Third-generation, local family-owned company plans to relocate its Covington plant to the industrial-zoned property in Maple Valley using industry-leading technology to mitigate environmental impacts
ISSAQUAH, Wash. (Nov. 6, 2018) – Lakeside Industries filed its application today with King County Department of Planning and Environmental Review to relocate its Covington asphalt plant to the industrial-zoned property on State Route 169 between Renton and Maple Valley. As part of its submission, the locally-based company is consolidating this new application, which includes an extensive project documentation process, with the application it submitted to King County for a grading permit in 2017.
Throughout the project proposal process, Lakeside has paid careful attention to concerns regarding water quality of the Cedar River, which is located on the other side of the state highway and the former railroad line. As part of its application, Lakeside has designed an extensive, multipart water quality treatment system that will treat and infiltrate all the stormwater on the plant site.
“Our proposed water quality treatment systems are state of the art and among the best in the country,” stated Lakeside President Mike Lee. The system includes on-site catch basins and grass-lined swales, coalescing plate oil/water separators, an underground pre-settling vault, a large sand filter and an infiltration gallery using the Stormtech Chamber System.
Lee continued, “historically, very little of the runoff on this property has been treated or infiltrated, and instead has flowed through ditches and culverts into the Cedar River. We are dramatically improving conditions at the site.”
Previous owners and operators at the proposed Lakeside site over the last century include Pacific Coast Coal, King County Roads Department and Sunset Materials. Since streams and wetlands on the site were not previously protected, Lakeside’s development plans include new and expanded buffers and buffer restoration to protect the critical areas. To further improve water quality, Lakeside will also remove contaminated soils from the site that resulted from uses by prior owners.
Curt Smitch, who served as director of the Washington State Department of Wildlife and set up the Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office, reviewed the proposed plans for the site and said, “Lakeside Industries’ plans will significantly improve the water quality on the site, which in turn will benefit the Cedar River and our salmon runs in the Cedar.”
Lakeside has applied to the Washington State Department of Transportation for permission to add a deceleration and acceleration lane to SR 169 adjacent to the plant site. This additional lane — all at Lakeside’s expense — will improve traffic flow in the area.
Lakeside is moving the existing Covington plant to the SR 169 site because it is losing its lease at the Covington site, where the current owner is planning a redevelopment. Lakeside’s Covington plant includes state of the art systems, and has been approved by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.
The Lakeside application documents will be reviewed by King County. Processing is expected to take several months.
About Lakeside Industries
Lakeside Industries is a family-owned business headquartered in Issaquah. Its many asphalt plants produce hot mix asphalt for public road projects, schools, airports, and many homes and businesses. Some of the Lakeside plants operate in highly developed areas such as Fremont in Seattle, downtown Monroe and at the base of Issaquah Highlands. Learn more at www.lakesideindustries.com.
