Ephrata could grow by 3,000

Two housing developments submitted to city

EPHRATA - The Ephrata Planning Commission's recent approval of two housing developments brings the city's total number of projects to six for 2007, which is double from last year.

The newest Dodson Residential Community and Railway Estates developments will likely go before the Ephrata City Council on Nov. 21 for final approval, said Ron Sell, Ephrata's community development director.

With the additions of the Dodson and Railway Estates projects, the town of about 7,000 people has the potential of growing by 3,000 to 4,000 people if all of the city's developments approved this year emerge as planned, he said.

"The potential is amazing," he said.

Sell cautioned that what ends up happening might not be quite as amazing.

The last time the city received requests for multiple plats was in the mid-1990s, he said.

Between 575 to 750 new homes are planned for the 318-acre Dodson development off Dodson Road, which is the largest project presented to the city this year.

There will be about 48 homes built on the 13-acre Railway Estates project, which is across from Oasis Park.

The other housing developments approved in Ephrata this year are:

• The 20-acre Canfield Plat/Ridge Estates development, which should include 29 single-family homes in the Grandview Heights area of town.

• Olsen Homes/Highland Estates development near the Port of Ephrata, 97 homes on 19 acres.

• The Prairie Bluff subdivision, about 233 homes on 66 acres, at the north end of Ephrata Heights.

• Sunwest Park in south Ephrata, about 20 homes on five acres.

Parkside Estates is a 25-acre proposed development between Second and Third Avenues, which will include about 93 homes. Parkside Estates is expected to receive some type of approval recommendation in January from the planning commission, Sell said.