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April 2008 Meeting Highlights

By Peter Rimbos, Corresponding Secretary

 

The Greater Maple Valley Area Council held its regular monthly meeting on Monday, April 7, with 12 members present, three absent (one provided a proxy), and one position open. The following items were addressed:

 

1) Ravensdale Park

2) King County Comprehensive Plan Update for 2008, and

3) Permit Technical Advisory Committee.

 

The Area Council serves as an all-volunteer, locally elected advisory body to the King County Council and represents all rural unincorporated area residents living in the Tahoma School District.

 

Ravensdale Park

The Area Council has been involved with plans for Ravensdale Park for over a year since King County Parks & Recreation (P&R) presented plans to convert it into a “Regional Sports Complex.” During this period Area Council members have spoken to members of the Ravensdale community and voiced many community concerns to members of the King County Council about P&R’s proposed plans. Along the way Rural Ravensdale, a dynamic local group of many dedicated concerned community citizens, has taken it upon itself to work with P&R, local sports groups, and others to identify and voice community needs and desires for Ravensdale Park.

 

These tireless efforts have resulted in major changes to P&R’s original proposal resulting in a much more “local” character to Ravensdale Park no longer planned to be a “Regional Sports Complex.” P&R has developed a Preliminary Draft Master Plan for Ravensdale Park through coordination with many local stakeholder groups, including Rural Ravensdale.

 

The Area Council voted to support the Preliminary Draft Master Plan. Details and drawings will be posted on our site’s Ravensdale Park page. The process used for the Ravensdale Park shows what can be accomplished when King County works hand-in-hand with local groups to meet local needs. The Area Council thanks all who have participated in this process for a job well done and a result of which all can be proud.

 

King County Comprehensive Plan Update for 2008

The Area Council discussed Executive Sims’ proposed March 1 revisions to the King County Comprehensive Plan. Members of the Area Council’s Land-Use and Transportation Committees have reviewed Executive Sims’ proposal. Our preliminary findings show that several of our major concerns dealing with: Industrial Clustering, Residential Clustering, Public Transportation, Transportation Concurrency, and Transportation Planning Coordination (voiced in our December 28, 2007 formal comment submittal to DDES) still are not adequately addressed.

 

The Area Council members plan to provide detailed testimony at an upcoming public meeting of the King County Council’s Growth Management & Natural Resources (GM&NR) Committee (see details below). In addition, the Area Council will submit formal written comments to the GM&NR Committee, as well as testify before the committee at their May 6 weekly meeting in downtown Seattle.

 

The GM&NR Committee currently is holding Special Meetings in Rural Area communities in its review of Executive Sims’ proposed changes submitted March 1. The public can testify in person at any of these Special Meetings or by visiting their website  to submit testimony online. Each of the special meetings will begin with an Open House at 6:00 PM followed by the meeting itself between 6:30 to 8:30 PM including public testimony limited to 2 minutes per speaker. The next Special Meeting in the local area will be held in >Renton on Tuesday, April 22, at Northwood Middle School Commons, 17007 SE 184th St.

 

The GM&NR Committee is scheduled to complete its recommendations by August 5. Hearings before the full King County Council are scheduled for late September, with final adoption of the 2008 update to the King County Comprehensive Plan by October 6.

 

Permit Technical Advisory Committee

The Area Council’s Gordon Moorman provided an overview of a new technical advisory committee of which he is a member along with other King County citizens and the Department of Development and Environmental Services (DDES). The Permit Technical Advisory Committee, created at the behest of the King County Council, is tasked with reviewing DDES permit procedures, including timing, costs, etc.

 

The Permit Technical Advisory Committee will provide recommendations for improvements at DDES to the King County Council in October of this year. In the coming months Gordon will provide periodic progress reports to the Area Council at its regular monthly meetings.

 

Next Meeting

The Area Council meets on the first Monday of each month (except on legal holidays) at the Sheriff’s Precinct # 3 Headquarters located at 231st St & SR-169 (across from Fire Station). The public is invited to attend. Each meeting begins with an Open Comment period allowing citizens to voice issues of concern.

 

Our next regular monthly meeting will be held on Monday, May 5, 2008, at 7:00 PM. Speakers will include: Jim Nolan of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency to discuss proposed burn bans; Fae Brooks of the National Coalition-Building Institute to discuss a new community outreach program; and Sheriff Major Dave Germani of the Maple Valley Precinct who will listen to issues and concerns from the public, a forum he provides quarterly at Area Council meetings.