Upper Bear Creek UAC Meeting Minutes

Date: January 28, 2003
Time: 7:30 - 9:10 PM
Location: Woodinville Water District Offices (new and lovely!
Board Attendees: Mary Filkins, Geoff Clayton, Nancy Stafford.
County Attendees: Marissa Algeria, Russ Carlsen (Kathy Lambert)
Community Attendees: Philip Krough, Howard and Patti VanLaeken, Mary Kuehn, Nick and Gladys Lukevich, Rick and Kathy Ravenscroft, Maxine Keesling, Bob Bandarra

Paul Reitenbach, Senior Policy Analyst for DDES explained the process of Comprehensive Plan Update. The Comp Plan is required to have a thorough update very 10 years; the current plan was formulated in 1992-94. 2003-04 will see significant issues. He passed out a list of Issues Under Consideration, Land Use Proposals Under Consideration and instructions on How You Can Participate. Printed material on "How to Propose an Amendment to the Com Plan by getting on the Docket" was included and discussed. *see handout Request for changes in the Comp Plan are received year round. Things to be considered this year need to reach DDES by March 30th to be submitted the KC Council in April. Docket items received after March 30th 2003 will go into the 2004 submission to the KC Council. Each year, changes are considered, off years are usually technical changes, even years are usually policy issues that may include maps, land use; major updates. Review of the Urban Growth Boundaries (est. 1992-94) requires review every 10 years. A formula of projections determines "enough room to grow/absorb increase of population". Current target goals are good til 2012 and projected out to 2022. Urban and Rural land use designations are very different from one another. A 5+acre lot in the rural zone (unless vested) cannot sub-divide, making affordable housing in rural areas scarce. The problem of taxation was brought up, noting that living in a rural area next to an urban development caused rural taxes to increase as though their land value increased. Instead, the land value is diminished by the inability to sub-divide but no provision of tax compensation for long-term landowners living adjacent to urban development is made. Reitenbach pointed out that the King County Web site has all kinds of information that has previously been available in hard copy including a "Build able Land Report". Sub division of 20 acre plots to 4 X 5 acre lots when in a red area on the Traffic Concurrency map is prohibited. He pointed out that in the booming "90's when the County had plenty of money, infrastructure was not a priority. Economics change, the County is now short of money but the increase of traffic calls for major roadwork left undone. The Traffic Concurrency Map for our area is almost entirely in the red. Message for the evening was…if you have a valid request for change in land use; get it into the County ASAP to make the "docket". Paul can be reached at 206 296 6705.

The KC Service Center (Avondale and W/D Rd) hours are changed to Wed-Thur noon til 7pm, Friday 12:am til 5:pm. Passports applications can be made here.

Kevin reported on the progress of the Advisory Group for W/Duvall road improvements. County consultants feel a 5-lane road is the only solution. The advisory group tends to think this is too much solution for a 3 hour a day problem. Consultants think through traffic is not much of the problem. "Included trips" trips that are generated because the road is there, have not been recognized. Kevin feels the only hope is a 3-lane road, then wait for the City of Woodinville to make the link in the city 5 lanes in order to look again to our segment of the road. The unfinished process includes more "open houses" for public input. Feedback is appreciated.

The Music In the Park Grant is in draft form, being edited for submission Feb 01.

Suggestion was made to have a community information table available at our meetings for anyone in the community to bring printed material to share. To be discussed.

Thanks to Bob Bandarra for our use of the meeting room last night.

Nancy Stafford, sec'y