Showing posts with label point wells. Show all posts
Showing posts with label point wells. Show all posts

Richmond Beach Road Rechannelization public meeting

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

The roadway would be changed to one lane in each direction
with a center turn lane and bicycle lanes


There will be a public meeting for the 60% design review of the Richmond Beach Road Rechannelization project.

Thursday, October 12, 2017 from 6 - 8pm at Shorewood High School, 17300 Fremont Avenue N
Shoreline 98133


This project will rechannelize Richmond Beach Road/ NW 195th Street/ NW 196th Street from 24th Avenue NW to Dayton Avenue N from four lanes to one vehicle lane in each direction and a center turn lane.

The primary goal of the project is to improve driver, pedestrian, and bicyclist safety and mobility. Rechannelization also provides the ability to implement on-street bicycle lanes as well as pedestrian refuge space for pedestrians crossing the street between controlled intersections.

The project corridor has a history of collisions, and includes two of the high collision locations from the City’s 2017 Annual Traffic Report; the intersection of 3rd Avenue NW and NW Richmond Beach Road, and the roadway segment of NW Richmond Beach Road from 3rd Avenue NW to 8th Avenue NW. A rechannelization was recommended as mitigation for the collisions.

In 2016 City Council approved the rechannelization as part of the 2017-2022 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).

The proposed cross-section was developed as part of the 2014 Transportation Corridor Study, studying the impacts of the Point Wells project.

60% Design means that there is time and opportunity for significant changes, if needed, based on public input.
 
Come to the public open house to see how public feedback has already shaped the design and have an opportunity to comment on the plan before it is finalized.


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Point Wells developer told to make major revisions to application

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Original BSRE drawing for Point Wells
Drawing courtesy BSRE

By Evan Smith

Developers of the proposed Point Wells condominium project just north of Richmond Beach in southwest Snohomish County will need to submit a revised proposal.

That's what a Snohomish County planner told developer BSRE Point Wells in a letter dated Tuesday.

County planner Ryan Countryman said in the letter that a revised proposal would have to address several major issues, including building a second road to the site, meeting environmental and landslide protection rules, and providing complete floor plans, parking plans and landscaping plans.

The letter gives the developer six months to make the revisions to plans for the proposal to build 3,081 condominium units along with 125,000 square feet of retail and commercial space on the industrial site, a site that is within the urban growth area of Woodway but on property that the city of Shoreline has identified for future service and annexation.

For now, all work toward a draft environmental impact statement has stopped.

Planner Countryman has told the developer that, without the revisions, the Snohomish County planning department would have to make a recommendation based on the current proposal, a recommendation that probably would be to deny the proposal.

Richmond Beach road leads to lower Woodway
and Point Wells
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Currently, the only road to or from the development is a narrow, two-lane road through the Richmond Beach area of the city of Shoreline in northwest King County. The road, Richmond Beach Drive Northwest in Shoreline, crosses the King-Snohomish County line into the southwest corner of the town of Woodway before reaching Point Wells.

Snohomish County zoning and fire-protection rules require at least two roads to and from any developments of this size.

A Richmond Beach resident working with others to monitor what’s happening at Point Wells, Tom McCormick, said Wednesday that he is pleased to see Countryman’s letter.

"The County has expressed its concerns to BSRE before, but now it’s in writing for the public to see,” he said.

He added that while he is pleased, there are many other issues that need to be addressed, like building height. He said he believes that the county’s rules limit building heights at Point Wells to 90 feet and that the 180-foot buildings planned by the developer should not be allowed.

Point Wells with freighter moored at dock
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Also, he said he believes that the county is wrongly using its relatively weak 2007 landslide hazard rules in assessing what building setbacks from the steep slopes behind Point Wells are required. Under its more protective 2015 post-Oso rules, required setbacks would be up to four times what the old rules require; at one site location, 340 feet instead of 85 feet.

Woodway Town Administrator Eric Faison noted Tuesday that the requested revised application would come close to being a new application, something that would fall under new, more restrictive zoning rules.

A Blue Star Real Estate representative did not respond to a telephone call Wednesday afternoon.

Countryman’s letter to the developer notes that BSRE is operating on its third extension for completing its plans.

Planning for the proposed development has been subject to repeated delays.

A representative of the developer had been quoted in an April 2014 Everett Herald article as saying that he then estimated that completion of the environmental impact statement would come by the end of that year.

Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com.



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Point Wells project impact statement delayed again

Monday, June 13, 2016


Richmond Beach Drive on right. Hillside drops down to the railroad tracks.
The petroleum tanks at Point Wells are in the background.
Photo by Diane Hettrick

By Evan Smith

Planning for the proposed Point Wells project has been delayed again.

Snohomish County planners now say that the draft environmental impact statement will come out in October rather than in July as reported earlier.

That means that the 45-day period for comments about the draft statement has advanced from summer to late fall.

The delay in the draft EIS came about because of errors by a contractor hired to write the section on traffic impacts, errors that forced the contractor to redo its work.

Snohomish County Principal planner Ryan Countryman said Friday that the traffic study was the main missing piece for the draft statement.

He said that the draft statement would include discussion of engineering of a road through Woodway. Such a road would be the required second road to the proposed project.

Currently, the only road to or from the development is a narrow, two-lane road through the Richmond Beach area of Shoreline. The road, Richmond Beach Drive NW, crosses the King - Snohomish County line into the southwest corner of the town of Woodway before reaching Point Wells.

Developer Blue Star Real Estate has proposed building 3,081 condominium units along with 125,000 square feet of retail and commercial space on the industrial site, a site that is within the urban growth area of Woodway.

After the comment period, another contractor working for the county planning department will write the final environmental impact statement, something that may not come until 2018.

Planner Countryman said that developer BSRE has decided not to comment before the draft statement but to comment before a final EIS.

In addition to the environmental impact statement, the project needs approval from a Snohomish County design review board.

This is the latest of a long series of delays to planning for the Point Wells project. A representative of the developer had been quoted in an April 2014 Everett Herald article as saying that he then estimated that completion of the environmental impact statement would come by the end of that year.

To write the final environmental impact statement, Countryman said in early February, planners need responses from the developer to requests for several pieces of information.

He said in February that the developer hadn’t replied to questions about the correct number of units and the correct number of parking spaces in addition to questions about a second road.

Countryman said then that planning officials first had asked for the information in 2013.

Countryman sent a letter to Huff last summer asking for clarification on the number of units, the number of parking spaces and plans for a second road.

Once Snohomish County planners finish the final environmental impact statement, they can make a recommendation to a county hearing examiner for planning and zoning matters.

Countryman says that, without the missing information, county planners could not recommend approval of the project.

The hearing examiner will consider written and oral testimony before deciding whether to approve the plan, reject the plan, approve the plan with conditions, or remand it to the planning department for further revisions.

A hearing examiner’s decision can be appealed to the Snohomish County council, with a further appeal to the Snohomish County Superior Court.

In addition to getting a permit from Snohomish County, the developer needs to get approval from the state Department of Ecology of an environmental cleanup on the site, which for decades has been used for petroleum shipping and storage. The operator of the oil facilities has yet to start the environmental-cleanup process.

Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com.

Updated 06-13-2016 11:20pm



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Point Wells DEIS Workshop June 14 sponsored by four neighborhoods - last chance to register concerns

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Architect's rendition 2012
The concept has changed over time

Point Wells DEIS Workshop
Tuesday, June 14, 7:30pm
Richmond Beach Congregational Church
1512 NW 195th Street, Lower Level


From the Richmond Beach Community Association

As many of you may know, a developer plans to put a 3,000 unit development at the north end of Richmond Beach Drive in Snohomish County. When fully built, the project likely will produce many negative impacts to our neighborhoods’ quality of life, for example:
  • An increase in traffic of 15,000 – 20,000 car trips daily on Richmond Beach Road and neighborhood local streets;
  • Cut-through traffic that will spill onto our quiet roadways;
  • Multiple high-rise towers of at least 180 feet;
  • An escalation of noise levels in our community;
  • Irreversible damage to the existing aquatic and land wildlife on the Puget Sound near shore of the Point Wells property.
Why is this so urgent?

If you are concerned about how a development the size of a small city will affect you and your neighborhood, you may have only one more chance to register your concerns to local officials!

Snohomish County has announced they will release a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) within the next few months. Once it is released, you will have only a 45-day period to submit comments expressing your concerns. After the 45-day window closes shut, community members who fail to officially comment in a timely way lose their right to further challenges to the final EIS when it is published.

What can you do about it?

On June 14, the neighborhoods of Innis Arden, Richmond Highlands, Hillwood, and Richmond Beach will sponsor a workshop to help you get ready to comment on the DEIS. There are very specific guidelines for submitting your comments. At the workshop, we will help you learn how to effectively prepare your comments for submission during the 45-day public comment period.

Save the date!

We suggest you go right now to put on your calendar the workshop on DEIS preparation.

It will be held Tuesday, June 14, 7:30pm, at the Richmond Beach Congregational Church, 1512 NW 195th Street in Shoreline.

And then alert all your neighbors to the workshop and encourage them to join them you for what may be your last chance to express concerns.



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Woodway petition seeks to annex bluff above Point Wells

Thursday, April 7, 2016

By Evan Smith


The Town of Woodway is seeking to annex the Upper Bluff east of Point Wells, the industrial site where a developer proposes to build a 3,081-unit condominium project.

The owner of the bluff is not related to the developer of the Point Wells condominium project, BSRE.

Woodway has sent the request for annexation to the Snohomish County Boundary Review Board.

The Boundary Review Board clerk said Monday that the request isn’t official until it has a finding of legal sufficiency. Only then does a 45-day comment period start.

After the comment period, a decision comes from the boundary board. The five-member County Boundary Review Board consists of two members appointed by the governor, one appointed by the Snohomish County Council, one appointed by the Snohomish County Cities Association and one appointed by representatives of special-purpose districts around the county. A board decision can be appealed to the Snohomish County Superior Court.

The annexation is made up of a 40-acre unincorporated area of southwest Snohomish County adjacent to Woodway.

Woodway Town Administrator Eric Faison said Monday that only about nine acres in the area are developable, with the land including some environmentally protected areas and some terrain unfit for building.

Faison said he expects the developer to build about 36 single-family houses on the bluff.

Both Faison and County Planner Ryan Countryman said Monday that the Bluff annexation wouldn’t affect the Point Wells condominium development.

Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com.



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RBCA meeting focus is on Point Wells Draft Environmental Impact Study

Sunday, April 3, 2016


Richmond Beach Community Association Meeting
Topic: Point Wells Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS) 
Tuesday, April 12, 7:30pm (socializing at 7:00pm)
Richmond Beach Congregational Church
1512 NW 195th Street, Shoreline


It is likely Snohomish County will publish the Point Wells DEIS in June and community residents will have about 45 days to comment on any recommendations in the report that are not sufficiently or satisfactorily resolved.

Be prepared to take urgent action! Failure to comment on the Draft EIS at this stage may close the door, legally, for you to file objections to the Final EIS in the future.

At the meeting, you will learn:
  • What specifically is the Point Wells DEIS?
  • Why should I take it so seriously and what is the urgency?
  • What actions can I take now to help prevent the international developer from forever ruining the character of our community?
  • What are the consequences if I and the greater community don’t take action?

Plan to attend this meeting and watch for more details in the April issue of Richmond Beach Community News available online.

For more information contact RBCA Vice President Jerry Patterson.



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Point Wells approval process keeps getting slower

Friday, March 4, 2016

Richmond Beach Drive NW is the only road to Point Wells.
Photo by Diane Hettrick

By Evan Smith

Decisions on the proposed Point Wells project still are years away.

An environmental impact statement for the project now is years behind schedule, while target dates for the final environmental impact statement keep moving further into the future.

Developer BSRE has proposed building 3,081 condominium units along with 125,000 square feet of retail and commercial space on the industrial site in southwest Snohomish County across the King-Snohomish county line from Richmond Beach. The site is within the urban growth area of the Town of Woodway in Snohomish County.

Snohomish County planners expect to have a draft environmental impact statement ready this spring.

Shoreline City Manager Debbie Tarry said February 9 that she expected to see that draft statement in June.

Planner Ryan Countryman said in late February that a June target for the draft statement is about right.

Once Snohomish County issues the draft statement, anyone will have 45 days to comment. The standard comment period is 30 days with a possible 15-day extension, but Countryman said in late February that he is planning on a 45-day comment period.

After the comment period, contractors working for the county planning department will write the final environmental impact statement, something that Countryman expects by the end of 2017.

A representative of developer BSRE had been quoted in an April 2014 Everett Herald article as saying that he estimated that completion of the environmental impact statement would come by the end of that year.

To write the final environmental impact statement, Countryman says, planners need the developer to respond to requests for several pieces of information.

He said in early February that the developer hasn’t replied to questions about the correct number of condominium units, the correct number of parking spaces and a second road.

The only way into and out of Point Wells is by a two-lane road, Richmond Beach Drive NW, in Shoreline, a road that crosses the King-Snohomish County line into the southwest corner of Woodway before reaching Point Wells.

BSRE representative Gary Huff, a Seattle attorney, said in February that the developer would complete its response in time to meet the county’s timetable.

Countryman said that Snohomish County planning officials first had asked for the information in 2013.

Countryman sent a letter to Huff last summer asking for clarification on the number of units, the number of parking spaces and plans for a second road.

The most recent plat submitted by the developer shows about 330 fewer units than the number that the developer previously had asked for. It also shows fewer parking spaces than required and has no plans for a second road.

BSRE attorney Huff said that the perceived inconsistencies stemmed from Snohomish County's misinterpretation of the submitted plans.

Huff said that complying with all of the county’s requests has been slow because Point Wells is a big project.

Once county planners have the final environmental impact statement, they can make a recommendation to a Snohomish County hearing examiner for planning and zoning matters.

Countryman said in February that, without the missing information, county planners could not recommend approval of the project.

The hearing examiner will consider written and oral testimony before deciding whether to approve the plan, reject the plan, approve the plan with conditions, or remand it to the Snohomish County planning department for further revisions.

Approval with conditions could include asking for a smaller development.

A hearing examiner’s decision can be appealed to the Snohomish County council, with a possible further appeal to the Snohomish County Superior Court.

In addition to getting a permit from Snohomish County, the developer needs to get approval from the state Department of Ecology of an environmental cleanup on the site, which for decades has been used for petroleum shipping and storage. The operator of the oil facilities has yet to start the cleanup process.

Also, the project needs approval from a county design review board.

A representative of a coalition of Richmond Beach organizations, Tom McCormack, said in late February that the delay in starting the environmental cleanup is understandable because it is the responsibility of the company that runs petroleum shipping and storage at the site, an entity that is separate from developer BSRE. Both companies are subsidiaries of Israeli holding company Alon.

He said that that the company that operates the oil operations has no reason to pay for the cleanup without knowing that the development has permission to proceed, permission that would make the possibility of a return on investment more likely.

Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com.



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Point Wells progress report and City Council candidates speak out

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Jerry Patterson reviews the history of the Pt Wells project
Photo copyright Marc Weinberg

Text and photos, Marc Weinberg

Nearly 300 Shoreline/Richmond Beach residents packed the meeting room at the Richmond Beach Congregational Church Tuesday evening to hear an update from the Richmond Beach Community Association planning group about the status of the Pt. Wells project. Jerry Patterson gave a historical brief followed by members of the Pt. Wells planning group. 

Susan Chang explains pros and cons of annexation alternatives
Photo copyright Marc Weinberg

Subjects and news of most importance:

  1. City Manager Debbie Tarry expects it is unlikely that the City will complete the Transportation Corridor Study (TCS) this year as planned, but it will be sometime in 2016. This focuses on the developer’s assumptions regarding the anticipated number of vehicles transiting our roads based on the number of occupants in the finished project. Projections for Richmond Beach Road alone could create grid lock at all hours of the day and during the commute times backups would be impacted all the way to Interstate 5.
  2. An ongoing point of contention has been that since Snohomish County Code prevails (the building site is in unincorporated Snohomish County) it requires a project of this size to have more than one access road: at this point there is no provision plan for a second road.  
  3. Tolling on Richmond Beach Drive is or could be a viable option to provide funding for road maintenance and improvements.
  4. 90 foot maximum height on Point Wells buildings. Currently the project calls for at least 20 towers taller than 90 feet.
  5. Annexation alternatives should include a financial analysis of the impact to the City and to Woodway.
City Council candidates listening to the questions
Photo copyright Marc Weinberg

During the second half of the evening the audience heard from candidates running for the City Council: Position 2- Jessica Cafferty vs. Keith Scully, Position 4-Doris McConnell (unopposed), Position 6- Lorn Richey vs. Jesse Salomon (not present, but sent in his replies). 

Each person responded to the same questions presented by the moderator about the issues outlined above.

The next RBCA meeting will be a ‘Candidate Forum’ on October 13 and each candidate at that meeting will take questions from the audience.

The City Planning Commission meeting at City Hall on Sept 17, 7pm will include citizen questions and discussion of proposed changes to the building code. Of major importance at that meeting is the potential revision of items concerning land and structures in currently designated ‘critical areas’. If your property is on or near a steep slope, stream, wetland, or bluff you will want to be present.



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RBCA September community meeting stars City Council candidates and Richmond Beach Planning Group on Point Wells

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Richmond Beach Community Association's
September Community Meeting
City Council Candidates
and Richmond Beach Planning Group on Point Wells
Tuesday, Sept. 8, 7:00pm - social time, 7:30pm - meeting
Richmond Beach Congregational Church
1512 NW 195th Street, Shoreline

While our Shoreline community baked in the heat of a record-hot summer, a community planning group quietly kept the issue of Point Wells cooking on the front burners with heat turned to high. At Richmond Beach Community Association's September Community Meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 7:30pm, the planning group will dish out the fruits of their efforts. The September menu will feature two main attractions: an update on Point Wells happenings and Shoreline City Council candidates speaking exclusively on the topic of Point Wells.

The community planning group consists of a coalition of residents from the greater Richmond Beach community, including representatives from Richmond Beach Advocates, Save Richmond Beach, Shoreline Coalition for Open Government, plus individual community activists in the Richmond Beach and Innis Arden neighborhoods.

At the September Community Meeting, this group will first update you on a variety of critical Point Wells issues. Following this presentation, Shoreline City Council candidates will speak to specific questions about these issues that we prepared for them in advance of the meeting. Time permitting after the candidates’ comments, we will field questions from the audience.

Note that at Richmond Beach Community Association's October Community Meeting, the Council Candidates will participate at our annual Candidates Forum (Tuesday, Oct. 13, 7:00 p.m.) and community members will have the opportunity to interact with the candidates on a variety of issues, including Point Wells.

Below are the major topics for discussion at the September community meeting:
  • Shoreline/BSRE Transportation Corridor Study (TCS)
  • Two Access Roads to Point Wells
  • Tolling on Richmond Beach Drive
  • 90 Foot Maximum Height on Point Wells Buildings
  • Status of Draft EIS
  • Fiscal Analysis of Annexation Alternatives
  • City of Shoreline Leverage to Influence the Traffic and Scale of the Development
On many fronts active participation is needed now more than ever. Community participation includes active involvement leading up to the November elections. Become an informed voter. Demand accountability from both the current and new City Counc
Community participation also includes ongoing financial contributions to help support community efforts. Make checks payable to Richmond Beach Advocates and mail to P.O. Box 60186, Richmond Beach, WA 98160-0186. Or donate online.


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Point Wells: tolling as a possible revenue source

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Shoreline City Council to discuss tolling as a possible revenue source on Monday, Jan. 12

A joint statement by Richmond Beach Advocates and Save Richmond Beach

Earlier this week the Shoreline City Council posted an important announcement that could have significant implications for the City's ability to exert more control over the financial impact of the Point Wells development project. Specifically, the City Council will be discussing the topic of tolling at the January 12 Business Meeting of the Council.

For the past four years, Shoreline's city government has maintained that negotiating an agreement with the developer was the only way to insure the City received enough revenue to cover the costs of needed road improvements and on-going maintenance resulting from increased traffic generated by the Point Wells development. Both Save Richmond Beach and Richmond Beach Advocates, along with other Richmond Beach residents, have been researching the viability of tolling at the entrance to Point Wells as an alternate source of revenue to pay for road improvements and other increased costs for Shoreline roads generated by the development. In response to our research and communication with City officials, the Shoreline City Council announced this topic will be discussed by the City Council on Monday. It is important that you be there to hear this discussion and learn about the benefits and limitations of tolling.

In the first paragraph of the Staff Report prepared for the meeting, City Manager Debbie Tarry said:

"Recently a number of questions have been raised about the City's regulatory options in ensuring a safe, efficient and fluid traffic flow on its streets. Deputy Mayor Eggen along with Councilmembers McConnell and Salomon have requested this topic, and specifically tolling on Shoreline streets, be introduced as a discussion item to further understand all available options."

We believe this is a significant step forward for the City, which could give the City the ability to negotiate for a more reasonably sized development without fear of losing the revenue source necessary to upgrade and maintain the City's road system. The positive impact of tolling could provide a direct benefit to all taxpayers in Shoreline. We urge all residents to attend the meeting on Monday, Jan. 12, City Council Chambers, 7:00 p.m.



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Point Wells update from Save Richmond Beach

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Save Richmond Beach is a citizen advocacy organization formed in response to the proposed project at Point Wells in Snohomish County. The project would add thousands of apartment units and residents to an area with one road, which is through Shoreline.


Latest report from Save Richmond Beach

Richmond Beach resident Tom McCormick met with Shoreline City Manager Debbie Tarry recently to discuss various issues concerning the proposed development at Point Wells.

Transportation Corridor Study
The last meeting with the developer, BSRE, to review results of the traffic study was September 10th. While BSRE showed some additional results at that meeting they did not leave a copy of the results with the City so the City has nothing to review yet. BSRE has not set a date for the next meeting or the delivery of the final study results.

Richmond Beach Associates plans to engage their own traffic engineer to review the study results once the City receives them. Ms. Tarry confirmed it is her intent to allow 30 days for that review.

While things could still change, at this point Ms. Tarry believes it's likely the TCS Open House to show the results to the public won't happen until spring of 2015 with final presentation to the Council happening in summer, 2015.

Two access roads
Ms. Tarry confirmed the City is requiring the TCS traffic modeling study to include an assumption for two access roads. She has also sent a letter to Woodway asking about their plans to accommodate a second access road. Ultimately the resolution of the second access road issue will be determined by Snohomish County.

Tolling on Richmond Beach Drive
The Shoreline Transportation Benefit District (whose board is the Shoreline City Council) has the authority to ask the voters to implement tolling on a city street such as Richmond Beach Drive. Ms. Tarry said City staff is studying tolling and plans to include it as part of a broader discussion with the Council regarding the City’s statutory authority to regulate City streets. This discussion is currently scheduled to occur in January, 2015. There are a number of policy questions the Council wants to consider and answer before deciding whether to pursue tolling on Richmond Beach Drive.

Tolling does require approval by the voters of Shoreline; if the Council passes an ordinance to submit tolling to the voters, a tolling measure could be on the November, 2015 ballot.

Ms. Tarry said the City has advised BSRE that it is studying tolling for Richmond Beach Drive.

Annexation
The Snohomish County Boundary Review Board's ruling against the City's attempt to assume the small area in unincorporated Snohomish County served by Ronald Wastewater raises the natural question of whether Snohomish County would approve an attempt by the City to annex all of Point Wells. Ms. Tarry said the City is continuing to discuss annexation issues with their outside counsel, Foster Pepper. Foster Pepper has advised the City that obtaining a petition from BSRE to annex to the City would provide substantial support for the City’s case.

The City is moving forward with annexation planning and has notified Snohomish County of its intent to negotiate a Master Annexation Interlocal Agreement with the County, the first step in the annexation process. The City is waiting for a response from Snohomish County.

Other traffic control measures
Ms. Tarry said that it is clear that State law provides options for the City to regulate public streets. One option she mentioned that may have the effect of limiting the amount of traffic entering Richmond Beach Drive/ Road during morning commute hours is metering, similar to what is used on the I-5 on ramps. The City is still working with BSRE on a mitigation/development agreement but Ms. Tarry said City staff could seriously consider metering if the City cannot negotiate a satisfactory agreement with the developer.

Conclusion
The fight to reduce the size and impact of development at Point Wells is far from over. Yes, we lost our attempt to have the application thrown out, but the process of examining that application in detail and making sure it follows all Snohomish County code requirements has just started. We are also encouraged that the City seems more willing to look at all the methods they might have at their disposal to control the impact of development at Point Wells. As always, we will keep sending out updates as the process continues to move forward.


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City appeals Snohomish County BRB's decision to deny Shoreline's assumption of Ronald Wastewater District in Snohomish County

Friday, October 10, 2014

From the City of Shoreline

On October 9, 2014, the City of Shoreline filed its appeal in Snohomish County Superior Court of the Snohomish County Boundary Review Board's (BRB) decision to deny the City of Shoreline's proposed assumption of the Ronald Wastewater District in Snohomish County. The BRB entered their written decision denying the assumption at their September 11 meeting.

Over ninety percent of the District is located within the borders of the City of Shoreline. The remainder lies within Snohomish County and includes Shoreline's potential annexation area in unincorporated Snohomish County in the area known as Point Wells, a portion outside of Shoreline’s potential annexation area in unincorporated Snohomish County, and four residential parcels within the Town of Woodway. This area is identified as part of the Ronald Wastewater District Service Area in the District’s Comprehensive Plan that was previously approved by the Snohomish County Council.

A portion of the utility rates charged to the District’s ratepayers have been used to maintain the utility system in this area. Lift station #13 is located within unincorporated Snohomish County and serves 61 homes in Shoreline, in addition to a small number of homes in Woodway. Current utility ratepayers have paid for maintenance of the lift station and other utility infrastructure in this area. Given that the City will be the future owner of the utility system, it is the City’s desire to keep the District whole from both a service efficiency perspective and an equity obligation to the utility’s ratepayers.

On September 18, King County's BRB entered their written decision approving the assumption in King County. The City and the District are moving forward with the assumption in King County. Currently the District and the City are working collaboratively on the development of a Transition Plan to lay the groundwork for the assumption of the District with the City in 2017.

The BRBs are quasi-judicial bodies empowered to hear and review incorporations, annexations, assumptions, mergers, and disincorporations by cities, towns and special-purpose districts.

For more information about the City's assumption of Ronald Wastewater District visit here.




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Record crowd leaves RBCA Community Meeting with renewed hope

Thursday, September 25, 2014

From the Save Richmond Beach organization

A standing-room-only crowd of more than 100 community members attended the September 9 meeting sponsored by the Richmond Beach Community Association (RBCA). The purpose of the meeting was to update the greater Richmond Beach community on a variety of issues, discussed below, concerning the proposed development at Point Wells. The buzz after the meeting was a renewed sense of optimism that the City of Shoreline has more leverage than they perhaps give themselves credit for to affect the scale and traffic of the Point Wells development.

Issue #1: Transportation Corridor Study

Tom Mailhot, Save Richmond Beach President, began the panel presentation with an update on the Transportation Corridor Study (TCS). Mailhot started by listing who is involved in creating and reviewing the TCS. The study is being conducted by Dave Evan Associates (DEA), a traffic firm hired by the developer, BSRE. There are multiple parties that will review the study results:
  1. City of Shoreline staff
  2. DKS, a local traffic consulting firm hired by the city
  3. Snohomish County staff
  4. Transpo Group, a local traffic consulting firm hired by Snohomish County
  5. A local traffic consulting firm hired by Richmond Beach Advocates (RBA)
The study was supposed to be completed this spring but it has been delayed multiple times. City of Shoreline staff found problems in some of the early study results submitted by DEA and requested that they make adjustment to address those problems. DEA recently showed City staff more complete results but has not yet provided any of the detailed documentation needed to start a complete review of the study results. The City is waiting for these details to be submitted.

The City has confirmed that it will make the study materials available to a traffic consulting firm hired by RBA. RBA is working with the City to make sure that RBA consultants have sufficient time to do a thorough independent review.

RBA is also working with the City to make sure the study includes a possible second access road through Woodway. Snohomish County has said the TCS must include a second access road so we are confident the City will realize the TCS is not complete if it does not analyze the effect of a second road.

Looking further ahead, once the City receives complete documentation from DEA, City staff and DKS will review the study results to make sure it is complete. Then RBA will ask its traffic consulting firm to review the study and recommend revisions and/or seek more information where appropriate. After one last round of revisions are agreed upon by all of the parties, City staff will prepare a draft staff report, which they will present at a public open house. The staff report is expected to include a list of mitigation items BSRE has agreed to fund and a description of the funding mechanism to both build and maintain the items.

As part of the open house, the City will also ask BSRE to present an animated model showing the projected traffic flow resulting from the completed project. The public will be invited to comment on the draft staff report. City staff will consider these comments as they create the final staff report that will be presented to the City Council for approval.

There is currently no date set for the open house or for the final presentation to the City Council; both dates cannot be set until DEA submits the detailed study results.

Issue #2: Two Public Access Roads

Tom McCormick, a Richmond Beach resident, has been instrumental in leading the charge on several topics. At the meeting, he first addressed the issue of a Snohomish County Code requirement for two public access roads at Point Wells.

Point Wells raises many issues, but none are bigger than the need for a second public access road. Snohomish County's Engineering Design and Development Standards (EDDS) provide that

 "A road serving more than 250 ADT (average daily trips) shall be connected in at least two locations with another road or roads that meet applicable standard(s) for the resulting traffic volume."

Snohomish County has advised BSRE that this two-access-road requirement applies to the proposed Point Wells development, but it also advised BSRE that it may apply for a deviation

McCormick said he expects that BSRE will either ask Snohomish County to waive the two-access-road requirement entirely, perhaps arguing that it’s not possible to build a second road on the sloping terrain, or ask the County to permit BSRE to build a non-public emergency-only access road.

From panel member McCormick's perspective, a second public access road heading east from Point Wells is required. He added, "Should BSRE submit a request for a deviation from the two-access-road requirement, we will ask that the request be denied, as the public's safety and general welfare is at stake. We have asked the City to take the lead in fighting any deviation request that BSRE may file, but we have not yet received a commitment from the City".

When BSRE purchased the Point Wells site, BSRE knew, or should have known, that a second public access road is required. It took a risk, knowing that it likely would not be able to develop the property if it couldn't construct a second public access road. Snohomish County should not bail out BSRE. It should deny BSRE's deviation request, thereby putting the burden on BSRE to challenge the denial in court. The risk of loss should be borne by BSRE, not by the public for whom the two-access-road requirement is designed to protect. The Snohomish County Code says that the County's Development Code "shall be enforced for the benefit of the health, safety, and welfare of the general public, and not for the benefit of any particular person or class of persons."

To build a second public access road heading east from Point Wells, BSRE will have to seek a road-building permit from the Town of Woodway. And BSRE would need to work with Woodway to ensure that the traffic impacts aren't too great. As a result of both of these items, in McCormick's view, Woodway would likely gain leverage over the scope of the project and seek to downsize the project.

Issue #3: Tolling on Richmond Beach Drive

The City has expressed concern about the huge scope of the proposed Point Wells development. It has told us that there is little it can do about the scope of the project since the site is in Snohomish County and it, not Shoreline, is the permitting agency. In its efforts to do what it can, the City is working with BSRE on a Transportation Corridor Study, which the City hopes will culminate in a traffic cap of no more than 11,587 ADT going to and from Point Wells. That's over 20 times the current traffic volume on Richmond Beach Drive. In exchange for permitting that many trips on its roads, the City expects to enter into an agreement with BSRE whereby it promises to pay for lots of road improvements and other mitigations and promises to somehow secure an ongoing, long-term stream of funds to pay for future road impacts.

Is there anything that can be done about this, so that the City is not so dependent on BSRE for revenues? If the City did not have to depend on BSRE for revenues, the City would gain leverage and would not need to accept such high traffic volumes from Point Wells.

Tolling is a possible alternative revenue source that needs to be seriously considered and studied by the City. The City could gain the revenue it needs by setting up tolling at the entrance to Point Wells, just south of the County line. Our preliminary research indicates that Shoreline's Transportation Benefits District has the legal authority under state law to institute tolling on Richmond Beach Drive, subject to voter approval. Shoreline voters would be asked to approve tolling at Point Wells as a means of having future Point Wells residents, workers and visitors (rather than Shoreline residents) pay for road improvements, other mitigations and ongoing, long-term costs for Shoreline roads that would not be incurred but for the Point Wells development.

Assuming there are 10,000 ADT going to and from Point Wells after the project is fully developed and the toll is $1 for each trip in and out of Point Wells, gross annual revenue after expenses would be around $3 million. ADT and revenue would be lower in the early stages of the development.

Point Wells presents an ideal opportunity for tolling. The property is in Snohomish County, the project approvals and permitting are under the control of Snohomish County, tax revenue inures to the benefit of Snohomish County, yet the traffic impacts are borne mainly by the City of Shoreline. Tolling is an opportunity for the City, through its Transportation Benefits District, to secure a revenue source independent of BSRE for up-front road improvements and other mitigations and for ongoing, long-term costs of road maintenance and operation. The possibility of tolling also helps the City gain leverage in negotiating lower traffic limits than are currently being discussed.

McCormick concluded his remarks with this advice, "The City should thoroughly study the use of tolls at the entrance to Point Wells."

Issue #4: Completion Timeline for Draft EIS

Panel member Bill Willard summarized the issue of a timely completion for the Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS). Willard commented, "The TCS and EIS are related because the City and BSRE agreed to use the TCS as the transportation component of the EIS. This should result in a more thorough study of the traffic impacts than otherwise would be required." Willard said that after the TCS is completed, reviewed by the City and approved, it becomes part of the DEIS. Subsequent links in the chain are Snohomish County review, public commentary, final review by Snohomish County and publication of the final EIS.

In his closing remarks, Willard gave a heads-up to the audience that a hot issue still unresolved in the TCS is the debate of a three-lane vs. a four-lane roadway design for Richmond Beach Road. He said, "This issue is more complex than it seems." So he advised community to follow it closely and weigh in on their perspectives.
Wrap up

During the Q / A period that followed the panel presentation, community members asked clarifying questions on issues discussed at the meeting and posed questions to the panel on other topics, including:
  • Safety issues for Point Wells residents if immediate evacuation was required
  • Landslide danger zones as illustrated on a map that one community member referenced
  • Probability of the City of Shoreline annexing Point Wells
  • Pros and cons of Richmond Beach Road becoming 3 lanes vs. 4 lanes

At the conclusion of the September 9 RBCA meeting, community members walked away more convinced than ever that the issues discussed require much more extensive investigation by local officials than has occurred so far. The RBCA Board urges you to stay current on these issues. Most importantly, let your appointed and elected officials hear from you regarding your expectations for how these issues get publicly deliberated and how you can expect to be fully informed on the most current information available on a given issue.

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Op-Ed: A Statement of Expectations Regarding Deliberations and Decisions on Point Wells

Wednesday, September 10, 2014


Within the next few months, there will no shortage of hot topics cooking in the cauldron of Point Wells. Issues in the mix include the Transportation Corridor Study (TCS), Second Access Road Requirements, Tolling, and Environmental Impact Statement.

In anticipation of these deliberations, Richmond Beach Advocates (RBA) and Save Richmond Beach (SRB) developed the following Statement of Expectations regarding deliberations and decisions on Pont Wells.

We expect the City of Shoreline to:

· Make policy and administrative decisions consistent with their declared priority to reduce the scale and traffic impact of Point Wells.

· Subject every important topic to a rigorous examination that considers all alternatives to the proposed course of action, including review by third-party experts and by the Shoreline community.

· Accord all third-party reviewers enough time to provide quality input that will inform the City’s deliberations.

· Work with third-party experts and the Shoreline community to make revisions through an iterative process until the City concludes that all concerns have been adequately addressed.

· Make available on a timely basis all public records on the topic being considered by the City of Shoreline.

What you can expect from Richmond Beach Advocates and Save Richmond Beach

· Be steadfast in our pursuit to maintain the quality of life and character of the greater Richmond Beach community.

· Remain steadfast in our pursuit to reduce the scale and associated traffic impact of the Point Wells development.

· Hold the City staff and City Council accountable to the expectations stated above.

· Provide leadership in submitting each topic we identify to a thorough, rigorous examination. Such examination may include review by third-party experts and input from the Shoreline community.

· Periodically inform the community on important timelines and decisions.

Applying these expectations to the topics we mentioned above, SRB and RBCA look forward to working with the City of Shoreline to find solutions that advance our mutual goal to reduce the scale and traffic impacts at Point Wells.


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September Richmond Beach Community Association meeting features update on Point Wells

Sunday, September 7, 2014


Things are happening fast at Point Wells, and if you snooze, you lose! So set your Point Wells alarm clock for Tuesday, Sept. 9, 7:30pm. At the appointed time, you will be awakened to what’s been happening on the Point Wells topic over the summer and what’s on the horizon for the rest of 2014 and beyond.

As our community played and basked in the warmth of our Shoreline summer, a community planning group worked quietly, persistently to stay on top of the many facets of the Point Wells scene. This coalition consisted of representatives from Richmond Beach Advocates, Save Richmond Beach, Shoreline Coalition for Open Government, plus individual community activists in the greater Richmond Beach area. At our September RBCA Community Meeting, this group will update you on a variety of Point Wells issues.

Traffic

Traffic continues to be a hotly contested topic. Several related traffic issues include:

  • Transportation Corridor Study (TCS). Come learn about outcomes from summer meetings between the City of Shoreline officials and the Point Wells developer, plus get up to speed on the most recent City of Shoreline schedule of future TCS events that will lead to decisions by the City Council.
  • Traffic Mitigation Plan. At the September 9 meeting, the community planning group will provide you with the latest on a variety of traffic mitigation issues, such as a three-lane vs. four-lane configuration for Richmond Beach Road, bike lanes and any proposed mitigation to address safety concerns arising from the increased traffic through our community.
  • Status of Traffic Caps on Richmond Beach Drive. The City of Shoreline’s Comprehensive Plan currently places a traffic cap of 4,000 average daily trips (ADT) on Richmond Beach Drive. However, the City conceivably could approve a traffic analysis that has a cap in excess of 4,000 ADT and subsequently could adjust the Comprehensive Plan accordingly. At the September RBCA meeting, you will receive the latest information available on the ADT issue.

Second Public Road Access to Point Wells

It appears that Snohomish County code requires that there be two public access roads to the Point Wells development. The community planning group has been investigating the issue throughout the summer and will report on this at our RBCA meeting.

Environmental Impact Study

In mid-August, Snohomish County published a summary of the major issues raised during the scoping process. These issues will be reviewed at the RBCA meeting, and we will discuss the proposed timeline leading to the Final EIS (FEIS). The Snohomish County EIS Scoping Summary can be reviewed online

Community Involvement

Some residents mistakenly assume that there’s not much left on the Point Wells agenda that community members can influence. There is plenty left for you to do and, in fact, decisions that await action by the Shoreline City Council and Snohomish County will become critical to locking in the eventual scale and character of the Point Wells development. On many fronts, your active participation is needed now more than ever!

Community participation includes your ongoing financial contributions to help support our community efforts. Make checks payable to Richmond Beach Advocates and mail to P. O. Box 60186, Richmond Beach, WA 98160-0186 or donate online

Again, we encourage you to come to the September 9 meeting to learn how you can help! Mark your calendars for Tuesday, Sept. 9, 7:30pm, at the Richmond Beach Congregational Church, 1512 NW 195th Street.



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A second road required for Point Wells?

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Richmond Beach Drive is the only road leading to Pt Wells

According to the local organization Save Richmond Beach, Snohomish county development standards require two roads into major developments, such as Point Wells.

Standard 3-01 B. 5:
  • 5) A public road, private road or drive aisle serving more than 250 ADT shall connect in at least two locations with another public road, private road or drive aisle meeting the applicable standard(s) for the resulting traffic volume, so that a dead end road system is not created.
Point Wells currently has only Richmond Beach Drive, a two-lane drive which may not be adequate in itself for the amount of projected traffic.

There was a second road out of Point Wells, which went up what turned out to be an unstable, steep slope to the Town of Woodway. A section of that road washed out in the landslides of 2009 and it was deemed too expensive to rebuild safely.

However, there are unconfirmed reports that the wealthy developer has been looking into building a second road.


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Snohomish County board to vote Thursday on proposed Shoreline assumption of Ronald sewer district

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

By Evan Smith

The Snohomish County boundary review board has scheduled a vote Thursday on the City of Shoreline’s proposed assumption of the Snohomish County part of the Ronald Wastewater District.

Shoreline has proposed taking over the district, which is mostly in Shoreline but has almost a dozen customers in Woodway and nearby unincorporated areas of southwest Snohomish County.

The Snohomish County part of the district includes the proposed Point Wells development.

The Boundary Review Board has scheduled an oral vote at a 4pm meeting on the first floor of the County Administration Building East, also called the Robert J. Drewel Building, on the County Courthouse Campus in Everett.

The oral vote will be followed by a formal vote Sept. 11.

The board held a public hearing Aug. 28, the only time it was to take comments before voting. 

The Boundary Review Board includes two members appointed by the governor, one representing Snohomish County cities, one representing special-purpose districts in Snohomish County and one appointed by the county executive and council.

The King County Boundary Review Board already has approved Shoreline’s proposed assumption of the King County part of the district.

Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com.


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Save Richmond Beach cedes point position to Richmond Beach Advocates

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Point Wells today
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Save Richmond Beach, the organization which has been working for five years in opposition to the scale of the Point Wells project, has announced a "change in focus."

The organization will still be active and involved, but will cede the point position to the new Richmond Beach Advocates (RBA) and be supportive behind the scenes.

In a letter to supporters, the SRB board stated that,

"RBA has hired an attorney to advise them on possible legal actions and a traffic expert to make sure Shoreline’s Traffic Corridor Study is complete and thorough.  While we fully support RBA’s efforts, given the limited resources available SRB has always felt it’s not necessary to have multiple Richmond Beach neighborhood groups performing similar advocacy functions."   

Reflecting this change in focus, they have reduced their annual dues from $120 to $24, and suggest that members donate the difference to RBA.

They will continue to monitor the project and provide information on their webpage, as well as respond the questions via email.

Point Wells is a large stretch of low-lying beachfront with a steep and slide-prone hill behind leading to the Town of Woodway. The only access is through a two-lane road in Shoreline which leads to Richmond Beach Road. Point Wells has proposed as many as 6,000 apartment units, with the only access to emergency services and schools through Shoreline's Richmond Beach neighborhood. However, the property is in Snohomish County, which has issued building permits and will be the recipient of all taxes.


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Snohomish County releases Summary of the Public EIS Scoping Process

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Snohomish County released its summary of the public Environmental Impact Statement process for the proposed development at Point Wells. The summary highlights the major issues that were raised during the scoping process. The summary does not reflect every comment received and recorded, but rather is intended to address the general subjects of concern.

A total of 69 people submitted oral comments. The County received 168 comment letters/emails. All of the comment letters/emails are available for review at the Snohomish County Planning and Development Services (PDS) Department.



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Richmond Beach Advocates seeking new donations

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Richmond Beach Advocates (RBA) has sent out an appeal for donations to continue their efforts to watchdog the Point Wells project.

The original appeal for $10,000 was met and has been spent. RBA is once again appealing to the community to continue to support the work it is doing to preserve the quality of life, sense of community and uniqueness of the Richmond Beach neighborhood.

The RBA is a separate group created by the Richmond Beach Community Association.

Richmond Beach Advocates (RBA) continues to follow the Transportation Corridor Study, meet with City leaders to critique assumptions and models, research legal theories and explore methods to have the voices heard of those impacted by the Point Wells development. While utilizing as many qualified neighborhood volunteers as possible to perform the work, there are times when the expertise of professionals is necessary, and RBA must rely on its hired experts to do the work. This is an extremely costly proposition. Please help.

Donations can be mailed to Richmond Beach Advocates, P. O. Box 60186, Richmond Beach, WA 98160-0186.

View the latest Point Wells update from the Association.


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