Please keep the Letters Coming!

It's imperative the KC Department of Permitting and Environmental Review know that we are still vigilant and not going anywhere.   We need to send emails regarding several complex issues. Please send emails to: 

• Rhonda Berry, KC Chief of Operations (Starbard's boss) -   Rhonda.Berry@kingcounty.gov
• John Starbard, Director of DPER - John.Starbard@kingcounty.gov
• Ty Peterson - Ty.Peterson@kingcounty.gov
• Dow Constantine - King County Executive -  Dow.Constantine@kingcounty.gov
• Reagan Dunn - KC District 9 Rep - Reagan.Dunn@kingcounty.gov and Lisa.Labrache@kingcounty.gov

Items to address in your letter/email:

Innocent Purchaser:  DPER has not responded to the public request to invalidate the innocent purchaser.  This is addressed in DPER's "technical review" letter to Cramer, see #2.   We have provided documentation to DPER and all KC council members proving Mr. Cramer was aware he was purchasing a portion of a parcel which invalidates the Innocent Purchaser document.  Therefore, Cramer's application is incomplete. 

Vesting - This is a complex legal issue.  Please refer to the attached letter.

Road -  Emphasize the importance of safety and ask improvements be required, not recommended.  Mel, has provided the following suggestions to use in your email.

Comments 24 – 27

Roadway Improvements – Choose one or more to include in your letters and/or e-mails to King County Department of Development and Environmental Services.

• I am responding to TSC comment number 27 regarding improvements to 200^th Ave SE.  King County is recommending that the roadway be improved to a 20^th foot width with 2 foot shoulders. This is clearly not adequate to handle the 279 additional daily trips generated by the proposed industrial project. 

• 200^th Avenue SE is currently in substandard condition for a residential street. It cannot safely handle the additional traffic from the proposed development.

• King County must impose traffic and roadway improvements to mitigate the full impact of the proposed project on 200^th Ave SE and SE 248^th Street.   The existing roadway is currently 20 feet wide in most areas and it must we widened further in order to protect the pedestrians that walk along the road as well as the school children that play in the area. Widening the roadway, installing sidewalks and adequate shoulders must be a requirement for this development.

• Why is King County DEPR staff reluctant to impose the full requirements to improve 200^th Avenue to a rural subcollector road status?    

• King County staff should impose full roadway upgrades to mitigate the impact of this industrial project.  The applicant should be forced to improve the roadway and shoulders to current standards.   Full compliance with all roadway codes should be required.  

• The applicant should be required to purchase adequate right of way and make full roadway improvements to ensure the safety of the community.    

Comment #28

• I read in the TSC comments that King County is requiring that only a portion of 200 Avenue SE be overlaid with new asphalt.   If the applicant’s project is approved, he should be required to widen, improve and overlay all of 200 Ave SE and SE 248^th.

• Why is King County DEPR recommending that only a portion of 200^th Ave SE be overlaid?  Improve the entire road and add sidewalks!!!

• 200^th Ave SE is too narrow to handle the existing car and truck traffic.   The applicant is proposing an industrial development that will significantly increase traffic.   He should be required to improve the roadway to current standards for industrial properties.

General Comments:

Air Quality & Odors

King County has failed to include any comments related to air quality impacts created by this proposed project.   What measures will the applicant take to ensure that the air quality is not affected and that nuisance odors are prevented?

What type of odors will this industrial building create and how will the neighborhood be impacted?  

Please Submit Complaints regarding DPER's Unethical Behavior

Please voice your complaints and concerns to Ms. Elizabeth Hill, Senior Deputy Ombudsman for Rural and Unincorporated Area Affairs in the King County Ombudsman's Office. Ms. Hill’s office investigates citizen complaints that assert a County agency or employee is acting in a manner that is unfair, arbitrary, inconsistent, or contrary to law.

Contact Information:
Elizabeth Hill, PE, PG, PMP
Senior Deputy Ombudsman for Rural and Unincorporated Area Affairs
Ombudsman/Office of Citizen Complaints
KCC-CC-1039
516 Third Avenue, Room W1039
Seattle, Washington 98104-2317

Via E-Mail Only:  elizabeth.hill@kingcounty.gov

Proposed Location

This map illustrates a few of the many reasons why this is an inappropriate location for the proposed marijuana facility.

King County Council Meeting Review

Thank you for all who attended the King County Council Meeting!  We had over 60 people present to represent us, and the results were overall positive.

You can watch the proceedings of the meeting here:
http://www.kingcounty.gov/council/agendas.aspx

Thank you Tzeitel for link, and the following info on how to watch what is pertinent to our issue:

-Scroll down to 9/22 Metropolitan King County Council 11 am video

-Start video at 47:00  - 1:14:48, skip ahead to 1:37:45 for speakers

-Forward to 1:44 to hear about the ordinance that could later help us & council members comments & vote outcome.

Here is a video of the news coverage on Q13 Fox that evening:

Keep up the good work everyone!

We STRONGLY ENCOURAGE ALL to attend the KING COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING

It is imperative that we pack this meeting full of as many people as possible to create a powerful impact, and Save 200th Ave!

Date: 9/22 
Time: 1:30 pm (carpools will be leaving the LDS church parking lot at 12pm)
Place: King County Courthouse 516 3rd Ave, Seattle, WA 98104 (see previous post for parking instructions)

How you can prepare:

1. Join our coordinated effort by notifying us of your attendance, and/or desire to speak or delegate your speaking time (see plan below) by e-mailing:  save200thave@gmail.com . Please include if you wish to car pool, or have room for others in your car.

2. Inform all 9 council members of the issue.  You can do this by sending them the e-mail you already sent to DPER and the LCB.  A copy-paste e-mail list is available at the base of this post, so that you don't need to reformat. 

• rod.dembowski@kingcounty.gov 206-477-1001 
• larry.gossett@kingcounty.gov 206-477-1002 
• kathy.lambert@kingcounty.gov 206-477-1003 
• larry.phillips@kingcounty.gov 206-477-1004 
• dave.upthegrove@kingcounty.gov 206-477-1005 
• jane.hague@kingcounty.gov 206-477-1006 
• pete.vonreichbauer@kingcounty.gov 206-477-1007 
• joe.mcdermott@kingcounty.gov 206-477-1008 
• reagan.dunn@kingcounty.gov 206-477-1009

3. Inform all 9 council members of your attendance by calling the above numbers and leaving a message.

4. Make and bring a sign to promote awareness.

The Coordinated Plan:
The speaking slots at the council meeting are two minutes each. There is no stated maximum number of speaking slots, but as with any meeting, after a while we will lose the council's focused attention. It's important that the first 20 speaking slots are used to present the research findings and legal items that give us the best chance of ultimately beating this thing. We want to present a planned, coherent message. So anyone can speak who wants to, but we would respectfully ask you to sign up further down the list past number 20 so we get the critical research and legal info presented first. Each person may only sign up for one speaking slot, but we are allowed to sign up and then turn our speaking slot over to someone else. With that in mind, we're seeking up to 20 people to volunteer to be a 'speaker delegate' -- to sign up in slot 1 thru 20 and then delegate their time over to one of the key presenters. If you are willing to be a 'speaker delegate' please e-mail save200thave@gmail.com .

Copy Paste Email List: 
rod.dembowski@kingcounty.gov; larry.gossett@kingcounty.gov; kathy.lambert@kingcounty.gov; larry.phillips@kingcounty.gov; dave.upthegrove@kingcounty.gov; jane.hague@kingcounty.gov; pete.vonreichbauer@kingcounty.gov; joe.mcdermott@kingcounty.gov; reagan.dunn@kingcounty.gov

Urgent! Everyone must contact the Liquor Control Board ASAP!

We have a new avenue to pursue!  I urge everyone to contact the WA State Liquor Control Board as they have the power to save our neighborhood. In talking to Mike Lorette, he spoke with the Liquor Board yesterday, and they told him that they REALLY need to hear complaints from us, and it could help sway them to tell the county not to approve it.  Mark Cramer has passed all the fundamental requirements for licensing, but anything we send to the Liquor Control Board will be considered and will be part of the record.  The board tells us that if the negative comments far outweigh the positive comments, that could play into the decision of issuance of the license.

 Here is their contact information:

Washington State Liquor Control Board 

Licensing and Regulation

P.O. Box 43098

Olympia, WA 98504-3098

A written letter is preferred until we get confirmation of the best e-mail address.
*Update: I received a response from the e-mail I sent to mjlicensing@liq.wa.gov and I can personally recommend sending your e-mails there.

met@liq.wa.gov,

Comments@liq.wa.gov
mjlicensing@liq.wa.gov

 

Be sure to reference the following:
Applicant: Mark Cramer
Trade Name: Experience Organics 

License #412072

 

Up-Coming Meetings to Attend

I urge all who can attend these meetings to go and voice their concerns.  It will greatly help our cause.  Please e-mail save200thave@gmail.com if you wish to speak.

Greater Maple Valley Unincorporated Area Council

Date: Monday, September 8
Time: 7:00 p.m. 
Place: Maple Valley Fire & Life Safety Station (across from the KC Sheriff's Precinct just off SR 169           and 231st)

A message from Les Dawson:

As a member of the GMVUAC I am glad to see your interest in coming to Monday's meeting. There is time at the beginning of the meeting for you to address us. As it appears there may well be an important group there our Growth Management Committee report can be moved up on the agenda for you to hear earlier. Please stay, give input at the appropriate time and be a part of what we are doing.

Look forward to seeing you on Monday.

King County Council Meeting

Date:Monday, September 22nd
Time: 1:30 pm
Place: King County Courthouse 516 3rd Ave, Seattle, WA 98104

A message from Lisa LeBrache: 
There is a parking garage on 6^th and Jefferson if you are driving.  You can take the James street exit, turn left at the light and turn left at the next light.  Take a right on Jefferson and garage is on your left. It’s not cheap but nothing is in Seattle.

Residents of 200th Ave Concerns

SEPA File No. CMST14-0001, Parcel No. 202206-9011

200^th Ave SE south of SE 240^th St is strictly residential.  There is one partial that was purchased by the state during the widening of SR 18 around 1995.  This is the parcel of property recently purchased by Cramer and Maple Valley Industries, LLC. 

Traffic Impact:

·        This roadway is already substandard in regards to the county’s code.  The roadway is too narrow and the surface is littered with bumps from roots and potholes.  The easements are not in line with providing a straight roadway.

·        With the number of box trucks, armored cars and other vehicles transporting chemicals, fertilizers and this product this is not safe for the children on this street.

·        There have been numerous accidents at the intersection of SE 240^th St, 200^th Ave SE and SE Wax Rd.  Is there a traffic revision proposed to this intersection?  This is the road traveled by 600 + student vehicles traveling to Tahoma High School, plus students on busses.

·        There are two bus stops for high school, junior high and elementary students on the route to this proposed facility.

·        There are currently no sidewalks and children are forced to walk to the second bus stop because school busses are prohibited from driving to the end of the road due to the steep grade of the roadway.

·        There are three homes past the proposed site and children would have to walk/drive past the facility to catch the bus.

·        Another concern is in the Fire Accessibility.  In the event of a 2 Alarm fire and the there’s an accident at the intersection of 200^th, 240^th & SE Wax Rd.  How would the Fire Trucks reach the warehouses?  This would also jeopardize the safety of the residents on 200^th Ave.   The newer homes on 200^th adhere to the fire code by designing driveways for fire truck accessibility.  The proposed plans do not offer any type of turn around.

Environmental Impact:

·        The state chose not to enforce the Critical Area Ordinance for marijuana processing facilities.

·        Cramer and Maple Valley Industries are requesting to clear and grade more than is allowed

·        Drainage

o   The proposed site is on top of a class 2 aquifer

o   How will the waste contaminants affect the well water and water table

o   Jenkins Creek is 125 feet from the site and is Class 2 Salmon creek

o   We the residents feel the state needs to evaluate the wetlands, stream, and drainage design of the parcel.

o   This is a new industry and its impact on the environment isn’t known.  Does the county want to adversely affect a salmon bearing creek?

o   Within the Middle Green River Sub watershed. Are there regulations or code to follow?

·        Odor Control - emissions from the site will permeate the area and everything downwind, possibly reaching THS and National Cemetary.

·        Noise

o   Because of the property being cleared the highway noise will increase.

o   Manufacturing noise from the day to day operations.

o   Increase traffic noise of 40 employees and trucks using 200^th Ave SE.

Safety and Crime:

·        The state Liquor Control Board has documented how crimes around these facilities increase specifically in Murder, Home Invasion Robberies, Thefts and ……  Which directly affect the surrounding residents and local law enforcement agencies.

·        The state intends to spread these facilities over a wide area so everyone can experience it

·        1.5 miles from the Tahoma National Cemetery and Tahoma High School.

·        There are families on the road anticipating operating daycares .

Thank you for this document Mike and Tzeitel Lorrette