WOODWAY — Some roadblocks might be going up to limit the scope of a large-scale condominium development at the Point Wells industrial area on Puget Sound.
A bill introduced this week by state lawmakers would attempt
to severely limit the number of homes and businesses that could be built at the 61-acre site.
At the same time, the city of Shoreline is looking to curb traffic on the only road, two-lane Richmond Beach Drive NW, leading to Point Wells. Richmond Beach Road lies in Shoreline. The Shoreline Planning Commission is set to hold a hearing tonight on that issue.
Owner BSRE Point Wells LP wants to build up to 3,500 condos, commercial space and public areas under Snohomish County’s urban center zoning. Point Wells sits entirely within unincorporated Snohomish County.
The bill submitted Monday by state Reps. Ruth Kagi, D-Lake Forest Park, and former Shoreline Mayor Cindy Ryu, D-Shoreline, would block the Point Wells project from being developed at more density than what exists on adjacent land.
“The point is that Snohomish County, the City of Shoreline and the Town of Woodway need to jointly address the impact of this development on the communities around it,” Kagi said. “This development is going to have a major impact on Richmond Beach” — a Shoreline neighborhood— “and Snohomish County is going to get all the revenue of this development.”
Like many of the neighbors who are concerned about the scope of the proposed project, Kagi said she is “very supportive of developing that piece of property” but wants it to fit the surrounding community.
Reaction to the state legislative proposal varied widely among members of the Snohomish County Council.
Councilman Brian Sullivan said he would support it. Council Chairman Dave Somers said the bill might conflict with Washington’s Growth Management Act, which governs land use. Somers also said county leaders are still willing to discuss agreements to compensate Woodway and Shoreline for the development’s impact.
Councilman John Koster, meanwhile, called the bill “a thinly veiled threat to try to force the county to the table.” Councilwoman Stephanie Wright, whose district includes Point Wells, said she’d prefer to stay out of the debate.
Representatives for BSRE Point Wells, part of Blue Square Real Estate Ltd. and the Israeli holding company Alon Group, have said they are willing to spend the necessary time and $20-30 million to clean up a century of environmental contamination at Point Wells. They say they can’t recoup that money unless they build at the high densities they propose.
BSRE is planning to unveil more detailed development plans at a meeting in Shoreline next Thursday.
Separately, Shoreline’s planning commission could vote tonight on changing the designation of Richmond Beach Drive to a local access street, with a maximum capacity of 4,000 vehicle trips per day. It handles about 500 now.
The city has determined that the dead-end access road can’t handle more than 9,000 trips per day and believes the proposed development would bring as many as 15,000, Shoreline planning director Joe Tovar said. Under the road proposal, the city would consider designating Richmond Beach Drive an arterial that can carry up to 8,250 vehicles per day, if the owner completes a traffic study and agrees to financial and legal guarantees to pay for any impacts.
Gary Huff, an attorney for BSRE, said the property owner already was planning to do the traffic study. Huff has said the owner could build a new Sounder commuter rail station at Point Wells, even though it’s only about a mile and a half south of an existing station in downtown Edmonds.
Reporter Jerry Cornfield contributed to this report.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465; nhaglund@heraldnet.com.
Shoreline meeting tonight
Shoreline’s Planning Commission has scheduled a hearing at 7 p.m. tonight about limiting traffic on Richmond Beach Drive NW. The meeting is at Shoreline City Hall council chambers, 17500 Midvale Ave. N. If the commission approves the change, it would forward a recommendation to the City Council.
Developer BSRE Point Wells has scheduled a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 27 to unveil specific details about its proposed development. The hearing is a prerequisite for submitting a project application to Snohomish County. Seating will open at 6 p.m. at the Shoreline Conference Center auditorium, 18560 1st Ave. NE. Find out more at www.pointwells.com.
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