Q. What will the roads be like? When will they be completed?A. Road construction began last fall with the widening of the main roadway for Redstone Canyon. This road will be completed by fall 2009 following installation of the utilities. The public roadway leading to Sun Mesa Preserve will also be improved later this summer. Road construction in Entiaqua (phase 2) will begin next summer, 2010. All roadways within The Preserve will initially be gravel roads, but as the project grows and new homes are constructed, the main roadways will be paved (chip seal). Private lanes (roads serving just 1 or 2 homes) will remain gravel.
Q. When will the clubhouse and pool be built? When will the other amenities be completed?A. The view point park (located north of Homesite #3) will be constructed next summer. The clubhouse facility will be designed during 2009 with construction planned beginning the spring of 2011 and completion in spring 2012. Portions of the trail system are already completed; additional sections of the trail system will be built each year with each new phase of construction. The equestrian/mountain bike center will be constructed in 2010 or 2011 depending upon the interest of owners.
Q. What activities can residents enjoy nearby?A. There are unlimited outdoor activities in Central Washington to satisfy your recreational interests. Some of the activities include golfing, boating, water-skiing, horseback riding, hiking, fly fishing, kayaking, rock climbing, snow skiing, snow shoeing and biking. In addition there are many local events and festivals to enjoy throughout the year.
Q. What kind of homes will be built in The Preserve? Are there architectural controls? A. The CC&Rs allow a large amount of flexibility in choosing your home style, although the emphasis is on homes which blend with the landscape, rather than impose. Designs such as craftsman, timberframe, lodge-style or rustic ranch are encouraged with use of materials such as timbers, rock, (limited) stucco, vertical wood siding and rusted-metal roofs. Owners are encouraged to use sustainable design and Builtgreen concepts. For the protection of all homeowners within the Preserve, each new home must be approved by the Architectural Committee before construction begins.
Q. How large will the homes be? When do I have to build? What is the estimated value of the homes being built in the Preserve?A. There is no requirement to build within a certain time period after purchase of the homesite, however, once home construction begins, completion is required within one-year. An extension may be granted if warranted. While owners may build homes as small as 1750 sq ft and as large as 6000 sq ft, current market trends are toward somewhat smaller homes. It is anticipated that many homes in Sun Mesa Preserve will be 2-bedroom + den homes in the range of 2200 to 2600 sq ft. Construction costs for these homes are estimated in the range of $275,000 to $475,000 excluding the purchase of the homesite.
Q. What about power and phone utilities?A. All homesites will have power, phone lines and fiber optic cable available at the road. It will be up to each owner to extend these utility lines from the road to their building site. Power and phone lines are in the final stages of design review by the PUD. Construction of the utility line extension for Redstone Canyon will begin this summer and be complete by late-summer.
Q. How will each homesite handle waste water treatment?A. Each home will need to construct its own septic system and drainfield. The firm of Water Quality Engineering, Inc is currently reviewing drainfield locations on each parcel. Given the large size of each parcel it is believed that all sites will have a good location for standard-design drainfields.
Q. What kind of water supply will be available?A. The water supply will be by well water. Some homesites will have shared well systems with 2, 3 or 4-users per well. There is a "tap-in" fee of $15,000 to access the water system. Owners have the option of installing an individual well.
Q. How will I get my mail? How will my garbage be picked up?
A. Sun Mesa Preserve will install mail boxes near the entrance for each residence. Waste Management, Inc is the service provider for garbage collection in the area.
Q. What medical, fire and security services serve Sun Mesa Preserve?A. A highly rated hospital in Wenatchee provides comprehensive medical care. Fire service is provided from nearby Entiat, Fire District 8.
Q. What is the weather like? How much snow and wind does the Preserve get?A. Central Washington is well known for receiving 300+ days of sunshine each year. The semi-arid climate means summer days in the 80's and 90's. Due to the increase in elevation, temperatures at the Preserve can be as much as 3 to 7 degrees cooler than the valley floor. Snow on the Mesa top in an average winter can be two feet deep; maximum depth observed in past 25 years was five feet deep. The Columbia River Valley is known for areas that can become quite windy; however, much of the Preserve is protected from these stronger winds. The "rim" of the Mesa top receives the most wind, however, there are no homesites located there.