All sides weigh in on proposed development near Snoqualmie Falls

Published 2:07 pm Tuesday, May 17, 2016

People lined the walls of the Snoqualmie City Hall council chambers as members of the Snoqualmie Tribe, representatives of the Muckleshoot Tribe and citizens of Snoqualmie attended the May 9 city council meeting.

On the agenda were three public hearings regarding development resolutions that would affect land near the Snoqualmie Falls.

Resolutions tied to those three hearings were all passed unanimously by the city council.

The hearings covered the proposed and amended Salish Lodge expansion project, a Tokul roundabout capital improvement project latecomer agreement with the Muckleshoot Tribe and a development agreement related to traffic mitigation for the Snoqualmie Mill Site redevelopment.

The Salish Lodge expansion resolution was designed to restate, amend and clarify language used within the original development contract and its five amendments. The amended document will replace the original document.

The Tokul Roundabout latecomer agreement provides latecomer reimbursement to the Muckleshoot Tribe and the city for their contributions to the cost of the traffic mitigation during development. The payments are to be made by property owners who develop and benefit from the roundabout but did not pay their full share of the cost up front.

The resolution regarding the mill site approved an agreement with Snoqualmie Mill Ventures to pay the city $1,220,000 to mitigate the impacts of the traffic safety and congestion during the mill site redevelopment.

The hearings began with City Attorney Bob Sterbank giving an overview of the Salish expansion and dispelling rumors about the project, stating that the housing development planned at the far end of the Muckleshoot property was for 175 houses not 250 as some rumors have said.

He also discussed the affordable housing aspect of the proposed development which states that 15 percent of the total number of residential units will be developed for households earning 80 percent or less of the King County median income.

Rachel Nathanson, a representative of the Muckleshoot Tribe, spoke to council about their involvement and response to the feedback they have received. She said the Muckleshoot Tribe was “motivated by the desire to protect Snoqualmie Falls from potential developers who didn’t have an understanding of how significant this cultural resource is. The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe is more sensitive and more well versed in dealing with cultural resource analysis and the protection of such resources than just about any developer you have out here.”

“They are committed to conducting a thorough and complete cultural resource analysis of the Morgan parcel (between S.R. 202 and Tokul Road S.E.) prior to any development of that site,” she said.

As for the details of the project, Nathanson explained that the 175-unit housing number was just a maximum and the tribe had not committed to going that high. In addition, no homes will be visible from S.R. 202 due to the distance and grade of the topography. All the homes are planned to be in the farthest corner of the property, almost half a mile away from the falls.

“Likewise we commit that the hotel would not be visible from any key viewpoints within Snoqualmie Falls Park itself,” Nathanson added.

During the public comment period, members of the Snoqualmie Tribe, people supporting the “Save the Snoqualmie Falls” movement and interested citizens all spoke. Every speaker used their opportunity to voice disapproval of the Salish Lodge expansion.

Carolyn Lubenau, chairwoman of the Snoqualmie Tribal Council, spoke about how this planned development would not align with King County’s Growth Management Act, would only bring more traffic congestion and ruin the tribe’s sacred land.

“We are here tonight to remind the city that this proposed irresponsible development severely compromises the quality of life for future generations by desecrating a place visited by over 2 million* people a year to see nature’s creation in all its glory,” Lubenau said. “They will not come to a congested residential area to find the peace and beauty they enjoy today with this proposed development on sacred ground.”

Concered Snoqualmie citizens, like Carol Fix, also made their voice heard in support of the Snoqualmie Tribe’s message.

“I also think this is counter productive to the tourism the city has considered an important part of its structure,” Fix said. “If this approved we will have to change those nice patches that were on the police officers’ arms to houses all around them.”

Terry Danysh, an attorney and representative of the Muckleshoot Tribe, had the opportunity to respond to the concerns voiced in the public comment section and recommended the council pass the resolution to amend the document.

“The most important thing for the council to remember is the issue in front of you is not the project as a whole. We have several years of process, several steps to be taken, plenty of public participation that will be permitted assuming the process is able to go forward and certainly my clients… fully intended to proceed,” Danysh said. “We are not unmindful at all of the concerns that have been raised here by the Snoqualmie Tribe. I know my clients are firmly of the belief that no one could be a better steward of this property other than the Snoqualmie Tribe itself, which had the chance to purchase this property but was not able to do so.”

When it came to a vote, city council determined that the resolution to amend the development agreement could only be a benefit in improving the document’s readability.

“I appreciate the things I heard and I certainly take those sentiments on board, but that doesn’t change the existing agreement, we are not being asked to nullify or re-agree, we are just rewriting an agreement that already exists, we are not in a position to undo any agreements, but to make existing documents more manageable,” Councilmember Chelley Patterson said.

Documents detailing the public hearings and resolutions can all be found at the city’s website on the council agenda page: www.ci.snoqualmie.wa.us/CouncilAgendas/tabid/384/Default.aspx.

*According to www.snoqualmiefalls.com, more than 1.5 million people visit the Falls each year.