Phase II annexation process heats up
Published 1:43 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008
SNOQUALMIE – The city’s borders could be expanding in the near future.
On Monday, the Snoqualmie City Council allowed a petition for annexation to be filed by Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Co. for Snoqualmie Ridge Phase II. Considering the petition is one of the contingencies contained in the Snoqualmie Preservation Initiative, a $13.3 million deal to preserve Falls Crossing land and other land near the city that was finalized last year between Snoqualmie, King County, WRECO and Puget Western Inc.
The petition concerns land identified as “Snoqualmie Ridge II South,” which is located in the city’s and King County’s Joint Planning Area. The land is south of Phase I and straddles the Snoqualmie Parkway. It extends down to Southeast 96th Street east of the parkway, and Southeast 99th Street west of the parkway.
Allowing the petition to be filed is the first step in the annexation process. In a memo to the City Council and staff members, City Attorney Pat Anderson explained that a vote to annex the land wouldn’t occur until an environmental review, planning and a development agreement have been finalized.
An ordinance was also introduced to establish zoning for property owned by the Salish Lodge and Spa upon the land’s annexation. Under the city’s comprehensive plan the land would be zoned planned residential and planned commercial/industrial.
“This proposed ordinance would implement, or realize, the comp-plan designation into actual zoning for the Salish property,” Anderson said at the City Council meeting.
No action was taken on the ordinance introduction. A presentation on the proposed Salish annexation will take place at 6 p.m. Monday, March 11, at Snoqualmie Middle School.
The council tabled a bill that would provide funding for the Meadowbrook Farm Preservation Association until its next meeting on March 11. Council members expressed concerns that the association has not provided its budget and other reports to the city in the past, as it is required to do.
Snoqualmie and North Bend are obligated under a 1998 interlocal agreement to pay for a part-time employee to oversee the association’s efforts. The city of North Bend sent a letter to the association earlier this month, saying that because of cuts to its current expense budget, it could only provide $5,000 to the association.
Snoqualmie had budgeted $15,000 this year for the association, but because of North Bend’s decision to reduce funding the city is rethinking its plans. In 1999 and 2000 Snoqualmie contributed $10,000 toward the association, and in 2001, the city spent about $12,000. In the past, North Bend has funded the association at a higher level than Snoqualmie.
Anderson said paying for anything beyond the part-time employee “is at the City Council’s discretion,” and council members said they wanted to see the association’s budget before they decide how much to spend.
“We need to have compliance from them under the current agreement to justify the grants from us,” said Councilman Jay Rodne.
The association has been successful in raising money to build an interpretive center on the 430-acre Meadowbrook Farm, which was preserved as open space by North Bend and Snoqualmie.
You can reach Barry Rochford at (425) 888-2311, or e-mail him at barry.rochford@
valleyrecord.com.
