No summer complete without an election
July 13, 2010
Summer is a great time to relax, but in just a few short weeks, voters will need to get back to business and prepare for the Aug. 17 primary election.
Many of us would rather be taking it easy and playing in the summer sun, but voters might want to take along the voters’ pamphlet for some lounge-chair reading. Read more
Sammamish Forum July 14
July 13, 2010
Town Center problems
Mr. Hamilton’s “Town Center is coming” letter is pure disinformation.
The real estate agent claims to have assembled 37 acres of land. Not true. He claims a developer wants to invest, not true. Hamilton and this fellow are allies because the real estate agent creates the fantasy that the “Town Center is coming.”
The core Town Center area west of 228th has no infrastructure.
The city must invest tens of millions before development is possible. The city has no money.
The developer who wishes to build a sports center is completely frustrated with the Town Center plan.
Mr. Hamilton knows the developer is petitioning for major revisions to the Town Center plan. Without these revisions, his project is impossible.
Favoritism is shown to the O’Brien and Liu properties. The O’Brien property went from being outside the Town Center to being in the Town Center with the highest per acre density in the town center without any public discussion.
Hamilton proposed 100,000 square feet of commercial space for the Liu property of 4.5 acres, one quarter to a half of this land is steep slopes.
Since this commercial allocation is disproportionately high in comparison to other mixed-use zones, Hamilton arranged for 4 acres of unbuildable land that belonged to a neighbor to be re-zoned and added to Liu’s A-4 zone.
This was done by Planning Commission caveat with no public discussion.
The Planning Commission also proposed that the O’Brien and Liu properties be exempt from the city’s costly, uncertain preliminary planning process. I spotted this change and am challenging it as gross favoritism.
Together the O’Brien and Liu properties adjacent to City Hall represent 114,000 square feet of commercial development and up to 360 residential units.
Imagine what the City Hall and library complex will be like when developed to this level of density.
Everything Hamilton says about our proposed project is untrue.
Visit www.sammamishtowncenter.com for detailed information about the plan.
It advocates offering a developer a range between 100,000 to 300,000 for both retail and office, applies the city’s development standards and is environmentally responsible.
John Galvin
The writer is a property owner in Town Center area in the area referenced in the website.
Mark Isaacs gives simplistic answers
Mark Isaacs is obviously a skilled politician.
He states that he was not privy to all the details that legislators were, but that he was sure he could have cut something instead of raising taxes.
He uses a simpleton analogy of a child wanting to buy baseball cards to compare to the services that our state provides.
Our roads, police, parks, schools, hospitals, libraries, safety nets and social services are not just some “nice extras” a child might want.
Real people get hurt by the kind of cuts Mr. Isaacs supports. Instead he supports giving tax cuts to greed based people who make their income off the infrastructure we all pay for (privatize the profits, socialize the costs).
They should pay for what they use just like any other cost of doing business. 1.8 percent is nothing when compared to utility costs.
We are not a socialist country, or even headed to socialism, that is just an RNC fear-based scare tactic for those who do not understand the terms.
Obama is the ultimate corporatist since he gave our assets to the corporations in the form of the Wall Street bailouts.
Michael T. Barr
Sammamish
Love and hate in Sammamish
During a recent Sunday school lesson in a Sammamish church, the teacher asked his teenage students how they would treat a gay person if they met one.
Their considered answer, which the teacher sanctioned… ‘love the sinner and hate the sin’.
Perhaps this love-hate philosophy works within the cloister, but it trivializes the question of how we should react to, and treat people within society.
It also advances an institutionalized and detrimental social bias into the next generation.
Aside from perhaps the ultra right-wing and paranoid, would a religious adherent actually attempt to form a social relationship with another person on the basis of their ‘sins’ rather than more acceptable norms?
Of course not, otherwise they would never interact with another human being!
Then why do otherwise reasonable people revert to such a shallow characterization? I can envision no generally acceptable societal rationale for creating such arbitrary divisions.
I enjoy living in Sammamish. The diversity of our culture speaks volumes about our inclusive nature.
Bias against any person, whether based upon gender, gender preference, skin color, religion, national origin or any other human trait simply has no place here.
Until we consider gays, and for that matter, other disfavored individuals simply as people, we will never advance the dialog past a very superficial level, and more importantly, end discrimination and legalized bias.
Let me suggest that we in Sammamish abandon language and concepts that divide us.
We should demonstrate simple, unconditional acceptance. Not love or hate, just a respect for the humanity and rights of all people.
Then we should work to ensure that Sammamish is indeed inclusive by actively lobbying for gay equality in our state and national legislatures and by voting for equality measures.
I dream John Lennon’s dream. As unattainable as his vision in “Imagine” is, it points toward a future where every person experiences the respect and equality that each member of humanity deserves.
Michael J. O’Connell
Sammamish
EFR continues to debate aid to Fall City
July 13, 2010
Eastside Fire & Rescue board members continue to balk at who, if anyone, will soften the financial blow Fall City’s fire district will take when Sammamish annexes the Aldarra and Montaine neighborhoods.
Sammamish Mayor Don Gerend insisted at a July 8 EFR meeting that the city of Sammamish was sticking by its proposal that Issaquah and Fire District 10 – the two EFR partners slated to save money in connection with the annexation – forgo that savings. Gerend and the Sammamish City Council suggest that for two and a half years the money be routed to the Fall City district, which is expected to lose up to 15 percent of its tax base. Read more
Larry Springer running for another term
July 13, 2010
The wheels of the state legislature turn slowly and deliberately, but Larry Springer wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Of all the things I’ve done this is one of the most rewarding, stimulating and motivating,” Springer said. “I’m reminded that our founding fathers wanted it to be slow and frustrating – they didn’t want decisions to be made on a whim.” Read more
Executive outlines ‘green’ energy plan for King County
July 13, 2010
King County Executive Dow Constantine debuted a plan last week to cut energy use, stimulate the development of “green” technology and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The plan sets goals to produce, use or buy renewable energy equal to 50 percent of total county energy requirements by 2012; reduce energy usage in county buildings 10 percent by 2012; and cut energy use in county vehicles 10 percent by 2015. Read more
Sammamish wants to see an EFR budget with no increase
July 13, 2010
Eastside Fire and Rescue’s 2011 budget is still several months from being finalized, but Sammamish’s representatives already seem intent on limiting the increase of expenses.
At a July 8 board meeting, fire administration presented a draft expense budget that called for a 3.15 percent increase, which could lead to an increase in contributions by individual members in the neighborhood of 5 percent. Read more
Congressman talks international trade during area stop
July 13, 2010
Congressman Dave Reichert emphasized trade as a prescription to revive the stalled economy during a meeting with Issaquah business leaders late last week.
Reichert, a Republican and former King County sheriff, stopped at Blakely Hall in the Issaquah Highlands on July 9 for a 90-minute discussion about how recent federal legislation affects businesses. Read more
Sammamish resident named outstanding graduate
July 13, 2010
While touring the Italian art scene in Siena in summer 2009, Wesleigh Richardson noticed a seemingly insignificant detail in the 14th century “Madonna Enthroned with Saints” painting by Italian-born Duccio di Buoninsegna — Arabic writing.
Wesleigh Richardson chats on the phone after graduating from Western Washington University in June. Contributed
Ed Baker receives award from Arc of King County
July 13, 2010
One hundred years ago in Seattle, Minnie Baker, a local schoolteacher, had given birth to her son Ed, who had a developmental disability.
When Ed was old enough, his mother tried to enroll him in a public school, but he was denied entry.
At the time, children with disabilities were not allowed to attend public schools. Read more
Skyline students learn basics of criminology
July 13, 2010
Entering a school science laboratory July 1, students stumbled upon a gruesome scene at Skyline High School.
A man was found lying face down on the ground near a microscope table. He had stab wounds in his back and a knife was just feet away. Read more
