Published: Thursday, July 9, 2009
Debate about Point Wells, Lake Roesiger projects draws crowds
EVERETT - Opposition to a high-density condominium project near Woodway and to building rural mini-cities dominated the Snohomish County Council’s annual land-use review on Wednesday.
People from the Richmond Beach neighborhood in Shoreline journeyed in droves to the county administration building to raise concerns about the impact that 3,500 condos at Point Wells. The 61-acre coastal property is in Snohomish County, but is only accessible through the Richmond Beach area.
“I know the taxes sound wonderful to Snohomish County, but the impact is going to fall on Shoreline and King County,” said Alexandra Shimizu, who lives on the two-lane road that leads to the entrance of the proposed project.
The council isn’t expected to reach any decisions until next month. On Aug. 12, councilmen will set a date for announcing the final decision. Zoning changes of the Cathcart area and forest transition areas are among a dozen other topics under discussion.
More than 60 people spoke Wednesday during nearly four hours of testimony in the afternoon and evening.
Many of them took aim at fully contained communities, a type of zoning that would have allowed a developer to build up to 6,000 homes near rural Lake Roesiger. Though no similar projects are planned in other parts of the county, they could be if the zoning remains in place.
Nancy Dawson of Bothell likened the concept to a prison.
“I was really stuck by the nomenclature, ‘fully contained communities,’” Dawson said. “You don’t need anything else; it’s all inside the walls.”
People from the Richmond Beach neighborhood in Shoreline journeyed in droves to the county administration building to raise concerns about the impact that 3,500 condos at Point Wells. The 61-acre coastal property is in Snohomish County, but is only accessible through the Richmond Beach area.
“I know the taxes sound wonderful to Snohomish County, but the impact is going to fall on Shoreline and King County,” said Alexandra Shimizu, who lives on the two-lane road that leads to the entrance of the proposed project.
The council isn’t expected to reach any decisions until next month. On Aug. 12, councilmen will set a date for announcing the final decision. Zoning changes of the Cathcart area and forest transition areas are among a dozen other topics under discussion.
More than 60 people spoke Wednesday during nearly four hours of testimony in the afternoon and evening.
Many of them took aim at fully contained communities, a type of zoning that would have allowed a developer to build up to 6,000 homes near rural Lake Roesiger. Though no similar projects are planned in other parts of the county, they could be if the zoning remains in place.
Nancy Dawson of Bothell likened the concept to a prison.
“I was really stuck by the nomenclature, ‘fully contained communities,’” Dawson said. “You don’t need anything else; it’s all inside the walls.”
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