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March 2007 Meeting Summary

 

Shoreline Master Plan and Proposed Ravensdale Sports Complex

By Peter Rimbos, Corresponding Secretary

 

The Greater Maple Valley Area Council, at its regular monthly meeting on Monday, March 5, addressed the following major items:

 

(1) Shoreline Master Program Update; and

(2) Proposed Ravensdale Sports Complex.

 

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

 

Shoreline Master Plan Update

Harry Reinert from the King County Department of Development & Environmental Services (DDES) discussed the Washington state-mandated review of the Shoreline Master Program. King County is in the first stages of updating this set of policies and regulations, which determines how major shorelines are managed. These include large rivers (>20 cubic feet/second) such as the Cedar River, large lakes (>20 acres), and all marine bodies of water.

 

The Shoreline Program has not been significantly changed since it was adopted in 1978. The update is required by the Shoreline Management Act, and the Washington Department of Ecology must approve any changes to King County's Shoreline Master Program. Goals are to improve water quality, species habitat, shoreline-dependent economy, and public access.

 

The update will evaluate existing conditions and determine goals and standards for shoreline management. King County already has a set of comprehensive environmental regulations that apply to shoreline areas. The plan is to rely on those existing regulations as much as possible to meet the state's Shoreline Master Program requirements. Consequently, it is not expected that there will be significant changes as a result of this update. As an incorporated city, Maple Valley is preparing its own shoreline update separate from the County.

 

In February, four public workshops were held in the rural locations to discuss shoreline conditions and the update process. In the May/June timeframe a DRAFT Shoreline Master Program will be available for public review and comment. More information on King County’s Shoreline Master Program Update can be found at the DNRP site: http://www.metrokc.gov/shorelines/shorelines-plan-update.aspx. This website includes a list of shorelines and an interactive map tool that allows the public to view shoreline information.

 

Proposed Ravensdale Sports Complex

Sujata Goel from the King County Department of Natural Resources & Parks (DNR-P) presented a plan for a proposed 40-acre sports complex on Kent-Kangley Road near the Gracie Hansen Community Center in Ravensdale. The proposed plan would develop as many as 8 to 10 soccer and baseball fields at Ravensdale Park.

 

According to DNR-P, the Ravensdale sports complex would be developed in coordination with ball field development proposed by the City of Maple Valley at its Summit Pit site, which might have 5- 6 new fields. According to Ms. Goel, this proposal is in the preliminary community planning and coordination phase. Ms. Goel also stated that the King County DNR-P plan calls for design and permitting to be completed some time this Fall with construction commencing and finishing next year. The public can go to this DNR-P site for more information: http://www.metrokc.gov/parks/cpg/projects/ravensdale.html (click on each of the three items on the right-hand-side of the page).

 

Area Council Members asked many questions; for example:

 

(1) What are the supporting organizations requesting a need for additional ball fields? The response was a chart that names King County Parks, City of Maple Valley, City of Black Diamond, Tahoma School District, Friends of Rock Creek Valley, Maple Valley/Black Diamond Chamber of Commerce, King County Department of Business and Resource Development (BRED), Tahoma Sports Council, Developer Partners, User Groups, Stakeholders, and GMVAC (Note: GMVAC has taken no position on this item at this time and its position will be guided by unincorporated citizens’ input);

 

(2) Who has committed hard cash to the project? The answer was that, at present, King County has about $1.3 million that it could commit (out of an estimated potential cost of $15 million) plus various commitments of “sweat equity” and materials from contractors and user groups;

 

(3) How many ball fields currently exist in the area? The answers were given as follows, City of Maple Valley one, the Tahoma School District eight or so, and two or three within the unincorporated area at Ravensdale Park;

 

(4) What is the utilization of existing ball fields? The response was that all existing fields are being fully utilized and more are needed.

 

Area Council members expressed concern that:

 

(1) The Ravensdale Sports Park would significantly increase an overloaded local road system;

 

(2) No “Traffic Concurrency” or environmental studies have been done with respect to the proposed Ravensdale project;

 

(3) The Proposed plan did not indicate whether existing taxpayer funded land is available from the Tahoma School District or Black Diamond for ball field development; and

 

(4) No discrete funding plan for development or Operations & Maintenance was presented. In light of recent transfer of several King County DNR-P parks and recreation facilities to various cities and other agencies (which resulted from DNR-P’s inability to pay for the transferred properties), members wondered how the capital and operating costs of added new facilities will be paid for and managed.

 

In summary, Area Council members believe the public is entitled to know: Who is in charge? Who controls who uses what? Who pays for the facilities capital costs and the Operations & Maintenance costs? In short, where is the plan? Also, we encourage DNR-P to hold well-advertised public meetings for all local citizens.

 

Next Meeting

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

 

Our next regular monthly meeting to be held on Monday, April 2, at 7:00 PM, will feature Ms. Sherril Huff-Mens, King County Superintendent of Elections, on King County Elections Plan for 2007 and 2008. Comments on Area Council business may be submitted to GMVAC, P.O. Box 101, Maple Valley, WA  98038, or to Dick Bonewits, Chair.