Lowell City Council Gives Nod to New Subdivision

Matthew and Melissa Bahen of Pleasant Hill Expect to Have HLH Contractors of Lowell Build 16 Houses, Which Will Be Priced in the Mid-$400,000 Range

By DEAN REA/Correspondent/The Herald

Sixteen two-story houses equipped with as many as five bedrooms and three baths are planned in a Fourth Street subdivision approved Feb. 16 by the Lowell City Council.

Owners of the Sunset Hills development are Creswell dentist Matthew Bahen and his wife Melissa, whose company constructed five houses nearby four years ago. The couple reside in Pleasant Hill.

“We expect to start on the infrastructure this summer and construction of the houses will begin as soon as that is completed,” Matthews said during an interview. This preparatory work includes extending Fourth Street and providing water, power and sewer services.

HLH Contractors of Lowell is expected to construct the houses, which will be priced in the mid-$400,000 range, Matthews said.

Council approval was granted after Henry Hearley, Lane Council of Governments representative, summarized a 206-page report on which the planning commission based its Feb. 3 decision to recommend approval.

The report addressed issues raised by residents and planning requirements, including building a 30-foot-wide street and five-foot-wide sidewalks.

Voting to approve the application were: Mayor Don Bennett and councilors Gail Harris, Samantha Dragt, John Myers and Tim Stratis.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Longtime Oregon journalist Dean Rea, widely known for his years as a University of Oregon journalism educator and editor at The Register-Guard in Eugene,  serves as a founding board member and senior writer for The Herald.)