Council begins Falls Crossing process

SNOQUALMIE — The Snoqualmie City Council took its

first look at Falls Crossing last week following the Sept. 5 Planning

Commission vote to recommend approval of the development, with findings

and conditions.

The Monday-night discussion centered around developing a plan for

the review process. Immediately following the Planning Commission

vote, city staff said the council would have 90 days to complete the review

and make its decision. However, City Attorney Pat Anderson told

council members that the 90 days applies only to getting the matter before the

City Council and allowing them sufficient time to sift through the huge

amount of material and evidence collected by the Planning Commission.

At the suggestion of consulting land-use attorney Jay Derr, the

council agreed to take additional public comment on Oct. 24. The meeting

will begin at 7 p.m. and end at 10 p.m., with about one hour devoted to

citizen comment. A sign-up sheet will be provided, but if all parties are

not heard before time runs out, the meeting will carry over to Oct. 25 at 7

p.m. The location had not been established by press time.

Comments must be limited to the findings and conditions developed

by the Planning Commission. The findings and conditions are part of

the public record and are available for viewing at the city of

Snoqualmie Administrative Office, 8020 Railroad Ave. S.E.

"Because the decision-making process is quasi-judicial, the

Planning Commission was required to make its decision based on the evidence,

not their personal wishes or desires," Anderson said. "They had to look

at whether the Falls Crossing proposal met mixed-use ordinance and

comprehensive plan requirements and whether environmental impacts

could be mitigated. This is true for the City Council, also."

No estimate of time needed for completing the City Council

review process was given, and it is not known if portions of the record, other than

the additional public comment period, will be reopened.

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