The second deliberation meeting just occurred. At a deliberation

meeting, the developer, in this case, Puget Western, presents their project and

the Snoqualmie Planning Commission asks questions and requests

information. In 1995, proposed Falls Crossing was turned down by the

planning commission and sent back to the drawing board.

What amazes me is how little, really, the proposed development

has changed. The attitude is the same; the proposed development is just

somewhat smaller. The wildlife and Native American issues are being

addressed because of requests from citizens, including the Snoqualmie Tribe.

Even though Snoqualmie Falls is being considered as a national

historic landmark, the highest honor a property can receive in the United

States, the developer would still like to put stores on the corner of Highway

18 and 202 near historic downtown Snoqualmie and build a housing

development nearby. In their rhetoric, they fail to mention the historic

downtown but poetically describe the proposed retail stores for the

above-mentioned corner. They would like this corner to be a new stop for the

train. The proposed retail area would benefit from the train stop, but not

historic downtown.

The developer seems to be proud of the fact that the more

“affordable housing” proposed would be a

“bungalow” style with porches. They indicated that these houses would be

similar to Snoqualmie houses and, therefore, fit in with the rural character.

I don’t think so! Houses in Snoqualmie are not generally right next to

each other. Many are not two stories, and do not have porches or garages.

When was the last time you saw someone sitting on a porch in this weather?

The developer Puget Western wants to hide their proposed

development with trees instead of having it lay behind the topography of the land.

The problem with relying on trees only, is that trees can be toppled by the

wind, disease or humans. They have to plant the trees first, and the trees would

need 10 to 15 years to mature. It has not been proven beyond a

reasonable doubt that this proposed project would not be seen if these trees toppled.

This was the main reason the planning commission turned the

project down in January 1996. There are several commissioners still on

board. Most of them are to be highly recommended because this position is

voluntary and takes many hours of their time. Only one of the

commissioners seems to want to hurry the process. This person’s sole mission seems

to be to make motions to end the public comment periods and would like

to turn the corner of Highway 18 and 202, one of the gateways to the

historic downtown, into a cornball tourist trap.

There will be further deliberation meetings in January and possibly

in February, (addressing) various topics such as water quality, water

availability, viewsheds, cultural and historic resources, wildlife, etc. The

following are some of the dates: Jan. 3, Jan. 12, and Jan. 19. There will also be

other meetings in January. They are usually at City Hall, but sometimes they

are at other locations. The meetings will be posted in the Valley Record,

the Post Office, the Library, the city offices and City Hall.

Catherine Bunn

Snoqualmie