Dedicated to Preserving the Rural
Character of Woodinville
10/12/22 City Council Mtg Oct 18th
10/21/19 CNW Endorsements
10/07/19 Meet the Candidates
05/09/14 CNW Celebrates Vote
03/17/14 Important City Council Vote
11/28/13 We're Thankful For
02/19/13 CNW News and Updates
01/29/13 CNW News and Updates
12/08/12 Montevallo Permit Application
09/05/12 Community Meeting 9/6
06/04/12 Updates on Important Topics
04/15/12 Protecting Our R1 Neighborhoods
04/02/12 You Make Difference!
02/28/12 Woodtrails Again!
05/09/14 CNW Celebrates Vote
06/16/11 CNW Prevails!!
07/11/10 Supreme Court Will Review
01/04/10 The Journey Continues
04/05/09 Wood Trails/Montevallo Update
03/08/08 Another Victory Celebration
02/18/08 We Won - Part II
08/13/07 Victory is Ours!
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This page contains comments from our neighbors published in the Woodinville Weekly.
Michael and Charlotte Ochoa
Woodinville
Edition Date: June 4, 2007
Woodinville Council members and citizens, and Woodinville Weekly editor:
I hope you and your fellow City Council members know what is at stake with this rubber stamp hidden in "process" that the "impartial" "hearing examiner" has decided.
At stake is the nature of Woodinville. Let there be no mistake about it. If you want "Bellevue - Kirkland" type high rise and over development, more and more expensive houses, crowded into more and more expensive land, traffic nightmares and noise without end, long term residents forced to choose between forced high sewage utility hook up costs, overcrowding and a strong profit motive, then you should vote to accept the recommendation of the hearing examiner. ...
The residents of Wellington should be proud of the stand they have made, proud of the effort, proud of the undisputed scientific evidence they have presented. The wrong decision will change the nature of Woodinville forever.
And one point that should clarify that stand was made by the residents of Wellington: If Phoenix had asked to build 10 or 12 or 15 houses with an R-1 zoning, we would not even be having this conversation. No one wants to restrict their property rights, but they knew what they were buying when they bought it and so did we! Why should we allow them to change our neighborhood and indeed our city forever? Country Living, City Style will simply become City Living, Over Crowded Style.
Therefore I implore my fellow residents of Woodinville and members of the City Council, to say NO to Phoenix Development and the rezoning of the R-1 greenbelt between the Industrial zone and the Wellington Hills neighborhood to R-4.
Our city does not need the density, there is no justification for it, and clearly, Phoenix does not want to pay the full costs of their profit! They want you and me to pay! And if you think for one minute this does not create precedent, think again. It does!
Matt Jenson
Woodinville
Edition Date: April 2, 2007
Phoenix Development's proposal
to shoehorn 132 new homes onto the land slide prone cliffs and under-researched
wetlands of West Wellington is a travesty in the making. The immediate
impacts would include many that you have likely already heard about:
numerous, adverse, and well documented environmental impacts, increased
traffic delays along the already overburdened Woodinville-Duvall &
156th AVE corridors, et cetera. But, what has not been conveyed
as clearly to the public of Greater Woodinville is the looming threat
of uncontrollable infill. If these two developments are allowed
to proceed as submitted, then the precedent will be set and "Katy,
bar the door!"
Think you're not impacted?
Think again.
Wood Trails and Montevallo
would become the foothold for high density housing in Woodinville's
only remaining low-density neighborhood, after which there would be
tremendous pressure, legal and otherwise, to overturn the results of
the Sustainable Development study. How many among us could really
withstand the temptation to sell out to a developer offering 150-200%
of our home's value (with the added bonus of saving the extra $15K-$25K
that it will cost to be forcibly hooked into sewer)? Maybe you
can, but how about your next door neighbor who is nearing retirement?
It only takes a single property to sell out and start the infill domino
effect.
Woodinville prides itself on
its branding of "Country Living, City Style" and it should.
It is an exceptionally beautiful place to live, work, and do business.
However, as an economic matter, it also relies heavily on agritourism
to collect revenue and deliver services. Should we unwittingly
re-brand ourselves as "Mill Creek 2", you can kiss that revenue
and those services good-bye.
There is still time to act.
Start by attending the public hearing on April 5th at 7pm in the City
Council Chambers.
Sincerely,
Matt Jenson
19122 148th AVE NE
Patrick Moriarty
Woodinville
Edition Date: March 26, 2007
I attended the hearing on the
Phoenix Developers' application for rezoning part of the Wellington
Neighborhood from R1 to R4 to accommodate the planned Montevallo and
Wood Trails developments and listened intently to the testimony from
all interested persons. I would like to thank all my neighbors who took
part to express their views on the issue. I regret that I wasn't able
to be present for the duration of the hearing.
I listened with fascination
as the developers suggested that citizens opposed to these developments
were elitists living on "estates" and unwilling to do their part
to accommodate urban growth. Phoenix, on the other hand, portrayed themselves
as noble individuals, looking out for the common man by trying to provide
affordable housing to those who cannot conquer Woodinville's swollen
property values.
Thank you Phoenix, for your
altruistic actions on the part of the little guy. I'm sure you'll
barely make enough money to break even given the fact that you will
be selling these new houses at rock bottom prices to make them affordable.
What? You're a business that plans and builds housing developments
to maximize profits for your corporate shareholders? But I thought...?
Please tell me nobody (especially the hearing examiner) was taken in by that pure nonsense? The developers care about one thing, making money! They don't care if they drop the problems (environmental degradation, increased traffic, crowded schools, and inadequate infrastructure) that accompany growth on the citizens of Woodinville. Once those houses are built, they will be gone and it will be our duty to live with and pick up the mess.
Michael and Charlotte Ochoa
Wellington Hills
Edition Date: March 19, 2007
We just walked out of a classic
whitewash. We attended the city re-zoning meeting, considering an application
for re-zoning approximately 12 acres of R1 along the edge of the Wellington
Hills western boundary to R4 - R8. This fight has been engaged for three
years, and we the people, are about to be flushed. It seems a forgone
conclusion. We could hardly believe it - two hours, and just one person
was allowed to speak for the citizens opposed to this rezone. However,
the City paraded staff "expert" after expert, and then the developer
was next, with his paid batch of more "experts." The pro-developer
bias of the City Spokesperson was palpable and obvious. Who is paying
their wages? We are! Why are we paying our City staff to do the job
of the developers?
We believe fervently in private
property rights, and we also know that when we bought our home in 1997,
we purchased the obligation to maintain the character of our neighborhood.
That character of our neighborhood was protected by the greenbelt between
Wellington and the industrial area. This was codified by Woodinville
Resolution 93, voted on and signed by the mayor in 1995. I guess the
passed laws of Woodinville only apply to the City when it is convenient
for the City to obey them. Resolution 93 should take its place alongside
our U.S. Constitution's perversion in the "Kelo Decision"
of eminent domain.
Apparently anything can be
justified if it benefits almighty government, especially the revenue-extracting
power of the government.
If this rezoning is allowed, and our neighborhood's character is damaged as it inevitably will be, Woodinville will be poorer for it. We seem to have politicians and bureaucrats who do not understand their first and primary duty is to the existing citizens and property owners of Woodinville, not their tax collections. Perhaps we can make some changes at the next election, just like we did at the last one.
Judy Coppa
Woodinville
Edition Date: March 19, 2007
To the elected officials who
we, the people, have chosen to represent us: There is no other reason
for all of you to be (in your positions) than this: You speak for us.
A previous city notification stated that the council has final determination
regarding rezone and development. We, the people voted to incorporate
as a city based on promises that this was the only way to have self-determination
and to maintain the character we wanted to keep. This was a campaign
promise. The city council exists to serve us and not itself. This trust
has been broken in an attempt to slip through high-density housing in
our midst and change the character (of our neighborhoods) forever. As
we are already in line with the Growth Management Act, there is a hidden
agenda here.
The statements about traffic
and environmental impact are insulting to our intelligence.
Has anyone - without a financial
motive - come to you and said, "I'd really like to have more
crowded neighborhoods and traffic on our already poorly maintained roads?"
We have strayed far from the
reasons you were elected. I don't know who you are working for, but
it's not for us. You know the right thing to do. Are you ready to
stand up and do it?
I'm going to combine and use two quotes from the movie "Gladiator": There once was an idea that was Woodinville - Honor it!
Sharon Peterson
Woodinville
Edition Date: February 19,
2007
Over the weekend, I received
two letters from the City of Woodinville. Each letter indicated to me
that a date had been set for the Wood Trails FEIS Hearing and for the
Montevallo FEIS Hearing, but they are two different dates.
Here's why I believe this
is illegal: It is against the 2.5 year precedent of communication that
the City of Woodinville has set and is also grounds for an immediate
appeal of any decision that the Hearing Examiner might make. The City
of Woodinville accepted the original application for the development
as a single document that covered the proposed development of two areas.
Only one application was filed. The initial Determination of Significance
was made for both developments simultaneously. Only one DOS was issued.
The Draft Environmental Impact
Statement was published in March 2006, for both developments. Only one
DEIS was published.
For almost a year, citizens
have been prohibited from mentioning either development or both developments,
in the same sentence at the same time.
The Final Environmental Impact
Statement addresses both developments simultaneously. Only one FEIS
was published. I am appalled that the City Staff would resort to this
tactic as a way to divide two properties which have been legally linked
by the City for over 2.5 years. I'm deeply disappointed at the thought
that our City Council would permit staff to send communications out
that openly violate the precedent that's been established for these
two properties.
The only explanation that comes
to mind is that the City Council is simply not aware of this action
and that now by being made aware of this act, you'll quickly direct
staff to rectify this error in judgment, issue a formal retraction of
the letters, mail new letters, and allow public comment on either development
on both nights of the upcoming hearing.
Please take SWIFT and IMMEDIATE action ... to address this grievous and offensive error and send the message to the citizens of Woodinville that "game playing" is not the agenda of the Woodinville City Council.
Jim Majeskey
Woodinville
Edition Date: January 22, 2007
According to your 1/15/07 edition,
"City of Woodinville Public Works staff worked around the clock to
plow and sand essential icy roadways" Apparently, Woodinville-Duvall
Road wasn't one of those "essential" roadways.
In snowy or icy conditions,
this road is terrible at best and ridulous at worst. Neither the Woodinville
Public Works nor King County seem to pay any attention to it. Yet it
remains a main thoroughfare in and/or out of Woodinville. Not "essential"????
I think it's time the citizens of Woodinville start getting the services for which we pay taxes. If Woodinville or King County can't sand or plow "essential" roads, like Woodinville-Duvall Road, then let's withhold the taxes that are supposed to support those efforts!!!
Susan Boundy-Sanders
Edition Date: January 15, 2007
Last Wednesday, the City of
Woodinville held an Open House on the Sustainable Development Project,
the R-1 moratorium, and the studies and recommendations that are arising
from them. Many interested citizens were prevented from attending because
of icy streets, but a second Open House has been scheduled. It's Thursday,
January 18, from 4:00 to 6:30 at City Hall.
Citizens should also pencil
in their calendars for January 31. The formal hearing for the moratorium
has tentatively been scheduled for that evening.
I'm a member of the Citizens
Advisory Panel (CAP) for the project, but writing strictly as an individual,
I urge citizens to attend the Open House and hearing, or submit written
comments. The outcome of this project will have a tremendous impact
on Woodinville's character and livability, and in more practical matters
like traffic congestion and demand for services.
For readers not familiar with
the issue, the Sustainable Development Project was initiated, in the
words of Woodinville Ordinance 419, to "yield significant policy recommendations
regarding the protection of critical areas while simultaneously accommodating
appropriate future growth within the City's R-1 Zoning District."
As part of the project, the City has imposed a moratorium on accepting
development applications in the portion of Woodinville currently zoned
for 1 house per acre. The moratorium is currently set to expire on March
20, 2007.
Again speaking strictly as
an individual, I want to alert citizens that I believe the goals of
the moratorium have not been met. Some critical areas studies have been
completed and preliminary reports drafted; those preliminary draft reports
were then retracted by City staff. Some appeared to be of good quality;
others were clearly woefully incomplete. Other important studies have
not yet been conducted. Others have been conducted but not written up.
The CAP and Planning Commisson have not had a chance to review the studies
and consult with the land use attorney hired for the project about specific
recommendations. Yet, because of developer pressure, the Council does
not want to extend the moratorium beyond March 20, and in order to meet
that deadline city staff are drafting policy recommendations that -
again in draft form — include upzoning large portions of the current
R-1 zone.
I'm frankly alarmed that
changes to the Comp Plan and zoning maps are being drafted without having
the critical areas data in hand. The geologically hazardous areas I'm
personally most concerned about - the steep-sloped areas in Reinwood,
Woodinville Heights, and Wellington - are being considered for more
dense zoning . . . and the landslide hazard study has not been conducted.
The extensive wetlands in the Wellington, Leota, and Laurel Hills areas
have been ignored - even wetlands that have been documented in reports
previously commissioned by the City, and the acknowledged wetlands in
the proposed Montevallo development - are not included in the preliminary
draft report . . . and large portions of these neighborhoods are being
considered for more dense zoning.
So what's a citizen to do?
Please, contact the Council.
I believe the right solution
is to extend the moratorium until its objectives have been achieved
in an orderly fashion: collect the data first; then finalize the scientific
reports; then distribute them to the CAP, Planning Commission, City
Council, and anybody in the public who wants them; then craft policy
recommendations collaboratively with full involvement of the CAP and
citizens, and with the advice of the project's attorney. Only after
these have happened should we launch into the Open House and hearing
cycle that is currently scheduled for the rest of this month.
Barring that, I believe that
if the Council is committed to allowing the moratorium to expire, the
next best approach is to apply the Precautionary Principle. In this
case, leave the entire R-1 zone as R-1 until we have the environmental
data in hand. Keep the CAP impaneled; let us continue our intensive
study and discussion of the issues and come up with recommendations
that are well-considered.
I see a lot of well-intentioned people scrambling to meet an unrealistic deadline. For the sake of Woodinville, I beg for citizen's help in stopping this speeding train. E-mail Council: council@ci.woodinville.wa.us.
Todd Bailey
Firefighter, Woodinville
Edition Date: April 3, 2006
(Copy of a letter sent to Snohomish County Council)
Dear Snohomish County Council:
I am writing in regards to
the proposed land use change for UGA Boundary, Ordinance MALT 1a was
(NO. 05-07600). The Hillside and Wellington Golf Course above the new
Costco in Woodinville is surrounded on three sides by residential housing
and the current land use is for rural residential.
The council agreed last year
to leave this land as Rural Residential. Now the same issue has come
forward again. With the events that are taking place, this seems to
me to be a bait and switch — agree to leave it the same, then once
again propose to change it to Urban Industrial.
The University of Washington
currently owns this land and promised a campus in Snohomish County but
backed out on the deal and built the campus in Bothell within King County.
The University of Washington
is pushing to have this land rezoned so that a business park can be
built. But the University's main interest is to get this land rezoned
so that they can sell it for a higher price. They have no interest in
what is good for Snohomish County or the residential neighbors that
surround this property.
The University simply wants
to make the most money and leave families in the area to deal with the
problem that will result from the Urban Industry.
These problems include: the
overload of traffic, noise all hours of the day and night, the destruction
of the landscape and trees, destruction of Wellington Public Golf Course,
increased pollution, and the decrease in values of family homes and
property surrounding the area.
The University of Washington
has no vested interest in this property. They argue that a business
park is needed in the area and will bring jobs to Snohomish County.
The facts are that many buildings
sit empty and can not be rented out in the business parks that are within
a couple of miles of this site. Both North Creek and Canyon Park Business
Park in King and Snohomish counties have several vacancies that have
sat empty for years. Businesses that do rent space in business parks
are established companies that bring with them their current employees.
They don't have a need to create jobs for the residents in the area.
The University of Washington
has no good argument why it should destroy the current beauty of Wellington
Golf Course and destroy the peace of the residents and families that
live around the proposed property change. The University of Washington
just wants to make a quick change of the usage of the land, sell the
property for a higher price and wash their hands clean of the problem.
The long term effects of the damage this change would create would be
left with Snohomish County taxpayers.
As I have proposed in the past,
the Council and Snohomish County have the opportunity and duty to take
advantage of these 121 acres. Snohomish County could buy the land, saving
the trees and wildlife and turn this rare area into a natural park for
walking and the enjoyment of the community.
Part of the $70 million paid
to Snohomish County by King County for BrightWater could easily buy
this land, leaving it as a public golf course or a park. This would
at least give the residents in the area who will be affected by BrightWater
a positive effect and use the money for the residents of Snohomish County
in a positive way.
We currently have no parks
in the area that residents, and most importantly, the children can walk
to.
Will the County Council take
on the liability for destroying the trees, wildlife, decreasing the
value of residents' homes, increasing the stress of the residents
with noise and pollution, impacting the health of the residents and
placing them at higher risk with the increased traffic on 240 St. SE
and Highway 9? If this area is to be developed, then it should be left
with its current classification as Rural Residential. If any of the
council members would like to come to this area and see its current
beauty, you are all welcome to join me at my home and I will personally
show you the area and the residents that you are impacting.
Jim Willett
Woodinville
Edition Date: April 3, 2006
The Woodinville City Council recently imposed a temporary building moratorium in the R-1 zoning district by a unanimous vote. This is good news; Woodinville needs a moment to catch its breath after the unchecked construction of the last two years. Even better news is the fact that our City Councilmembers have apparently found something they all agree on.
I'm no traffic engineer, but even a casual look at the local map leaves me fearful for the future of Woodinville.
The city sits at a crossroads of three major arterials and one freeway that are all likely to be increasingly congested in the years ahead. The Woodinville-Duvall Road going east and Rt. 9 going north are both scheduled for major expansion projects in the near future. The Woodinville-Redmond Road is at capacity much of the day and Hwy 522 is very heavy during rush hour.
Neighbor, there is a lot of traffic headed our way.
It follows that if you work or live somewhere else but access the freeway in Woodinville, why not just live in Woodinville and cut your commute?
That's what the developer of Montevallo has concluded people want. The developer of Montevallo, the first of five similar projects in the planning stages, could build up to eight homes per acre in an area that is currently zoned R-1 — one home per acre, hence the attempt to re-zone. For perspective, that is a 5,500-square-foot lot, smaller than some homes out here.
One of the principle reasons for the R-1 zoning is septage. Everyone in the area is on a septic tank with an associated drainfield which requires a lot of land. Because of land requirements, a septage system does not allow much higher housing densities than R-1. So how does the developer handle the sewer problem? In this case he plans to hook up to Metro by running a sewer line up the hill from Woodinville.
Woodinville looks ripe for development to me. Almost all of us live near or know of those large tracts of woods or pasture in our neighborhoods.
In fact, the future site of Montevallo is a large pasture now. If the price were right would your neighbor sell that empty acreage to a real estate developer? I know mine would. Again, I'm no expert, but it seems that one of the things preventing major real estate developments from gaining traction here is the lack of sewer capacity which would allow higher density.
After all, there's no shortage of land, the highways are already scheduled for expansion, and freeway access is good by almost any measure.
Isn't King County trying to build Brightwater at the very intersection that we spoke of earlier? Lest you think that row houses will never come to your neighborhood, friends, believe me when I tell you this because it's my business to know about sewage treatment systems; there's nothing that encourages rapid real estate development like a new sewage treatment plant. Instantly housing density can be increased by an order of magnitude.
By converting our old septic systems to Brightwater provides the capacity for new development on a scale we can scarcely imagine now, housing density and rezoning to R-8 or higher, possibly much higher.
The pressure on our elected officials from the gathering pro-development forces would be immense and it would take an uncommon effort by any neighborhood coalition to control it.
Our challenge is clear: We now have ample undeveloped land and expanding highway capacity, but if we stop Brightwater we have permanently eliminated the one public service that is necessary for major real estate development.
After all, it's not called an "essential public facility" for nothing.
Jonathan Morrison - President, Friends of Cottage Lake
Mary McCain - Vice President, Friends of Cottage Lake
Matt McCain, John and Lisa Litchfield, Gary and Karen Mattson, Deb Wissmiller
Edition Date: February 27,
2006
As some of you in the Cottage Lake area may already know, we have some new neighbors moving in next door. And their house is massive.
Replacing what is now the Woodinville Riding Club at 17856 NE Woodinville-Duvall Road, the Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish and private K-8 school is slated to break ground as early as 2008. If all goes as proposed, the church and school will serve 1,000 worshippers and 400 students respectively, and will include a 16,000-square-foot church and a three-story, 59,000-square-foot school building, complete with a paved 229-stall parking lot.
On January 17, the King County
Department of Development and Environmental Services (DDES) awarded
the church/school their Conditional Use Permit, essentially green-lighting
the project as is.
The most overt and immediate
impact we can all expect if this project moves forward as planned, is
increased traffic congestion on Woodinville-Duvall Road.
Picture the current nightmare-caliber
traffic problems facing Woodinville-bound drivers during a typical morning
commute. Now add 400 students being dropped off by car each morning.
To remedy this problem, DDES
and the church/school have settled on adding two short turn lanes to
the road. This is an inadequate solution.
Less obvious to some, but of
no less concern, are the environmental impacts this project will bring.
The site is located along Daniels
Creek, the main source of water for Cottage Lake. Cottage Lake is already
listed on Washington state's 303(d) list for not meeting state water
quality standards. After 10-plus years, efforts to improve this situation
are at last gaining serious momentum. Friends of Cottage Lake recently
applied for, and received, a $218k grant to begin vital lake improvements
and restoration.
Meanwhile, the church/school's
site plan calls for the parking lot, driveway and retention ponds to
cut the stream buffers along Daniels Creek to a minimum of 80 feet from
the required 150 feet. More than 1,000 square feet of wetland and 14,000
square feet of wetland buffer will also be impacted by the proposed
road widening.
In addition, the site plan
claims that the school (with its 400 students) will not feature even
a small kitchen, thus relieving them of their obligation to install
a more robust septic system.
On top of this, the site's
proposed sprinkler system is oversized to allow for "future expansion."
Those are their words.
In spite of these issues, DDES
has decided not to require a full SEPA environmental impact review of
the project, which seems to stand in stark contrast to King County's
CAO environmental guidelines for rural property owners.
How is it that a site with
more than 75,000 sq. feet of building and a 229-stall parking lot, with
plans for further expansion, is allowed to sidestep the rules placed
upon Joe Homeowner?
We do not want the parishioners
and students of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta to feel unwelcome
in their new home. But there is simply too much at stake for this area
not to make these concerns public. This project must be scaled back
considerably.
Please visit http://cottagelake.wordpress.com
for details and discussion about this project, or contact Jonathan Morrison
at jonathanmorrison@hotmail.com.
Melissa Waldie
Woodinville
Edition Date: February 27,
2006
As the time draws nearer for the three-story, 59,000-square-foot Catholic school to be built on the site of the Woodinville Riding Club (17856 N.E. Woodinville-Duvall Road), I become more and more incredulous.
Perhaps it's because I drive
this very road every morning that I can't believe the school really
got approved.
As a mom, I have experienced
the traffic tie-ups of dropping kids off to school in the morning. It
can be a real mess in the best of circumstances, but this school does
not seem to have any plans for a bus service.
That means all 400 kids will
be dropped off by their parents at the same time each morning!
Woodinville—Duvall Road is
already terribly congested. Now, we're going to add to the current
congestion, 400 cars with children all trying to get to school at the
same time? Hopefully, the children won't have to run across the street
because their parents can't make a left turn.
I realize the road will be
widened and new turn lanes put in, but this is a weak solution. A couple
of turn lanes will not solve this problem.
What was King County thinking when they approved this plan?
Jeff Glickman
Woodinville
Edition Date: February 27,
2006
(A copy of a letter sent to City of Woodinville Mayor, City Manager, City Council and Director of Community Development)
I am a property owner in the
Wellington neighborhood. I live within, or about, the 500-foot radius
of the proposed Wood Trails plat.
I have never received a single
notice from the City of Woodinville regarding this proposed plat. The
City is obligated to notify me and arguments incorporating errors and
omissions as to why I have not been notified are not a valid defense.
I accidentally discovered the
existence of this proposed development from a neighbor approximately
one week ago.
The proposed Wood Trails plat
is in the DEIS phase. I visited the City of Woodinville Planning office
this past week to obtain a full and complete set of documentation, without
limitation, regarding the proposed Wood Trails development, and all
city codes and ordinances. At this time I was informed of the existence
of the DEIS and was directed that the sole means to obtain a copy was
from Kinko's.
Upon this direct instruction
from City of Woodinville Planning Office employees, I attempted to obtain
a copy of the Draft EIS Statement from Kinko's, Woodinville.
Initially, Kinko's was not
aware that they had a city document. It took hours to find someone who
was even aware that there was a city document available for reprint.
Ultimately, Kinko's was not
able to produce a complete copy for me. As with most citizens, it is
an undue economic burden to read a multi-hundred page document at city
offices or the library.
As I know you are already aware
from internal city communications, the DEIS is materially deficient.
Most notably, figures and pages are missing. Arguments incorporating
errors and omissions as a defense are invalid. Furthermore, of the pages
which are present, the area delineated as the study area of the DEIS
is in error, which invalidates the DEIS in its entirety.
The city is obligated by SEPA
to present a complete and accurate DEIS to the citizens of Woodinville.
This DEIS violates both SEPA and NEPA requirements, and is a material
misrepresentation of the facts to the citizens of Woodinville.
State SEPA law specifically
states that a minimum 15-day review period for the DEIS must be granted
to the citizens. The City of Woodinville has violated this statute.
This is a formal demand to
invalidate the DEIS process because of flagrant process errors and City
violation of SEPA statutes.
The DEIS process cannot be
construed as even having been started because an incomplete and invalid
document was provided to the citizens and because the citizens have
not had 15 days to review a complete document. The only remedy for the
city is to write a new DEIS that is accurate and complete, provide notice
to all property owners within 500 feet as required by law, and provide
the citizens of Woodinville the minimum 15-day review period as required
by SEPA.
Do not deny the citizens of
Woodinville the due process that is guaranteed to them by State and
Federal law.
You, the city work for us, the citizens. You are here at our bidding to protect our rights, not violate them.
Otto Paris
Woodinville
Edition Date: February 13,
2006
I would like to increase community awareness and involvement in significant changes that are slated to occur in the Wellington / Leota neighborhood areas. Citizens now have an opportunity to express their concerns about these changes. The City of Woodinville is currently accepting public comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed Wood Trails and Montevallo residential developments. For the first time, the City has required a developer to prepare an EIS for a residential development. It is important that everyone in our community take advantage of this opportunity to comment on the impacts associated with the construction of these two subdivisions as currently planned. Comments on the DEIS must be submitted to the City of Woodinville by Friday, March 3. A public hearing has been scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 16, from 7-9 p.m. at City Hall for the community to submit oral comments.
One-hundred-thirty-two new
homes will be built in the two proposed subdivisions at densities much
greater than currently exists in the Wellington area. The proposed subdivisions
will also result in a sewer line extending east from the industrial
area up to lots bordering 156th Ave NE. These two residential developments
will significantly change the character of the Wellington neighborhood
and has implications for any parcels in the Wellington / Leota area
currently zoned as R-1 (1 house per acre).
The proposal includes the developer's
request to the City to change the existing zoning designation from R-1
to R-4 (up to five houses per acre) by providing sewer service to the
two developments. The proposal then uses available residential density
credits, transferring some of those density credits between the two
subdivisions, and clustering of lots to maximize the number of homes
that could be constructed at each site. The developer's proposed plan
actually results in typical lots ranging from about 5,500 to 6,800 square
feet, with an average "built" density of 6 to 8 houses per acre.
Visualize 132 new 3,000-sq.-ft.
homes on 6,000-sq.-ft. lots, with substandard road widths and minimal
street parking, and you get the picture of what is being proposed. This
will look like some of the recently built higher density developments
located a few miles north of Woodinville in south Snohomish County.
This by no means matches the current characteristics of the Wellington
/ Leota neighborhoods. It is also easy to visualize the increase in
traffic on existing neighborhood streets and 156th Ave. NE that will
result from the proposed developments with no corresponding improvements
to roadways to reduce these types of long-term impacts.
Approval of the Wood Trails
and Montevallo developments, as currently proposed, will irreversibly
change the Wellington / Leota neighborhoods and surrounding areas and
will set a precedent for other proposed developments in the area. If
approved, the combination of available sewer and corresponding increases
in residential densities for these two developments will be used by
other developers in the future to argue for maximizing the number of
houses on other parcels in the area. Other developers are already working
on plans for building residential housing at similar densities for several
parcels located (1) west of the Arco AM/PM Station, (2) north of Laurel
Hills near Lake Leota, and (3) south of the recently constructed Tanglin
Ridge housing development.
Changes to our neighborhoods
are about to happen at an alarming rate, and now is the time to express
your personal opinions about these changes. It is the stated goal of
the Wood Trails / Montevallo developer to begin construction in 2006
at the 6-to-8-house/acre density as described in his development applications
and the DEIS. Without some significant opposition from our community,
the City's approval process for these two subdivisions could easily
move forward at a pace that allows the developer to meet his stated
objectives.
The Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) provides a rare and possibly final opportunity for
all of us to provide public comments on the two proposed residential
developments that will undoubtedly change the characteristics of the
existing neighborhood. The applicant and the City are required to respond
to all comments submitted on the DEIS. Now is the chance to get direct
responses to your comments, something not likely to occur at any other
future point in the approval process. Do not assume that your concerns
and opinions will be expressed by others. I strongly encourage anyone
who is concerned about this change to our neighborhoods to understand
exactly what is being proposed for the two residential developments,
along with the likely long-term cumulative impacts and submit specific
thoughtful comments to the City prior to March 3.
Now is the time to have an active voice in shaping the future of our neighborhoods. Additional information concerning these two proposed developments and the DEIS comment period is available on www.wellington-neighborhood.org and on the City's website. Copies of the DEIS are available for review at City Hall and the Woodinville Library, and can be purchased from Kinko's.
Sindi Giancoli
Woodinville Little Bit
Edition Date: December 12,
2005
My heart goes out to the parents of the highschool girl that was hit by a car in front of the high school December 8.
I have written this scenario
to the paper several times, as well as spoken at our city council meetings
regarding the traffic on 136th Ave. This is the fourth pedestrian-car
accident on this road. Nothing has changed except for the traffic has
increased tremendously.
Every time a new development
starts on this small street, I have voiced my opinion.
The answer I get from our city
council is that there is no traffic impact on this road, Now how can
that be when you are building 30 houseaminums on four acres?
They claim they have done all
the studies, I would like to see the results.of these studies published
in our paper so we citizens can be "informed." And now the same
developer is developing the last of five acres on this road.
I don't see how this road
is going to be able to support the kind of traffic it is bound to create.
I have gone door to door urging
my new neighbors to go to the council meetings and fight to keep our
street safe. Maybe now that they have experienced a child being hit
by a car they will stand up and speak before it happens to one of their
children.
I have had the sad misfortune
to have lived on this street for all but one of these tragedies. Several
have been fatal.
Let's hope something gets done now. This is where most of my frustration comes from: The developers come in and cut down the trees, change the course of our streams, increase the traffic make lots of money then leave us to fix the problems created by these houseaminiums.
Sindi Giancoli
Woodinville
Edition Date: November 14,
2005
I am writing this in response to Mr. and Mrs. Madden's letter in the Nov. 7 Woodinville Weekly. I sympathize with your plight. I live on 136th Ave. N.E. This is the road that runs directly in front of the high school.
I have written letters, sat
in council meetings, and had many discussions with our chief of police
and city officials to no avail.
To date, there have been three
teenage deaths on this road. The speed the vehicles travel on this road
enrages me. Yet developers continue to develop the land on both sides
of this road with no regard to the impact of the neighbors homes or
safety.
I got the same nonsense when
I went to fight my last battle regarding the increased traffic on this
road, due to the over development, "our study's indicate no increased
traffic"
How can you build 100 new houses
and not impact this little two lane road, which also carries many commuters
who use it for a short cut to bypass the Highway nine mess?
So we have more houses, more
"No Parking Signs" along it, yet the students continue to park the
length of 136th Ave. It is only a matter of when not if that yet another
student is killed on this road. I too have invited the police to sit
in my driveway and clock the speeders. One day I sat and watched the
police ticket one car after another for parking violations.
Yes. They did put the speed meter on my road. They did it on the hill, so the cars had plenty of time to get back up to speed before reaching my house which sits at a stop sign, squeal the brakes. I have suggested a speed bump. The City had the developers install one at the bottom of the hill, but it is not much of a bump. It doesn't deter anyone from speeding. I have suggested a few more along this road. I bet it would slow a lot of cars down in school zones if they had to maneuver over more than one speed bump. I would be willing to pay for and install one in front of my house.
Todd Bailey
Woodinville
Edition Date: November 7, 2005
(A copy of the letter and e-mail sent to Snohomish County Council on the proposed land use change to the Wellington Golf course)
Dear Snohomish County Council,
I am writing in regards to
the proposed land use change for UGA Boundary, Ordinance NO. 05-076.
The Hillside and Wellington Golf course above the new Costco in Woodinville.
This area is surrounded on three sides by residential housing and the
current land use is for rural residential. The council wants to change
this to make it urban industrial. We moved to this area because it was
rural residential. Leaving the city and enjoying the drive through the
open area of the golf course and treed lots to our home which overlooks
the Olympic Mountains. This area is rich in wildlife and on the proposed
121 acres and surrounding area live an abundance of wildlife, such as
deer, rabbits, coyote, bald eagles, hawks, cranes, which we enjoy seeing,
living in this area. We moved to this area because of these features
and our neighbors moved here for the same reasons. Allowing us to escape
the urban area and live close to the city, but in a rural environment.
We also moved here because it is close to our place of work, The Seattle
Times and Bothell. We care how we impact our society seriously and have
adjusted our life style to lower our use of natural resources. We picked
this area so we could use alternative forms of commuting such as running
to and from work. Because of the growth that you have allowed we can
now hear several forms of noise pollution, such as the back up alarms
from trucks and machinery from the gravel/concrete pit on highway nine
(who is currently wanting a grading permit, which is opposed by residents
in the area) and the industrial businesses across the valley. The noise
can be heard at all hours of the night when residents in the area are
trying to sleep. It is time to stop this uncontrolled growth and leave
the area as it was found by the residents who live here, in their homes
that range from the high five hundred thousand to well over a million
dollars. Not only would this proposed change lower our home values,
it would greatly impact traffic in the area. Currently highway nine
and 240 St. SE can not handle the traffic demand placed on it. Your
plan would only increase the problem and leave residents in the area
to suffer. We have very few parks, none that the children can go to,
the 121 acres is the wooded area that the children currently play in.
Would you want this taken away from your children to have them be left
with an industrial park to play in, taking away a healthy environment
and replacing it with a polluted one? You have the opportunity and duty
to take advantage of these 121 acres. The County could buy the land,
saving the trees and wildlife and turn this rare area into a natural
park for walking and enjoyment of the community. Part of the 70 million
dollars paid to Snohomish County by King County for Brightwater could
easily buy this land, leaving it as a public golf course or a park.
This would at least help the residents in the area who will be affected by Brightwater with a positive effect and using the money for the residents of Snohomish County in a positive way. We currently have no parks in the area that residents and most importantly the children can walk to. Will the County Council take on the liability for destroying the trees, wildlife, decreasing the value of residents' homes, increasing the stress of the residents with noise and pollution, impacting the health of the residents and placing them at higher risk with the increased traffic on 240 St. SE and highway nine. If this area is to be developed, then it should be left with its current classification as Rural Residential. If any of the council members would like to come to this area and see its current beauty, you are all welcome to join me at my home and I will personally show you the area and the residents who you are impacting.
Pamela Vo
Woodinville
Edition Date: November 7, 2005
I would like to comment on
the fatal accident on October 18. I have lived in Woodinville all of
my life, born and raised! I remember when the local IGA was the only
grocery store and "brother Berle" was the guy to see to get your
car repaired.
Over the years, Woodinville
has grown considerably. I still want to raise my children here, and
perhaps grow old (heaven forbid). Because of the growth, not much thought
was put into how the city was going to support this growth, take for
example, the movie theater. The theater can seat many; that is a contradiction
to the parking. Those of us in the mood to see a movie will most likely
have to park at Top Foods or other local merchants to park, so what
about those who choose not to see a movie? They can't park by the
store because it is full up with theater patrons (are we starting to
see a pattern here?).
Getting in and out of Woodinville
is a nightmare if you should need to visit any of the merchants in downtown.
When the "new" Woodinville/Duvall road was re-routed, it was designed
for minimal traffic on rural roads, not a SUPER HIGHWAY for those coming
and leaving Duvall or other outlying areas. Now we have added Costco
to the congestion. The stupidity of the engineers who designed the W/D
did not leave room for expansion, furthermore, the nasty headache for
those of us who do drive within the speed limit all have to converge
from 2 lanes down to 1. The speed demons in a hurry who think they will
make better time with one more car out of their way, all speed up to
cut off people at this convergence.
For some reason this is most
accented when the high school lets out and begins again during rush
hour. For those of you not aware, there is a crosswalk at the intersection
of 160th. If you take the bus and should have to use this crosswalk
you are taking your life into your hands. To be honest, eliminating
the lane merges and putting a stop light at this corner would alleviate
quite a bit of this drag racing and road rage over who cut off whom.
Furthermore, adding a cement barrier (closing off access from the far
right lane for those not turning onto 522) at the freeway entrance,
preventing others from "sneaking" down and cutting in are just a
few things desperately needed to relieve added stress on the roadways.
In addition, when a driver is established in the lane and there is a
lane merging, it is the responsibility of the merging traffic to merge
safely. The established lane does not have to let you in, that is your
responsibility to blend in.
If it seems we have a lot of
hostile drivers, you're right! Downtown traffic, road traffic, lack
of parking, all add to the frustration and hostility we who live in
Woodinville have to deal with everyday. I remember a more simpler time
and am not pleased with the way our city is moving toward.
For those of you who were inconvenienced
by the detour of the W/D, how do you think the deceased's family felt
when they heard their loved one would not be coming home? How do you
think the people who live on 195th felt when you used their road as
a drag strip to get to your destination? The speed limit on that street
is 25 mph that is clearly posted, having the Street of Dreams wasn't
bad enough, our own community had to add to it. Shame on all of you
using bad judgment and not giving a damn about other people! If we are
to make a difference in our community, it has to start with us first!
You can change your life by changing your attitude; let us start with
behind the wheel of our cars.
Susan Boundy-Sanders
Woodinville
Edition Date: January 24, 2005
If you've watched the landslide search-and-rescue effort in California and thanked your lucky stars it couldn't happen here, you might want to check your star chart again.
The signs are that landslides
originating on the Draughn property, just east of downtown Woodinville,
can be up to 30 or 40 times the size of the La Conchita slide.
If you go by the best available
science, the risk management for landslide terrain is pretty straightforward:
preserve the vegetation, especially trees; don't disturb the earth;
don't overload the groundwater system.
But there's a fatal flaw
in the information that Woodinville relies on. The City's best-available-science
decisions rely heavily on the information provided by the same developers
who stand to lose money if risks are identified. It's a proverbial
fox-guarding-the-hen-house arrangement.
Our experience from last September
is illustrative. In a quasi-judicial city hearing, our neighborhood
offered expert testimony from a Cal Tech seismologist with a Ph.D, a
Cal Tech geologist and a WSU civil engineer, both with master's degrees.
That testimony was contradicted
by the spoken testimony of the developer's Civil Engineer.
City officials have remarked
on the disagreements in the testimony. The implication is that they
don't know who to believe.
If a city decision maker doesn't
receive accurate information, decisions come down to a judgment call.
Developers, acting in their own self-interests, undermine the review
process and in so doing undermine the safety of citizens.
I think this is a problem we
can solve, but it's not particularly easy.
– First, we need to make
maximum use of the studies commissioned by the City. For example, last
year the City commissioned Adolfson Associates to do a survey of the
Woodin Creek Basin as part of its state-mandated critical areas evaluation.
The Adolfson study mapped out
wetlands that had not been previously recognized in Woodinville, simply
because no one had looked. Critical areas identified in this manner
should always be added to Woodinville's critical areas inventory.
– Second, we need to re-evaluate
the threshold for requiring environmental impact studies.
Currently, if a development
application is consistent with the environmental checklist filled out
by the developer, the City rarely requires an EIS (Environmental Impact
Statement). That process would be adequate if every developer filled
out their environmental checklists competently and accurately. Unfortunately,
that sort of integrity cannot blindly be attributed to every developer.
We need to require an EIS more often, and we need them to be overseen
by the City rather than the developer.
– Third, we need accountability.
We need an inter-agency database that tracks inaccuracies in development
applications all across the region.
If a developer is shown to
submit inaccurate information in one jurisdiction, all jurisdictions
and citizens in the region need access to the specific nature of the
problems. Sanctions would be worth considering, but the ideal outcome
would be that accuracy-challenged developers would simply be put out
of business.
Let me make it clear that the goal of these measures is not to shut down development. The goal is to protect the safety of citizens and to provide city officials with accurate information so they can make sound decisions.