SNOQUALMIE – The latest public hearing for what has been a contentious project within the city of Snoqualmie has again put the decision before a hearing examiner.

On June 12, representatives from the Northwest Railway Museum (NRM) argued for the construction of a proposed 8,180-square-foot Conservation and Restoration Center (CRC) off Stoen Quarry Road.

The Luce and McFadden families, who both own property near the site, argued the CRC would aggravate flooding in the area, damage wetlands and introduce hazardous chemicals into the groundwater.

The families have fought the project ever since the NRM first applied for it in February 2000, and recently made the case that the city of Snoqualmie was wrong to issue a variance and two conditional use permits to the NRM in order to build the CRC.

The hearing last week was called after the Luce and McFadden families said that a hearing examiner decision made earlier this year had failed to take into account testimony regarding the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) when he approved the variances and conditional use permits needed to build the CRC after the city’s decision was appealed.

Jennifer Dold, attorney for the Luce and McFadden families, said Snoqualmie had not only failed to pass on the SEPA testimony to the hearing examiner, but had failed to consider its own comprehensive plan when it approved the project. She said the city did not address environmental concerns with the projects since wetlands would be harmed and chemicals used to treat railroad ties would leak into groundwater in the event of a flood.

For the complete story, pick up a copy of this week’s Valley Record