might have and where our play areas will be located.
We are so excited to see how this diverse community develops. Read more about the project here.
Telegraph Townhomes
In advance of the next phase of our Telegraph Townhome project, our construction crew spent some time limbing, felling, and milling a few trees which were in the way of the next building to go up. The milled lumber from these two trees – a Douglas fir and big leaf maple – will be used to construct planter box benches and sold as live-edge slabs in our store. In the near future, we will be repeating the process with a few more western red cedars which will be used to as fencing in the next phase of the project.
What's Next?
We are still awaiting permits for each of our Telegraph Townhome, Mateo Meadows, and Custer projects. Excitement is building as the weather in Whatcom County improves and we are looking forward to starting on them this summer. Stay tuned to find out when permits drop and where you can volunteer with us into the coming months.
