Workers are already carving out the roads for the cars and thefairways for the drivers, a mere nine days after the Redmond,WA-based company received the go-ahead from Kittitas Countycommissioners. As every silver lining borders a cloud, so it goesthat the company still needs the Department of Ecology to sign offon a transfer of Yakima River water rights before actual buildingconstruction can begin, and that's not expected before next springor summer, at the earliest.

Regardless, Bill Lyche, director of development for the proposedMountainStar Resort, says the approval of the company's land useapplication by the county was a huge victory for Trendwest, andopens the door for other resorts to be developed in the area. "Itwas a gigantic hurdle to get over," says Lyche. "Kittitas Countydid not have a destination resort ordinance and it took four yearsof time and effort to get that ordinance created and get all theapprovals that needed to happen for this project."

When completed, the MountainStar Resort is expected to feature4,100 residential units, at least two golf courses, a 500-roomhotel, an equestrian center and 100,000 sf of retail space. Toappease opponents concerned about the impact the resort will haveon the environment, Trendwest has reserved nearly 80% of the resortproperty for open space, including a 1,500-acre protected Cle ElumRiver corridor running through the whole property.