The first houses are under construction at Villebois,

The first houses are under construction at Villebois, a TND in Wilsonville, Oregon. Developer Costa Pacific Homes, which built the acclaimed Orenco Station in Hillsboro, Oregon, has gone to great lengths to secure federal funds for environmental restoration and technology for the 500-acre project. Company lobbyists secured two Army Corps of Engineers grants — $250,000 each — to restore wetlands on adjacent properties, plus $950,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency to experiment with green roofs and pervious pavers around Villebois’ central plaza, says Dan Hoyt of Costa Pacific Homes. All funds are slated to go to the City of Wilsonville, he says. Villebois is the redevelopment of a 200-acre state mental hospital site and land from adjacent greenfield parcels. The site was originally outside of Portland’s urban growth boundary (UGB), but was brought into the UGB because it was earmarked for a smart growth community by the city and state. Costa Pacific was chosen after proposals were solicited from private developers. The first phase is entitled, and 25 houses are under construction, Hoyt says. Permitting for the rest of the project is ongoing, and unresolved issues include street widths and curb return radii. “It’s interesting to watch a suburban government struggle with building and permitting a smart growth community,” Hoyt says. Villebois is planned to have 2,390 residential units and a mix of uses.