July 2011 Meeting

Community Service Areas

By Peter Rimbos, Corresponding Secretary

On Monday, July 11, the Greater Maple Valley Unincorporated Area Council held its regular monthly meeting. The following topics were discussed: Black Diamond Master Planned Developments; Community Service Area; and Area Council Elections. Your Area Council serves as an all-volunteer, locally elected advisory body to the King County Council representing all rural unincorporated area residents living in the Tahoma School District.

Black Diamond MPDs
The YarrowBay-proposed Master-Planned Developments (MPDs)--6,050 homes and 1.15 million sq ft of commercial/business space--in the City of Black Diamond are now undergoing the next set of Public Hearings. These Hearings deal with the Development Agreements, which are required to provide critical details of all aspects of MPD planning, development, and build-out over a 15- to 20-year timeframe. The Area Council remains strongly opposed to several aspects of the MPDs: massive amounts of traffic throughput the region, and up to four new Schools and major Stormwater Detention Facilities all in the Rural Area.

The first set of Hearings, Open-Record Hearings before the City of Black Diamond’s Hearing Examiner started on Monday, July 11 and are scheduled to proceed through Saturday, July 16, with Expert testimony scheduled to start on Monday, July 18. All sessions are at Sawyer Woods Elementary School in Black Diamond. As before, the Public will be able provide Oral Testimony as well as submit Written Statements. The Area Council again will provide both Oral Testimony and Written Statements.

Following completion of the Open-Record Hearings the Hearing Examiner will prepare recommendations to be forwarded to the Black Diamond City Council. It is expected the City Council will start the second set of Hearings, Closed-Record Hearings (“closed” because you must have first participated in the Open-Record Hearings to be eligible to address the City Council in the Closed-Record Hearings) in September or October. In the coming months the Area Council also will consider providing both Oral Testimony and Written Statements during this set of Hearings.

Information on the first set of Public Hearings--including Hearing Rules and Procedures--are posted on the City of Black Diamond MPD page. The Development Agreement documents agreed to by YarrowBay and Black Diamond City Staff also are posted, along with many other MPD documents.

Community Service Area Legislation
IOn the Spring the King County Executive, at the request of the King County Council, drafted a proposal to establish a new relationship between the County and the Unincorporated Area Councils (UACs) in place of the existing Citizens’ Participation Initiative. Part of the Executive’s proposal is to establish Community Service Area (CSAs) which would encompass most of unincorporated King County and include community-based organizations such as the current UACs.

On Monday, July 11 the King County Council took action on the Executive’s proposed plan and adopted legislation for the establishment of CSAs. A single point of contact from the County will hold meetings with service areas to develop work programs and provide regular opportunities for community-based organizations, such as the UACs, to meet and work with King County officials. County Staff will continue working with the UACs while expanding outreach to include community councils and other local organizations.

Area Council Elections
In odd-numbered years, the Area Council conducts elections for half of its 16 members (members serve staggered 4-yr terms) and an Advisory Issues Survey to gauge area residents on topics of importance to the rural community. These surveys help the Area Council to understand the sentiments of Rural Area residents and to accurately convey them to local and state elected officials. The Area Council will take into account the new Community Service Area legislation when developing its 2011 Election and Survey plan over the next month or two.

Council Business
1. County-Wide Planning Policies: The Growth Management Planning Council (GMPC) is accepting Public Comments on its update of the County-Wide Planning Policies (C-WPPs). The next GMPC meeting is September 28 and the Area Council discussed testifying on the suitability of placement of Schools that primarily serve adjacent Urban Development being placed in the Rural Area and their related impacts on residents. For more information, click here.

Next Regular Monthly Meeting:
Date/Time -- August 1, 2011, at 7:00 - 9:30 PM.
Location -- Fire Station at 231st St & SR-169 (NEW LOCATION) across from the Sheriff’s Precinct).