The vision for Issaquah’s valley floor was set in stone Monday night, but it will be years before any brick and mortar buildings come of it.

In a unanimous vote, the City Council approved the Rowley Redevelopment Agreement, a plan that would bring 150-foot buildings and mix-use condos to 78 acres off State Route 900.

“If it works, it will transform the valley,” said Tola Marts, a councilmember.

The city met its Dec. 19 schedule after several weeks of intense discussions over the tangible benefits for the city and the environment.

At the last minute, the Rowleys agreed not to develop within 100 feet of Tibbetts Creek until a decision is made on what to do to preserve it. The family also agreed to a seven-year check-in for the 30-year plan.

A few councilmembers prefaced their decision to vote for the agreement with some caution.

“This is not a perfect document,” said Fred Butler, a councilmember, but “it’s balanced, it’s fair and it’s sustainable.”

The speed that the council was asked to review the document wouldn’t allow for its members to fully understand it, but the framework itself was good, said Joshua Schaer, a councilmember.

“I only ask the following: don’t make it Seattle, don’t make it Bellevue, and in fact don’t make it anything but the city we know and love,” he said.

It will be a few years before the Rowleys can develop a plan. Even then, it will take the entire 30 years of the agreement to deliver the project, said Skip Rowley, who heads Rowley Properties with his daughter, Keri Magill.

He addressed council Monday with a tone of frustration, rejecting criticisms about the plan not being sensible for the environment and calming fears that it wouldn’t produce enough housing.

“I have never been so chastised by people,” he said. “We know what we’re doing.”

Last minute dissenters repeated concerns about the environment and the Rowley agreement being passed before the Central Issaquah Plan. However, the council was met by even more people who gave their confidence in the plan and reaffirmed Rowley’s character.

At the close of a public hearing Monday, Magill sat with a completed copy of the agreement in her lap, a thick white binder, ready to take any last questions. Rowley announced plans to step down a few years ago. Completing the development envisioned in the agreement is ultimately up to her.

For Magill, the council’s vote came at first with a smirk of relief, then a thanks, then laughs of joy.

Keri Magill adressed Issaquah City Council during Monday night’s meeting.

Skip Rowley, left, talks to police chief Paul Ayers after a Monday night meeting, where city council approved a major development agreement for his property.