Sammamish Forum
June 18, 2008
By Staff
Don’t change erosion standards
Last week’s front page article “Planners propose weaker standards” should concern everyone in Sammamish. Though it is never mentioned, the city code they propose to weaken is the Erosion Hazards Near Sensitive Water Bodies Special District Overlay – it addresses that portion of the plateau edge that contains steep, highly erosive outwash soils which drain to sensitive streams and Lake Sammamish.
Scientists determined that point discharges of stormwater, (stormwater coming out of the end of a pipe) into these areas caused severe erosion and landslides which harmed the water quality and habitat of streams and Lake Sammamish – so point discharges were specifically disallowed.
Right now, people who want to build in these areas must infiltrate the stormwater onsite, or pipe it past the erosion hazard zone.
Now, some people are complaining about the strict standard and so the city wants to weaken them. That would be a very costly and dangerous mistake.
The potential for harm to downstream property and basic human health and safety is severe. In the 1990′s, excess stormwater caused George Davis Creek, by Inglewood Hill Road, to wash out into Lake Sammamish, costing King County millions in damages. What the city should do before it even considers weakening current standards is
- Wait until the Low Impact Development Ordinance is passed and integrate new, natural LID standards into the stormwater management of these sites.
- Resolve our suit with the Department of Ecology over the city’s NPDES permit, and integrate those new standards as well.
- Update the city’s Surface Water Design Manual (The city is still using the 1998 Manual – 10 years out of date.)
- Prepare a city-wide stormwater plan to address the cumulative effects of stormwater. If tightlines are needed, then the city should build them.
- Update the Basin Plans (the city has updated only one so far – the Inglewood Basin – the only basin that isn’t in an Erosion Hazard Zone.) The studies for the original East Lake Sammamish Basin Plan were done in the late 1980′s.
Ilene Stahl, Sammamish
The village recreational center
Long ago there was a village, but not quite. The residents needed a Village Recreational Center where seniors, children, youth and people of all ages could go to exercise, swim, play games and enjoy social activities. Everyone was excited and a proposal was put forth to provide financial support for the YMCA to build this $24 million center. Then the bad news arrived. The YMCA could no longer afford the project. Unless someone devised a bold plan, the center would remain a dream.
A group of residents spent much time examining the village finances. To their surprise, they discovered that the leaders were planning to spend $42 million on a road project. Now this was of great interest, because the residents were spending far too much time in congestion on that road. After much examination, however they discovered that the new road would do nothing to address congestion, rather it would make a ‘beautiful entrance’ to the village.
The citizens met many times with the village leaders to talk about their discovery, but each time they were told that the road must be rebuilt. The Village Concurrency Document required it. You see, the concurrency document was a very distinguished plan approved by the leaders. It assigned ‘concurrency points’ to each roadway. The more points, the higher the concurrency. Concurrency is so important even if it doesn’t solve any problems. Of course, the leaders could have removed the road from their plan, but it was such a grand and important plan, full of curious calculations. After all, they had spent so much time and money creating this plan and were appalled at the thought of changing it.
The citizens were dismayed, because the village’s vision statement said so much about how family friendly the village should be, never mentioning road projects or concurrency. In the end, the residents were left to pay $1,000 per person so the leaders could have their beautiful road. They never did see their center.
Michael J. O’Connell, Sammamish
244th Avenue project flawed
Kudos to the Sammamish Review for putting the spotlight on the meandering plan that has evolved for the 244th Avenue Project.
As the smaller project overlooked in the tussle over the East Lake Sammamish Parkway and the Town Center projects, the 244th Avenue project has been sputtering along without much attention being paid to not only the unexplained changes to the plan, but also to the fact that the reasons given for the need for the road have steadily eroded and it now presents the possibility of creating more problems than solutions.
Traffic relief? Sammamish residents get off the north end of the plateau faster than ever now that the State Route 202 expansion is completed.
Emergency vehicle access? This was never a real issue given that there are already multiple access points including one through the Plateau Club.
Problems? Many. Aside from the questions already raised about the roundabout fed from two blind hills, the city now intends to send additional traffic through two school zones, each just yards away from the exit of the new roundabout being planned.
They have already ruled out speed bumps, raised crosswalks and other measures suggested by residents with children walking to these schools, and there are no plans to add sidewalks where they are needed along the north side of 244th Avenue.
And if people wonder why this is taking so long, part of the delay is from the difficult process of getting the plans and permits required to build the bridge right on a Class I wetlands, which the city seems unconcerned about for the sake of giving back a few minutes of time each day to a couple of hundred commuters looking to speed through the neighborhoods and school zones here.
This was originally listed as another reason the city needed the road – “To Connect Neighborhoods and Communities,” which they have thankfully stopped pretending was the intention.
No thank you. Save the money, build a public pool and community center, add some bike paths and start looking at ways to make the city a truly livable place without cutting it up into a mesh of roads and 1/2 acre treeless lots.
David Dallaire, Sammamish
Silent Minority: Time to Speak Up! How many of you can identify?
It’s been a long day: the kid’s laundry disaster made everyone late; the computer at work has a mind of its own; and meetings were too many and too long. Now it’s time for Parents’ Night at school, and groups of you are standing around waiting for it to start. Someone starts talking about the elections and how horrible it is that Dino Rossi was robbed and didn’t get voted into the Governor’s Office.
Do you shoot back with a pithy and insightful remark that displays at once humor and grace, conveying your deep-felt democratic ideals of inclusion and oneness with the universe?
Or do you stand silently by, smiling? Not in agreement, but that awkward smile of “Oh crap, what do I say?” That would be me. I’m tired, I’m frazzled, and the last thing I want is to pick a fight with a parent at my child’s school. Ya gotta pick your battles, right?
Fast forward to February 2008 Precinct Caucuses. So many people, so many enthusiastic Democratic neighbors. I never, ever would have thought she was a Democrat. I didn’t know she was in my precinct.
He lives two houses down; why haven’t we ever talked politics? Oh my Gosh – I am not alone! I am not alone! I have found a home for my voice. Time to speak up for myself!
Speaking up takes courage, but it’s worth it!
Why do we fear dissent? Why do we expend so much energy avoiding conflict? What’s the worst that will happen? Someone might not like us? Our kids will be embarrassed? (“Oh, Mom….”) People decide whether they like you or not within minutes of meeting you, regardless of your politics. No point beating around the bush with people or being shy when the stakes are so high.
My message to Sammamish is that this year’s elections are too important to worry about being popular. If, like me, you support Obama, Gregoire, Burner, and other Washington State Democratic candidates for public office, now is the time to use our voices to speak up for change. We have to do everything in our power to effect the “change we believe in.”
I challenge us all to answer the call and do more than just speak up. Let’s go a step further. Sign up to be a Precinct Caption, contact your local Party representatives, volunteer, get the vote out, work tirelessly to recruit others to the cause. Do not rest, do not waver, stay the course. Be not afraid, you are not alone. We can do this. With our voices. Yes We Can!
Allison Rae Hannigan
Sammamish
Not the city’s money!
In the Sammamish City Newsletter, Issue 72, Mayor Lee Fellinge talked about the city’s 2009-2010 budget saying ”This is not the city’s money; it is your money… I invite you to keep track of these discussions and let us know what you think.”
You want to know what we think? Really, Lee?
From my conversation with one of your staff and in recent newspaper articles, I see that the impact fee revenue is significantly less than expected. Perhaps you may have noticed that we are in a recession while prices for fuel, food and literally everything else are rising dramatically. So, since you are listening, here is my number one recommendation. Scrap the East lake Sammamish Parkway project! But then, taxpayers have been saying this for years so why do I think you will listen this time. In spite of months of the public input and design reviews ad nauseam you are planning to adopt the same design that you initially proposed! You changed nothing based upon all of the ‘public input’! You adopted the most expensive alternative to boot!
But, since you are really listening this time, here is some information for you to consider. First, your staff has stated that the proposed design does nothing to relieve congestion, the number one problem for ELSP. It is very likely that the Redmond construction and reclassification of the car-pool lane on the new flyover will eliminate or dramatically ease the problem – with no help from Sammamish. Second, you will be spending an estimated $46,000,000 (of OUR money), or 35% of the total five year Concurrency Projects expenditures on this single project (of the seven total projects) yet the essential benefit is a ‘more beautiful’ road. Give me a break, Lee! Third, you are planning to spend over $15,000,000 on the Inglewood Hill Road segment alone. How in the world do you justify this when WADOT was able to build an entire exit and flyover for $12M? Note that the flyover actually delivers real benefits! Why don’t you spend the $200,000 suggested by your staff to improve the Inglewood Hill Road intersection instead and either save the taxpayers the money or build the recreation and social center that our community so desperately needs.
I’m glad you’re listening.
Michael J. O’Connell
Learn – Vote
Steven Christofferson, age 20, woke and dressed for his job, like most of us. Unlike most of us, Steven‘s body was ripped apart by an explosion that rocked his vehicle on April 21 of this year. Steven is one of over 4,000 U.S. deaths in Iraq. In addition there have been tens of thousands of disabled veterans and more than 200,000 civilian casualties since we invaded in March 2003. The war in Iraq was ill advised, absolutely unnecessary and a criminal misdirection of our military resources.
As a military veteran, I am sickened by the gross ineptitude of Pres. George Bush as Commander in Chief as well as Vice Pres. Dick Cheney and the deliberate abuse of the public trust granted to them.
I am appalled by the lies perpetrated to justify attacking Iraq. Bush and Cheney are being condemned in the court of public opinion, but should also be tried in the Hague for crimes against humanity.
I am proud to be an American and to have served in the military. However, I will not condone stupidity or endorse liars.
What of our own nation? We are in recession. We rank 37th in the list of developed nations in providing affordable health care. In major cities fewer than 50 percent of high school students graduate.
Candidate for president Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has promised to keep us in Iraq for 10 or more years. He wants to be a ‘war president’ and knows little about economics or the problems with health care.
As November approaches I encourage you to do at least two things.
First, ignore the sound bites and spend time learning about the issues and candidates. People are elected, not political parties. Some of you may be staunch Republicans but I sincerely doubt that you would want (if it were possible) four more years of George Bush.
Second, if you haven’t already done so, register to vote.
Let me deliberately misquote Edmund Burke – “All that is necessary for incompetence to triumph is for good men to do nothing”. Learn – vote.
Michael J. O’Connell Sammamish
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