3/3/09 Post Snohomish County Council Meeting Email to RBCA

March 3, 2009

Hi All,

The Snohomish County Council meeting was held but the Point Wells rezone was not concluded this eve. The eight members present voted five to three in favor of the rezone but a sixth vote for the change is required for it to pass. They will have to wait until the next meeting and it seems very likely it will pass.

The Point Wells folks (Steve Olenbach – sp?) were visibly frustrated with the Council. They wanted a pass this eve and also they had presented the County Council with a 15 Million dollar transportation mitigation plan which the Council hadn’t acknowledged.

WHAT WAS CLEAR FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS:

-The council hopes to:
1) Give the owners of Point Wells assurance and certainty that they will be able
to develop the property so they can begin the
clean up (estimated at 20 – 30 Million dollar project).

2) Develop this land as mixed use and fulfill their comprehensive plan - all
county council members see this as a jewel and in
concert with their long range growth plans.

3) Include the Edmonds and Woodway planning goals in the process and partner with
them.

-This is not a prototypical urban center and in order to rezone it the location must be in close proximity to high capacity transit services like a major highway, Rail Line, Bus route, etc. This is required by Policy 383 of the “existing” comprehensive plan rules.

-Puget Sound Rail had considered putting a Sounder Station at Point Wells sometime in the distant future – post 2025 at a cost of 30 to 40 Million dollars.

-A few council members have been frustrated to see that nothing has been done with Point Wells over the past 27 years and they wish to right that wrong.

-They are currently conducting a programmatic “non-project” based look at this area which means there is no specific plan set out from the Point Wells owners yet.

-Possible payment to Shoreline for inter-jurisdictional roadway agreement(s) and mitigation.

-A recreational use marina was an important to the final outcome.

-This will all likely take place 20 to 30 years down the road.

WHAT REMAINED UNCLEAR WAS:

-Which set of comprehensive plan rules apply? The existing ones or the newly proposed ones?

-Can any smaller or different project occupy this space and succeed financially given the cost to clean up and mitigate traffic?


I requested a copy of the minutes and will share them when they become available.

Jack