A developer is building 46 high-density homes near Puyallup. Here’s what we know

Construction has started on a housing development at 10798 128th St. in South Hill.

Core Design, Inc. was granted a plat permit in December 2023. Christina Rohila, a spokesperson for Pierce County, said via email that the plat divided a 4.6-acre site into 46 single-family residential lots and a recreational area measuring 71,202 square feet. The plat application lists the owner as Edwards Development Group, LLC and C.C. Edwards Construction, which is based in Sumner.

The News Tribune has not been able to reach a representative of the company for further information about the project, but someone who answered the phone at the business this week and helped The News Tribune leave a message for the project manager referred to it as a “townhome” project.

According to the permit, the area is classified as a High Density Single-Family zone, which requires a minimum density of 6 dwelling units and a maximum density of 18 dwelling units per acre. The South Hill plat has a density of 12.6 dwelling units per acre, Rohila wrote.

The lot was previously undeveloped, and had heavy foresting — this makes it difficult to preserve trees because new wind exposure and grading create falling hazards as parts of the forested site are cleared, she said in the email. However, Rohila wrote, the plat applicant is required to plant trees “extensively” throughout the development. Further, according to a tree retention plan by Core Design, multiple areas on the property will allow for “significant trees” to be retained.

During planning for the project, a representative from the Puyallup Tribe of Indians requested that a cultural resources survey be done, writing via email to Pierce County senior planner Tony Kantas that the proposed development was “in the immediate vicinity of multiple archaeological sites” and “considered a high probability area for encountering cultural resources.”

Kantas replied via email that the underlying permit applications were conditioned to include a cultural resource survey requiring approval by the Puyallup Tribe and the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historical Preservation. On Aug. 15, the survey was sent for review to the DAHP, Puyallup Tribe, Nisqually Tribe, Squaxin Indian Tribe, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, and a Pierce County cultural resource archaeologist. The permit was approved on Dec. 20 and the cultural resource survey was received by a Pierce County permit technician on Jan. 25.