We’re putting a tremendous amount of thought into planning and designing the future of our community. We consider the integrity of our natural surroundings and the entire region as a whole. Our community truly is development done right through a thoughtful balance of diverse housing, open natural space and commercial/industrial property.
Over the next 10 years, Tehaleh will grow to become a 4,700-acre mixed-use planned community within Pierce County’s Urban Growth Area. When complete, Tehaleh will feature more than 1,800 acres of parks, trails, and open space, up to 9,700 homes, and 475 acres dedicated to employment uses.
The planning of the Tehaleh community goes beyond our property lines. Tehaleh is required by its Development Agreement with Pierce County to mitigate impacts as it grows over the next 20 years. To mitigate traffic impacts for Phase I, Tehaleh has built or funded $26.1 million in road improvements to SR 410 intersections and the expansion of 198th Street. This equates to about $10,000 a home for road improvements, well above the City of Sumner traffic impact fee of $2,703 per home or the City of Orting’s fee of $2,149 per home. In Tehaleh’s Phase 2, the per-home mitigation cost will likely double, funding up to $150 million in road improvements including the construction of a new County road, New Rhodes Lake Road East, and improvements to SR 162 and nearby roads.
Tehaleh also pays mitigation fees to support local schools ($3,485 per home) and county parks ($2,552 per home). It pays a voluntary fee of $350 per home to support East Pierce Fire & Rescue services. Tehaleh has completed a $24 million state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant which will be turned over to Pierce County in 2019.
For more than four decades, Newland, the developer of Tehaleh, has been planning and creating great mixed-use communities from coast to coast that continue to thrive and grow. From concept and construction to opening and beyond, Newland strives to preserve the surrounding terrain and wetlands of its communities, while pioneering even greener ways to design and build.
Newland is pursuing a 20-year vision for Tehaleh that sustains values important to our residents as distinguished by four pillars:
Conservancy
Tehaleh commits to preserving 40 percent of its land as dedicated open space, parks, and trails.
Wellness
Tehaleh strives to support wellness through convenient access to health care and through parks and trails that promote an active lifestyle.
Education
Tehaleh supports lifetime learning opportunities that challenge both the mind and body of the young and young at heart.
Farm-to-Table
Tehaleh encourages the availability of locally produced products for the community’s restaurants, homes, and gatherings.
Tehaleh’s Phase 2 carries the community’s high standards of planning forward for the next generation. Key factors considered in the plans for Tehaleh include its:
Urban Growth Area Location. The community is located in the Pierce County Urban Growth Area, which requires a minimum density of 4.0 dwelling units per acre (DUA). Tehaleh’s proposed density will be approximately 4.8 DUA when the community is complete.
Open Space Commitment.The community will retain 40 percent of its land as open space, trails and parks to balance its mix of residential neighborhoods and employment areas.
Employment Opportunities. Tehaleh is a place to work as well as live. Through the County’s Development Agreement, Tehaleh has 475 acres of land dedicated to commercial, light industrial and civic ventures. Today Tehaleh generates around 250 to 300 construction jobs annually and currently supports more than 35 in-home and on-site businesses.
Mixed Residential Offerings. Tehaleh will continue to offer a mix of home types, from entry level to luxury housing. It is expected that approximately 23 percent of residences will be in age qualified 55+ neighborhoods and 11 percent will be multifamily homes.
Infrastructure Commitment. The infrastructure of Tehaleh, including parks, schools, roads, and utility services, grows with the community. Mitigating the impact to infrastructure outside of Tehaleh is required by the Development Agreement with Pierce County. More information on Phase 2 plans and opportunities for public comment can be found on the Pierce County planning and land services department website.
As Tehaleh grows, so will the infrastructure to support it. Newland is currently working on or anticipates participating in a number of significant infrastructure improvements in or near Tehaleh.
Schools
Tehaleh is split between the Sumner-Bonney Lake and Orting School Districts. All of the homes built so far, and the two existing elementary schools, are located in the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District. When complete, approximately 50 percent of the residential development will be located in each district and potentially each district could have 2 elementary schools and one middle school within the community. Tehaleh pays school impact fees of $3,485 per new home.
Parks and Trails
Recreational opportunities will continue to be added to Tehaleh’s current 11 parks and more than 20 miles of trails as new neighborhoods grow. In addition, Tehaleh supports Pierce County Parks with an impact fee of $2,552 per home. This fee was increased significantly in 2017— an increase supported by Newland because good parks make good neighborhoods!
Utilities
Utilities at Tehaleh are provided through Pierce County and other utility companies. Tehaleh completed a $24 million state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant that will be dedicated to Pierce County.
Fire
Fire protection is provided by East Pierce Fire & Rescue. Tehaleh pays a voluntary $350 per-home fee to the fire department.
Roads
The final phase of major improvements to 198th Avenue leading to the entrance of Tehaleh is underway and SR 410 intersection improvements are complete as required by the County’s Development Agreement. For Phase 2, Tehaleh will be funding and managing construction of a new Pierce County road, New Rhodes Lake Road East. The new County road will provide an east-west traffic corridor connecting the Bonney Lake plateau to SR 162 and providing fire and life safety benefits to valley residents. Tehaleh will also fund road improvements to SR 162 as part of a mitigation agreement with the Washington State Department of Transportation.