POULSBO — When city developers scouted a corner of what will be the Mountain Aire development to plan for a retention pond, they discovered something unexpected — a pond.

“My husband, who has lived here all his life, didn’t know it was here,” said Poulsbo Mayor Becky Erickson while giving a tour on July 23 of the Mountain Aire development currently under construction at Noll Road and Hostmark Street.

It’s more accurate to say that the pond was rediscovered. City officials were able to locate old drawings of the area that showed the pond. And locals have been making recent use of it, as evidenced by an abandoned inner tube at its bank.

“It’s deep enough that people have been swimming in it,” Erickson said. “This will be part of the park.”

The pond was once nestled in a thick expanse of trees and brush. That expanse has been cleared to make way for two stormwater retention ponds, a neighborhood park, and 145 single-family homes to be constructed by Quadrant Homes.

The first homes are expected to be completed and ready for sale in 2015.

“It’s one of the biggest developments we’ve ever had,” City Engineer Andrzej Kasiniak said.

Also on the tour was City Council members Linda Berry-Maraist, Jim Henry, Jeff McGinty, David Musgrove and Gary Nystul, three of whom are members of the City Council’s public works committee.

The tour was largely to keep the committee apprised of the development’s progress in what will be one of the more dramatically altered regions of Poulsbo. Aside from housing developments, Noll Road is also expected to be modified in coming years, altering its southern route to a new intersection with Johnson Road and Highway 305. A gravity sewer line is also planned for the area.

Existing trees and vegetation are being kept in place in the northwestern end of Mountain Aire, and that area will include a trail.