MASON COUNTY Mason County Housing Update

SMARTGOV ONLINE PORTAL IS LIVE.

A couple of years ago Mason County embarked on a quest to find the most efficient way to work through the permitting process and issue permits. They came to the conclusion that it was time for the county to get a modern update. Thus began the era of virtual permitting in Mason County. Shortly after their quest began, the county launched the online system known as SmartGov. Through this portal, customers can accomplish nearly every aspect of their permitting needs. The reviews have been mostly positive and the county claims that it has significantly increased their capacity, bringing the average time for review and approval down to 3 to 4 weeks in most cases. If you have a future project in Mason County, it might be worthwhile to head on over to the county website and create a SmartGov account at https://masoncountywa.gov/community-services/index.php.

SHELTON HILLS.

A major project that has been in the works for some time, the Shelton Hills project looks to reshape the future of both the Shelton and Greater Mason County communities. Shelton Hills is an 800 acre master planned community project that will include housing units, retail, and commercial sites, as well as preserve a significant swath of coveted forest lands that are central to the early history of the City of Shelton. Obstacles have been abundant throughout the process, and some frustrations have been evident including a request to divert sewage from the project to an offsite reclamation facility. Local and state agencies remain adamant that the hurdles in the project did not originate at their end. Despite hurdles, impacts to costs, and other complications, as of July of last year (2022) the project is in the planning stage.