Housing privatization town hall dates set

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  • By Tyler Hemstreet
  • Staff writer
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Wing leadership along with housing privatization officials will host two town hall-style meetings in the upcoming weeks to discuss the design and development of the new housing community on McChord set to break ground in September. 

The meetings are set for 3 p.m. on Wednesday and 7 p.m. July 10 at the base theater. 

The meetings will cover in general terms which housing areas will be demolished and which will be renovated, and what general time frame is in conjunction with each phase of the project, said Cal Lovering, a housing privatization project manager with the 62nd Civil Engineer Squadron. 

"Unfortunately, we're not able to go into the level of detail that includes the time frame for renovations or demolition of specific houses on specific streets, but we will be able to detail the plan at a housing sub-community level," Mr. Lovering said. 

Residents will also be able to look at the overall site design and view floor plans, he said. 

"As we get closer to starting a phase we will be able to provide residents answers on specific homes," Mr. Lovering said. "Right now we're not able to provide specific answers to questions about what things are going to look like two years into the project." 

The hour-long meeting will consist of an introductory briefing followed by a question and answer session. 

The housing privatization plan is on schedule to start in September. Details of the plan include building 250 new homes and renovating another 268 homes over the next eight years, adding to the 90 new homes in the Olympic Grove tract. 

According to McChord's housing privatization Web site, the new development plan, which also establishes the amenity standards set by Air Mobility Command for new communities includes neighborhood- wide recreational facilities, a community center with a kitchen facility, lighted concrete walks or asphalt trails leading to playgrounds and road and trail connectivity throughout the premises. 

The construction standards for the new houses call for larger living space above the minimum requirement, an attached two-car garage, double-wide driveways, enclosed backyards and covered patios, according to the Web site. 

Airmen and their families will also be able to give feedback to the project, Mr. Lovering said. They can also e-mail any questions to calvin.lovering@mcchord.af. mil and also follow the status of the project on the base intranet at https://62msg.mcchord.af.mil/62CES/HousingPrivatization/default.aspx, he said.