Was there ever any doubt about decision?
Published 12:44 am Friday, October 3, 2008
North Bend’s City Council took just 15 minutes to approve the 258-unit AF Evans project under a consent agenda proceeding at the Aug. 13 meeting. This procedure allows an up or down vote on a bundle of issues, without having to debate the merits of the individual ordinances.
It was painfully obvious from the beginning of this process that the money grab by the city was not to be denied. The council issued bonds for Tollgate that it couldn’t afford, against the will of the voters and it needed a fast cash infusion.
This final vote merely underscores the hypocrisy that permeates this current council on rural character and growth. Perhaps now that this project has been approved and the money is in the bank, we can see just how consistent this administration will be with regard to growth-management issues.
The Evans project will account for all of the city of North Bend’s allotted growth for the next seven years. The growth management board has stated North Bend’s target growth number for its growth-management area is 31 homes per year and apartments like Evans will count for .85 houses per unit. The growth board also says we are over our targeted employment quota. I guess given the numbers we don’t need all that staffing over at community development and City Hall, do we?
Since Sallal Water Association is providing the water for the Evans project, perhaps we can stop paying consultants tens of thousands of dollars to come out of our water-based building moratorium. If we cannot or will not grow, why acquire the capacity to grow in the infrastructure? The administration of this city has made it very clear that it wants to restrict growth, except where it will fund further open space and help complete the green moat around North Bend.
The truth about the Tollgate fiasco is starting to emerge as the much-promised soccer fields have not, and probably will not, materialize. The latest council work study directed staff to explore soccer field options other than Tollgate. Maybe they should have thought of that prior to spending millions of taxpayer dollars based on a lie.
Please don’t forget this is the same group that wants to establish a Metropolitan Parks District under the guise of saving Si View Park. The park district would give the city nonvoter approved taxing authority of up to 75 cents per $1,000 on your house.
Please help stop this administration before it does any more damage to our town and our pocketbooks.
Ross Loudenback
North Bend
For all the letters this week, pick up a copy of the Valley Record
