New park, apartments coming to Washougal waterfront

Developers working on Ninebark, a three-story, 242-unit residential complex to be built east of the Port of Camas-Washougal, hope to begin construction on the complex’s eight buildings in the fall of 2021 and open its first apartments in the fall of 2022.

The residential community will be located on a 9-acre parcel located along the Columbia River near Parker’s Landing, in between Camas’ and Washougal’s downtown centers.

“With Ninebark, we envision a sustainable, equitable and accessible waterfront community that offers an experience, with access to nature and amenities alike, that is unlike anything else in the market,” Michi Slick, Killian Pacific’s director of development, said in a news release. “We see Southwest Washington gaining in popularity due to job growth in the technology, healthcare and financial sectors, and the area offers high-quality schools and tax advantages over Oregon. With the first waterfront community in Camas-Washougal, we aim to attract people who are seeking an escape to nature and a smaller, welcoming community but do not want to sacrifice curated amenities such as local breweries, coffee shops and restaurants that are important for their lifestyle.”

Portland-based Holst Architecture is designing the community, which will feature 242 one-, two- and three-bedroom units across eight three-story apartment buildings; a variety of amenities, including a freestanding clubhouse, lounge, “gear shed” and fitness center; connections to parks, trails and eventually the Port’s adjacent waterfront development; and expansive views of the Columbia River and Mount Hood.

“The natural surroundings, adjacency to parks and connection to the existing trail system allow for a strong connection to the outdoors,” Kevin Valk, of Holst, said in the press release. “Unmatched amenities, strong sustainability goals, and a desire for lasting social impact make working on this project and collaborating with the development team at Killian Pacific a pleasure.”

Following the guidelines of its three “pillars,” Killian Pacific will use sustainable, locally sourced wood, target a sustainability certification while aiming for carbon neutrality, favor biophilic design, provide affordable housing units and incorporate local and regional art into the design.

“The Port of Camas-Washougal’s master plan will further enrich the area with a public marina, park, additional restaurants, retail and commercial spaces to make this area an even more desirable waterfront destination,” Slick said. “And with our emphasis on sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion, and art, we have the opportunity to create a place that achieves significant social impact for the area.”

Lance Killian has a deeply personal connection to his property development company’s latest project, which he said he hopes will become a “timeless” and “authentic” component of the revamped Washougal waterfront and positive community asset for decades to come.

“My mom and dad grew up in Camas and Washougal, and my family generally has always had roots in southwest Washington, and still does,” said Killian, the company’s owner and chief visionary officer. “Although we have developed in Camas and Washougal throughout the years, this is certainly a very special project, not only for the company but from a family perspective.”

Killian said that, considering single-family housing has spurred Camas-Washougal’s growth over the past several decades, Ninebark represents an opportunity to “provide a product that has been underrepresented in the market from a development and inventory perspective.”

According to the terms of an agreement reached between the two parties in 2018, Killian Pacific will design, construct and maintain the park, while the Port will own and operate it.

“Big picture, this park is a true public-private partnership,” Killian said. “We’re very excited to be able to present to the public a design and configuration for the park, which we believe provides an optimum community outcome, amplifies and celebrates the existing waterfront trail corridor investment that the Port has made, and adds to the overall experience,” Killian said during the Dec. 16 meeting.

The park will include a variety of interpretive and interactive elements, including a “discovery garden,” an art walk, a public lawn and connections to the neighboring waterfront trail and residential development. It will also feature a garden area that will highlight the area’s history of logging and river commerce.

“Although there was some concern that the park would not feel inviting to the users of the trail and would feel like part of the Ninebark development,” Miller said, “I think the design is well thought out in the different ways it meanders to and from the waterfront trail, is inviting, and has several different episodes or areas to create interest and draw users of the trail.”

Killian said that the park “should be differentiated from the existing park assets that the Port has developed and the trail system itself, but at the same time by symbiotic with those systems and be additive to the overall network.”