Transforming Stack Hill

Green is the Theme at Point Ruston Development

More on Point Ruston ACTIVE LIFESTYLES Who wants to spend hours weeding and mowing when there’s an amazing view beckoning you to kayak, beach comb or walk the dog? That’s why the custom homes are designed with easy-to-maintain landscapes. Not only is it better for the environment, it leaves more time for play. AMAZING VIEWS The lots are tiered to maximize potential views of the Olympics, Vashon Island, Puget Sound and the Cascades. For information on Stack Hill and the Point Ruston development, call 360.456.6307, ext. 16, or visit pointruston.com.

On nearly a mile of waterfront, the long-awaited, world-class development of Point Ruston promises to be one of the region’s most exciting and scenic shoreline communities, with condos, townhouses, shopping, a hotel, restaurants and 50 percent of its acreage reserved as public space. A new promenade called the Waterwalk will be a much-needed link connecting two of Tacoma’s most popular outdoor attractions — Ruston Way and Point Defiance Park — greatly extending the region’s recreational facilities.

Close enough to be an easy walk to all the attractions, the 36 home sites of Stack Hill perch above Point Ruston, with sweeping hilltop views of Commencement Bay, the Cascades, Browns Point, Vashon Island, Point Defiance and the developing community below.

EASY ON THE PLANET
Looking at it today, it’s hard to believe that Stack Hill — actually a part of the Point Ruston development — was formerly the upland area directly above the old ASARCO smelter and later an Environmental Protection Agency superfund clean-up site. This property’s tale is one of amazing transformation from a contaminated, post-industrial wasteland, to an impressive development of clean, green home sites — a true environmental success story.

Site preparation included a massive, federally mandated clean-up. Crews removed a mountain of contaminated soil and the EPA required rigorous testing of what remained. The result? Soil that’s so far below the legal contaminant ceiling set by the EPA that it’s some of the cleanest dirt around town. Today, each of the 36 view home sites that occupy Stack Hill is being designed and constructed to comply with Built Green and Energy-Star standards and landscaped with native, drought-resistant, lawn-free vegetation.

The families who will call Stack Hill home will not only enjoy the benefits of this exciting location and unsurpassed view, but will play an active role in easing a few of Mother Earth’s burdens. To pass muster, building sites and structures must be both Built Green and Energy-Star certified. Built Green is a voluntary program in which builders take specific steps and use approved materials to ensure that a structure, a building site and the construction practices all minimize environmental impacts.

Stack Hill’s builder, local firm MC Construction Consultants, Inc., is committed to meeting Built Green standards, and the Pierce County Master Builders Association is the authority responsible for certifying whether each home and property on Stack Hill meets those standards.

Complying with such an exacting checklist is not an easy task for a builder. Russ Wicket, sales manager for MC Construction Consultants, explains that more and more buyers are demanding properties built with sustainable materials and environmentally friendly construction methods. “We are not only doing it because our homeowners expect it,” he says, “but because it’s the right thing to do.”

Each phase of construction, from site preparation to screwing in the last energy-saving light bulb, is scrutinized, graded and subject to third-party verification. The broad categories in the Built Green certification program include environmental protection for the site and water, energy efficiency, health and indoor air quality, and materials efficiency. The score? So far, MC Construction Consultants is receiving the highest grades for its work at Stack Hill.
 
CASUAL ELEGANCE
Stack Hill’s homes are custom built with the homeowner’s preferences and budget in mind. Homeowners select the floor plan, the design and the materials and are encouraged to take a hands-on approach throughout the construction process. Design parameters offer buyers a broad array of choices. The entire process resonates with what buyers want when building a home.

A walk through Stack Hill’s 3,002-square foot, three-bedroom, three-bath model home showcases the representative quality and style homeowners can expect when construction of their own home begins. The open-concept floor plan showcases the view. The lofty 12-foot ceiling in the great room accentuates the sense of space. The lower floor flows from the foyer, with its durable slate floor surrounded by the warm red birch flooring, into the great room, dining room, and gourmet kitchen. A library opens off the dining room with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass-paned doors separating the two. Windows line the back walls of the lower floor, making the water view a main feature of the space. Energy-saving solar shades let the view in, but keep the glare out. A home office or guest room off the foyer provides a private retreat from the open spaces of the rest of the lower floor.  

The spacious kitchen is a culinary paradise. Stainless steel GE appliances, a five-burner gas range, generous counter space, slate tiles offsetting cherry cabinets with pecan finish, and red birch flooring (grown with sustainable forestry practices, of course) all add up to warmth and style.

Upstairs, an entertainment suite features a built-in sound system, an ample service bar with a beverage cooler, and French doors opening out onto a large balcony. Across the hall from the entertainment suite, a set of stairs leads up to the highest spot on Stack Hill: an 18-by 22-foot terrace that showcases a panoramic view. Together, the entertainment suite and terrace are the ultimate casual party space.

The master suite and another bedroom and bath round out the upper floor. Both the master suite’s bedroom and bath show off the home’s unobstructed view. The master bath features a walk-in shower, jetted tub (with a view, naturally), and towel warmers and radiant floor heat to coax the edge off those chilly winter mornings.

LOW-IMPACT LANDSCAPING
“When people look at the landscaping we’ve completed on Stack Hill, their eyes light up as soon as they realize there are no lawns,” Wickett says.

Ah, life without a lawnmower – a state of bliss that many property owners only dream of. Besides permanently eliminating “mow the lawn” from the honey-do list, the obvious benefit of Stack Hill’s lawn-free landscaping practices is less water consumption and chemicals. In fact, the sites are designed to recycle water into the ground and replenish the aquifer. The plants that are used on Stack Hill properties are native and drought-resistant, selected to minimize ecological impacts.

Anyone remembering the old smelter and smokestack that once dominated Stack Hill can only draw one conclusion: The Point Ruston developers are leaving this prime parcel of land a much cleaner and better place than they found it.

For the full story pick up the latest copy of South Sound magazine. Subscriptions are available by phone at 253.588.5340 or you may order your subscription online.