Set amidst orchards and vineyards, and nestled atop bluffs overlooking the Columbia River, Spanish Castle Resort is a proposed community designed with outdoor enthusiasts and their families in mind. SCJ Alliance participated in the master planning process for the development of the 900-acre recreational and residential community.
The resort is envisioned to ultimately include 1,200 homes, condos and townhouses, with most anticipated to be a second-home or vacation dwelling.
A 100-room hotel, mixed-use commercial core with outfitters, and recreational amenities will round out the community. These may include golf, a spa, an equestrian center, sports park or other outdoor facilities.
SCJ Alliance was asked to develop an update to the master planned resort (MPR) to create development standards and design criteria that incorporate LID principles and encourage private development.
SCJ staff prepared new sections on transportation infrastructure, landscaping and open space alternatives among others. The amended MPR was approved in early 2015, and design for the first homes, commercial space and street improvements is currently underway.
Because this is a Master Planned Resort, many engineering challenges need to be met before even the first home is constructed. SCJ Alliance has been coordinating with Torrence Engineering to design a new entry road and layout out streets for the north half of the site.
Ryan Harmon, SCJ’s design engineer on the project, notes, “The size of the project made the design of the stormwater systems a challenge in terms of connectivity and maintaining the natural drainage systems that have been established for decades or more.”
SCJ Principal Eric Johnston explained the project is a particularly rewarding because it has involved so many of SCJ’s talented staff, “From permitting to site planning to roadway engineering, this project has it all.”
