On Monday, December 4, the Area Council held its regular monthly meeting. Special Guest Speaker was Karen Deal of Lakeside Industries. Other major topics discussed were: Reserve Silica Rezone Request and the recently held All-Rural Area Unincorporated Area Council (UAC) Meeting with the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC).
Lakeside Industries
Lakeside Industries (LI) has proposed to move its Asphalt Facility operations from within the City of Covington to King County’s Rural Area along SR-169 and the Cedar River (18825 SE Renton-Maple Valley Highway, the old location of Sunset Materials and King County Shops).
Mike Lee, President of LI, discussed some of the concerns expressed by members of the public. He stated LI is a third-generation family-owned company. LI’s Covington Facility, which it is moving, has been in operation since the 1960’s. LI’s Issaquah Facility has been in operation since the 1950’s.
Karen Deal, LI’s Environmental and Land-Use Director, presented details of its proposal. She described the process LI uses to produce asphalt products – a mixture of 95% rock and 5% glue (i.e., liquid asphalt). Optionally LI can add up to 40% recycled materials, such as old roadway pavement. The liquid asphalt is kept in large storage tanks. Rock is processed in aggregate feeders and dryers. A vacuum-filtration system is used to collect and filter all fine dust collected in the processing and stored for other uses. Final asphalt product is stored in tall vertical silos.
Ms. Deal then mentioned how LI plans to handle some of the issues expressed by members of the public. LI ensures clean water by using secondary containment of its products. Any spilled Asphalt cools quickly and is easily cleaned up (a brief demonstration video was shown). Increasing production efficiency has greatly reduced particulate emissions. LI plans to clean up contamination from old storage tanks on the site and add stormwater collection infrastructure, which currently is lacking. The proposed facility will not cover the entire property, as a reduced footprint will allow for buffers to protect existing wetlands.
There is a long history of different uses on the site: 1927 Pacific Coast Coal; 1942—King County Shops; 1997–Sunset Materials; 2016—LI. The Area Council pointed out that the site was only recently rezoned to Industrial in 2008.
There were many questions asked by concerned members of the public in the standing-room-only audience. Here is a sampling of the questions followed by LI’s responses:
Odor? – LI uses controls to reduce odor.
Noise? – LI will meet KC noise standards. There was a lot of back-and-forth discussion on noise concerns, especially within a confined Cedar River corridor.
Hours of Operation? – LI stated there will be some off-hours operation, including some 24-hr days in the summers.
Truck Traffic? – LI stated there will not be an impact to SR-169.
Landslide Hazards? – No response.
Why is there no Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)? – King County Department of Permitting and Environmental Review (DPER) official, Ty Peterson, stated the project would have to be subject to a Determination of Significance (DS) in order for a need for an EIS to be triggered and DPER does not expect a DS will result from its evaluation of LI’s permit application.
The Area Council asked if LI looked at moving its current city operation (in Covington) to other cities? – LI answered, yes it looked at, for example, the City of Maple Valley. However, the city rezoned an LI property that would have been suitable. The Area Council then stated the City of Maple Valley protected its citizens through rezoning and that is what many members of the public are asking King County to do to protect its citizens.
How will the entire Cedar River corridor be evaluated in terms of trapped pollution, particulates, etc.? – Not answered.
How will the King County Council’s 6-mo Moratorium be addressed? [NOTE: On November 13 the KC Council placed a 6-mo Moratorium on the “acceptance of applications for development of rural industrial uses in close proximity to the Cedar River” (i.e., “within one quarter mile of the ordinary high water mark”)….“No building permit, occupancy permit, public health approval or development permit or approval of any kind shall be accepted or issued for any of the purposes or activities prohibited by this section.”]: KC DPER described how the KC Council has directed the Executive to conduct a 3-mo study of industrial-zoned properties in “close proximity” to the Cedar River [“the rural industrial uses permitted in close proximity to the Cedar River” and to evaluate “whether the land use designation and zoning for identified rural industrial land use parcels is still appropriate and consistent with applicable laws, regulations and adopted policies and adequately addresses the impacts and concerns” and to identify “development regulation or map changes, or both, that would address the impacts and concerns.”]. KC DPER stated it is still being determined how this study will be conducted, and there is no formal Public process yet defined. KC DPER suggested members of the public submit their concerns to various KC departments (DPER—ty.peterson@kingcounty.gov, Department of Natural Resources & Parks, and the Executive’s Office). Alan Painter, KC Community Service Area Manager, also suggested members of the public contact Councilman Dunn’s office – reagan.dunn@kingcounty.gov. KC DPER stated that after the 3-mo study is complete (~mid February 2018) it will be made available to the public, which then can submit comments to the KC Council as it contemplates what next to do before the 6-mo Moratorium ends in mid May 2018. The Area Council will be following each step of this process as it proceeds.
Following the completion of LI’s presentation and the public question-and-answer period, the Area Council began its deliberations of the proposed Asphalt Facility. The Area Council has conducted much research and has been preparing a set of detailed Comments. One overarching impediment to the proposed facility is that, in order to comply with its own Comprehensive Plan’s mandatory requirements, King County cannot proceed to approve a new industrial use on this site in lieu of immediately rezoning the property to Rural Residential. Following discussion, a final set of Comments were approved to be submitted to the KC DPER and the KC Council. The Comments will be posted on the Area Council web site: www.gmvuac.org (click “Asphalt Facility” under “Current Issues” on the left-hand side of the Home page).
For reference the KC Council Ordinance declaring a 6-mo Moratorium and calling for a 3-mo Study also can be found on the Area Council’s web site www.gmvuac.org (again click “Asphalt Facility” under “Current Issues” on the left-hand side of the Home page).
The KC Council will hold a Public Hearing on this matter on January 8, 2018, at the KC Courthouse at 516 Third Ave, Seattle, Rm. 1001. Concerned citizens are encouraged to testify and/or submit written comments to the KC Council at council@kingcounty.gov.
Reserve Silica Rezone Request
The Area Council discussed and approved a Letter (accompanied by a set of detailed Comments) to be submitted to the KC Council supporting the KC Executive’s December 1 recommendations to reject Reserve Silica’s request for a rezone of 122 ac currently zoned Mineral to Residential (RA-10) in Ravensdale as part of the annual amendments to the KC Comprehensive Plan. To view the Area Council’s detailed Comments please visit: www.gmvuac.org and click “Reserve Silica” under “Current Issues” on the left-hand side of the Home page.
All-Rural Area UAC Meeting with Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC)
On Tuesday, November 28, four major Rural Area UACs (GMVUAC, Four Creeks UAC—FCUAC, Upper Bear Creek UAC—UBCUAC, and Green Valley/Lake Holms Association—GV/LHA) met with PSRC Executive Director, Josh Brown, and King County officials, including Senior Deputy Executive, Fred Jarrett, and Councilwoman, Kathy Lambert.
A very good discussion ensued on the newly approved four-County PSRC’s Regional Economic Strategies (RES) and how they will be implemented to help foster Rural Area compatible economic opportunities.
The Area Council’s Economic Development Committee, along with the other UACs, will be pursuing follow-up meetings with PSRC Staff on specific RES implementation strategies.
Upcoming Events
GMVUAC Biennial Citizens’ Survey—Continuing through Friday, December 15, the Area Council is conducting its Biennial Rural Area Citizens’ Survey online at www.gmvuac.org)(just click the Survey button). It addresses issues that affect you, your family, and your neighborhood, including planning, zoning, development, traffic, economics, water, and sewage. As part of the survey, you may also express your interest in becoming either a member of the GMVUAC or a non-member participant on any of its various Committees. Your input is needed and valuable and, as always, will be kept confidential. To date responses have been many and very useful in identifying those issues citizens seek to be addressed by government officials. Thank you!
GMVUAC Monthly Meeting—Monday, January 8 (the second Monday of the month, due to the New Year’s Day holiday), from 7 – 9 PM, at the Fire Station located at the SE corner of SE 231st St & SR-169 intersection across from the Police Precinct. Invited speakers are Precinct 3 Headquarters Commander Major Greg Thomas of the KC Sheriff’s Office and representatives from the Tahoma School District. All members of the Public are welcome to attend. Each meeting begins with an open Public Comment period.
Your Area Council serves as an all-volunteer, locally elected advisory body to King County on behalf of all rural unincorporated area residents living in the Tahoma School District. For more information, please visit: www.gmvuac.org.
*** NOTE: There are open positions on your 16-member Area Council. If you live in the Tahoma School District outside the City of Maple Valley (see Service Area Map on our web site), you are invited to apply to become a member. Please send a letter of interest to GMVUAC, P. O. Box 111, Maple Valley, WA 98038 or attend our next monthly meeting. *
