In a big step for development in Snoqualmie, the city council approved the Annexation Implementation Plan (AIP) for the Snoqualmie Mill Site at their meeting on Nov. 28.

The AIP is a document that specifies the requirements and standards the land owner and developer need to adhere to, including zoning codes, wetland and storm water regulations. The plan was originally presented to the Snoqualmie city council in late-August.

Some of the city’s requirements in the AIP include a buffer from the land use zones on the property and the adjacent rural and resource areas. Snoqualmie Mill Ventures, the land owners of the mill site, have set a 400 foot buffer between the proposed development area and the King County property to the east of the site and a 600 foot buffer to the north. The south and west borders of the site are not in King County jurisdiction, so no buffers are required there.

The city also required Snoqualmie Mill Ventures to detail their flood hazard considerations as the majority of the property is in the Snoqualmie River’s 100-year floodplain. Any development on the Mill Planning Area must comply with the both the city of Snoqualmie and Federal Emergency Management Agency’s floodplain regulations. These regulations limit the development to non-residential buildings, roads, parking areas, utilities to support the development, and public open-spaces.

However, the approval of the AIP does not mean development can begin right away. Snoqualmie Mill Ventures must now begin work on a master plan for their development project and must conduct an environmental review of the site.

In early November, Snoqualmie’s Community Development Director Mark Hofman told the Valley Record that the master plan will outline the details of the construction project including roads, street lights, drainage and other utilities. The master plan and environmental review must be finalized and approved by the city council once again before any physical development can begin.

Development of the master plan and the environmental review could take as long as a year, Hofman said. Analysis of the potential impacts to traffic, emergency access, pollution, and more must be completed before a project proceeds.

Hofman also said that community scoping meetings would begin during the creation of the master plan. These meetings would allow any community members to learn more about the plan and ask questions or give feedback on the project.

The full AIP is available online at www.ci.snoqualmie.wa.us/Departments/CommunityDevelopment.aspx.