After three years of legal wrangling and design revisions, construction begins this month on the site of the former Coos Head pulp mill in preparation for the secluded 185 high-end home development Bay Point Estates.
COOS BAY — After three years of legal wrangling and design revisions, construction begins this month on the site of the former Coos Head pulp mill in preparation for the secluded 185 high-end home development Bay Point Estates.
Restoration of the 700-foot deep-water dock that was part of the mill should begin in October 2007, which will make it possible for cruise ships to begin arriving by late 2008 or 2009. The development will also include a 99-slip boat marina, restaurants and commercial space for businesses offering kayak rentals and
parasail rides.
Developer Robin Stevenot says infrastructure improvements on 42 waterfront acres will start this month, with construction of the homes planned for next year. Stevenot says the homes have not yet been priced. “We’ve got to factor in new FEMA regulations for building on the water and we’re not buying our materials until February,” she says.
The development was delayed by concerns that Stevenot’s initial plans did not meet the Coos Bay Estuary Management Plan’s requirements for green space and water-dependent uses. After three years of revisions, says Sylvia Shaw, executive director of the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition, the plans now satisfy regulations.
— Robert H. Hamrick
