UPDATE (With "Attitude")

Since I already issued my update for this week, I guess I'll call this one an update with Attitude -- a spin on what's been happening around town.

First, Former County Councilman and Chair Dave Somers has been appointed by Governor Locke to the county Boundary Review Board (BRB). This might give at least a bit of an edge to us "Just Folks" when attempting to get a fair hearing on annexation issues coming before that review/approval body.

Speaking of Annexations…The recent State Supreme Court decision, which found the petition method of annexing property to a city's UGA unconstitutional, will perhaps give us "regular" folks a bit of a helping hand when it comes to fighting annexations. A perfect case in point is Garth York's 40-acre annexation in 2001, wherein he was the only signature required to initiate this action. And, despite the clear inadequacy of a capital facilities plan, and the city's inability to adequately provide for the annexed area, and an all-out protest by a substantial number of citizens, and a haughty "slam-dunk" of the citizens' appeal to the BRB, this property has been annexed into the city. (By the way, this property has since "grown" to 50 acres due to a highly suspect boundary line revision, the de facto effect of which is adding an additional 10 acres to Sultan's UGA as well as into the city…I wonder what the Supreme Court would think about "Annexation by Boundary Line Adjustment." Just a thought.

Date Street Condo Playground: "Let's just get it done." (Said Councilmember Bruce Champeaux)- the council stepped up to the plate last week and cracked one outta da park -- I mean, playground -- by their action. Due to -- whatever reasons -- the developer paid the city for a playground, but it never got built. There's an extra house in the spot where it should have been. But kudos to ALL councilmembers who have taken on this project and are trying to get it fixed. Councilmember Dusty Boucher said that his review of the file's contents made him ashamed. To drive home his point, he ironically stated that instead of a "gateway" sign, perhaps Sultan should have one that reads: "Buyer Beware." Wow.

Good goin', guys!

Comprehensive Plan process winding down…Last Public Workshop…I don't know how it seems to others, but to me it seems this process has hardly begun, when it's already winding down. If you care about Sultan's future being planned by others, then you need to begin participating in this process N-O-W! The next (and final!) "Public Forum" on this issue is scheduled for:

Code Changes Hearing: Many, oh, so many multiple changes…important stuff…will directly affect permitting and SEPA review (especially in the Industrial Park)…be there…

"MARKETING BROCHURE" (for industrial park) A BIT PREMATURE…The four-color brochure by which the city will advertise the industrial park has one or two problems.

First, the EIS review process for the Industrial Park Master Plan is not yet complete. And judging from some of the comments from LID property owners on the proposed zoning, this process may still undergo significant revision before the zoning is finalized. Yet this brochure indicates specific zoning as follows: 115 acres light industrial, 83 acres Highway Commercial and 76 Residential.

Second, the brochure states that "Critical areas have been delineated and accounted for." That is absolutely not correct. A wetland delineation study, which would set a "baseline" upon which SEPA review and administrative permitting can occur, has not been done.

How could the expense for this 4-page, 4-color brochure be approved while the EIS process is still ongoing?

One thing that was conspicuously absent but should have been included in this brochure is as basic to today's business as having an accountant or computer: A website address.

Residents -- AND -- property owners in the LID should be questioning the city on this most recent example of the cart leading the horse. Sales brochures with misleading or false statements have been the basis for winning lawsuits.

(Note: The brochure itself is well-done. These comments should not reflect negatively against any person or persons who helped put it together, who were only executing marching orders received from others.)

Safeway or Hagens Here on Fast "Track"? Okay, at the risk of sounding too negative, I have a fairly simple question to ask: Is a big-box grocery store conducive to the ambiance of an area in which we're trying to market a warm and friendly choo-choo and historical museum by which to lure tourists? Guess it depends on what sort of image one wishes to convey: That of a Boulder, Colorado, Martha's Vineyard or even a Redmond, versus one filled with cotton candy, bumper cars and a boardwalk.

Professional Office Campus? Someone spoke to me following last Tuesday's Planning Commission hearing on the Industrial Park EIS, and suggested that an office park may be the way to go. He seemed a bit surprised when I enthusiastically agreed with the concept of a high-tech, high-quality professional office campus, complete with walking and nature trails, instead of retail and heavy industrial. Gee, guess folks must think I'm simply against ALL development. Now, I wonder where they would have gotten that idea? Does the term, "SCC" ring any bells? (Folks may recall during the election when they continually referred to G.R.I.T. as extremist, anti-government and anti-development.)

(Now let's see if they can do anything for the homeowners of Willow Run….)

Loretta Storm

360-793-6683