Developments EverywhereReal estate developments happened on the Peninsula in a big way beginning in the mid-1960s. Like mushrooms – and toadstools – at the right time of year, all of a sudden they were everywhere.

The harbinger of this phenomenon was the announcement in 1965 that, “the end and the beginning have now taken place in Southwestern Washington. The end being the last large (three miles) estate of oceanfront property on the Pacific Coast [having been] purchased for development … the beginning being the boom now taking place in this area and the tremendous outlook for future growth, so long overdue to the Long Beach Peninsula.” That three miles of sandy oceanfront property on the north end of the Peninsula would become Surfside Estates.

Surfside developers offered oceanfront property, a planned 18-hole golf course, a fresh water canal 60 feet wide and 12 feet deep running the length of the property, clamming, hunting, fishing, and beachcombing.

“The average prices are less than half the market price of most oceanfront property now available to the public,” advised the developers. Principals of Surfside Estates included Walter Endquist, William Boner Bailey, Jack Del Guissi, and Harry Davidson.

Next came the announcement by realtor Will Monnes of Long Beach that he was planning to build on 40 acres of hillside southwest of Ilwaco. That group of homes would come to be known as Sahalee.

At the same time, the developers of a huge piece of property north of Oysterville were trying to launch the subdivision of Terra Mar.

In Seaview at The Willows, Hank Chellson of Bellevue released plans to develop his property known as The Butte. That piece of land measured 2,000 feet to the west by 810 feet of ocean frontage. The plat submitted to the county in 1973 called for a condominium of 21 units on 1.6 acres.

The Observer’s tide of press releases just kept rising:

“Land investment and development is hurriedly moving up through the rankings of the Northwest’s major industries. … Properties West Inc., a real estate investment company with main offices in Tacoma, recently acquired forty acres of premium Long Beach property stretching from the Pacific inland to Loomis Lake. … The property … has now been designed and engineered for 175 virtually untouched ocean and lakeside estates. A distinctively landscaped double entrance says simply, ‘Tides West.’ … Lot prices begin at $2,750 with convenient terms.”

-June 27, 1969

“St. Regis Corporation representative M. H. (Shorty) Shorthill of Klipsan announced this week that St. Regis is now in the pilot stages of a one-half million dollar housing project at Sunset Sands development near Ocean Park with all of the planned 50 homes to be financed and constructed by local businesses. Three modern modified A-frame homes were started this week with foundations being poured on Monday and structural work beginning on Tuesday. Shorthill said the resort type homes and lots will be sold for an estimated $10,000. … Added Shorthill, ‘The buildings can be bought at any state of completion from a load of lumber on the lot to a completely furnished home.’ “

-Aug. 25, 1972

Many plans did not materialize – a multimillion dollar convention center-restaurant-condominium complex on the hillside overlooking Ilwaco’s Black Lake was one; another was the land promotion called “Northwood” which would have developed 850 acres of land bordering Willapa Bay about five miles northeast of Long Beach. “The Northland Development Corp. has planned for 10 private parks, a state park, six man-made lakes, canals, and five lakeside improvements for the new development there.”

Throughout this time, press releases from the County put the activity into dollars and cents:

“Real estate transactions in Pacific County increased by 23.5 percent in 1978 over sales recorded in 1977.”

“Out of a total of 13 new home building permits issued in Pacific County during the month of April, 1979, 10 of them were issued for sites on the northend of the Long Beach Peninsula. … The boom is also seen in the number of mobile homes being set up in the area. Out of the 11 permits for mobile homes … eight of them were for those in the northend.”

“Figures from the Pacific County Department of Public Works show that out of a total of 14 building permits issued during May … for new single family residences, 10 of them were issued for homesites on the northend of the Peninsula.”

The county and the Peninsula had entered a new phase in their lives, and they would have to scramble to keep up with the pressure of growth.

Timeline: 1964-1965

Nov. 20, 1964 “Naselle Air Base is to close down permanently July, 1965, … [the] reason for closing Naselle base is based on new and improve radar methods which now create an over-lap of stations over the nation; and … the reduction of threat of low-level attacks. … Closing of Naselle base will cut off about 200 personnel, all but 20 of them Air Force people, the other 20 being air base workers, an estimated loss of better than one-half million dollars per year. Its closure will cut 81 children from the Naselle school system. Naselle Air Base was set up in Naselle in 1951.”

Jan. 1, 1965 “According to officials, the weather outlook shows little change for the present. This immediate area has experienced more snow than it has for the past 14 years. In this southwest Washington district 15 snow plow units were in action Sunday and Monday to keep highways open. Around Long Beach area there was about eight inches of snow on the level – a very heavy snow which threatened both telephone and power lines; although service was maintained by both sources.”