Letters | Who is listening to residents who don’t want races?

Published 8:31 am Wednesday, June 22, 2011

I attended both the Town Hall meeting on May 17 and the Snoqualmie City Council meeting on May 23, where I heard our county councilwoman, Kathy Lambert, say emphatically that the “County hears you. We are listening.” I was just wondering what that meant exactly, because I am listening, too.

I listened to the tape of the King County Council meeting where Councilwoman Lambert put in for an “emergency” temporary use permit (TUP) for the ESPN Rally Cross event. Really? Getting on TV is an “emergency”? The council chair even asked, “Is there anyone in the audience who would like to speak to it?” But how could we? None of the citizens were aware that this “emergency” ordinance was even in play. Only the city attorney and the city administrator were present. If we had been given a chance there would have been a large contingent of citizens who would have shown up to speak.

All this is water under the bridge, you say, but what about future events? What is the county going to do when Snoqualmie Ventures or the rally driving school asks for more permits? The county is shoving the responsibility off to the city. The city says it has no authority until the annexation occurs. In the meantime, who is listening to us, the majority of city and unincorporated King county residents who do not want a racetrack in the valley? Are you, Councilwoman Lambert?

Citizens of Snoqualmie Valley, this is your chance to make your voices heard so that Councilwoman Lambert and Mayor Larson and the City Council members know that a racetrack is not a good fit for this Valley. Let’s explore other possibilities before we are committed to the noise and pollution and all of the other unhealthy aspects of a racetrack.

Maura T. Callahan

Snoqualmie