Terry Lush’s vision of a business park becomes reality

You take a tree-lined road to get to this place. Turn left at the cottage; there will be a split-rail fence here soon. On your left is an attractive utility shed with restroom. On your right, there’s a large, deep pond surrounded by wetland grasses and plants. Look behind you and you can see Griffin Bay.

Drive or walk in past the gate and you can watch a boat being built in a wood-shingled shop, or watch a boat being detailed in another shop nearby. Someday, you might stop by for a barbecue here and listen to a live bluegrass band.

This is not a traditional business park. This is Terry Lush’s vision of a business park.

Lush’s San Juan Business Park, on Daniel Lane off Cattle Point Road, is largely a reflection of its owner. Lush is a boater, an entrepreneur, a former V.P. of an asset and property management software company. He envisions this business park as a place for craftsmen to work, for start-up businesses to grow, for businesses to warehouse inventory in one central location.

One building has four units for tradesmen, each 1,500 square feet with bathroom, electrical and propane. High ceilings and large windows provide a lot of natural light. The interior space can be modified by the tenant to meet the tenant’s needs. One of the tenants is boat detailer Todd Johnson of Todd’s Island Services, Inc.

Another building, the wood-shingled one, is a shop occupied by shipwright Geoff Pratt.

A large storage building is rented to a contractor. Another building has nine storage bays for warehousing and three smaller storage units. There is large covered storage for boats or other large items.

The site is zoned rural general use; retail is not allowed. The rent for shop space is $1 per square foot, and that includes water and sewer. Rent for storage space is less.

Construction began in July; the first tenant moved in the beginning of April.

On this particular day, the large open driving surface hadn’t yet been laid with 5/8 gravel and contractor Glenn Hargrove was putting finishing touches to a landscaped buffer zone around a well. But Lush was eager to show off his park.

Lush decided to build the business park based on a need he saw after “a non-scientific study.” He is impressed by, but does not feel his park is a competitor of, Beaverton Valley Business Park, which has mixed uses; and Surina Business Park, which has retail spaces.

“These spaces are appealing to craftsmen and tradesmen,” Lush said of his business park. “The park is functional and reasonably attractive. The spaces aren’t too large or too small. There is nothing like this on the island.”

The business park comprises just under 2.5 acres of the 4.95-acre site. The park is secured by a perimeter fence; each tenant gets a pin number for the slide gate. High-resolution infrared cameras provide additional security.

It’s also a showpiece for the wetland restoration he’s done. The property’s previous owner had cleared and graded the property, on which part had been a wetland. In a settlement, Lush agreed to set aside land for wetland restoration.

The business park’s buildings serve as a catchment system. When it rains, water flows from the large roofs into pipes leading to the wetland and pond. Native grasses and plants have been planted in accordance with a wetland consultant’s recommendations.

At the entrance, Lush plans to place an interpretive sign telling about the wetland.

He’s planning a grand opening this summer. For more information, visit the business park or call 378-4815, or e-mail terry@sjihome.com.