Environment

Port Blakely Communities pioneered sustainable development practices at Issaquah Highlands that prove smart growth can be achieved without sacrificing profitability. From storm water practices that preserve salmon-bearing tributaries to recycling on-site materials, Port Blakely was among the first to challenge conventional suburban development practices in the Pacific Northwest.

The high-density community promotes innovation and sustainable land use by clustering development into a limited area. All development is concentrated in only 780 acres of the total 2,200 acres, with 1,450 acres of permanently dedicated to open space.

To promote sustainability in the Pacific Northwest, Port Blakely engineers pioneered innovative development practices during site preparation and construction at Issaquah Highlands. Site and landscape materials are conserved, reduced, reused and recycled to reduce job site waste and land fill deposits. For example, during site preparation, more than 2 million yards of top soil was moved from construction sites to local parks; crushed rock from on-site sources was used in utility trenches; and local boulders were moved to nearby parks or were crushed for road culverts and utility pipe bedding.

At Issaquah Highlands, Port Blakely also established new water conservation practices specifically tailored to the region. Port Blakely created a water-wise landscape palette that utilizes indigenous plant material, promotes ground water recharge and is drought tolerant. These strict landscape standards promote bio-filtration and aquifer recharge.

Port Blakely also developed a surface water management program to ensure that the quality and quantity of runoff, plant material absorption and ground water recharge are as near their natural state as feasible. Water is also conserved through a computerized weather monitoring system for landscape irrigation. For example, irrigation water use at Issaquah Highlands is approximately 26% of the rate at which most community landscapes were using water in 2004.

Over the course of its 12 year development, Issaquah Highlands has served as an example of sustainable development for developers, planners, architects and public officials. Port Blakely Communities has worked closely with groups from across the United States and from countries such as Japan, China, The Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand, who visit the region to learn how Issaquah Highlands created a high-density community that consumers value and find appealing, and which functions well as a community.