EVERETT — Snohomish County will not spend tax dollars on controversial studies that could’ve eased floodplain development rules for businesses in the Snohomish River Valley, including the airport at Harvey Field.
The county aims to find another way to help those businesses, instead of trying to get the federal government to change maps designating areas it believes are at risk for flooding. The County Council on Wednesday voted 4-1 not to spend about $210,000 on the environmental studies.
“Unfortunately, the airport and other businesses are in a floodplain,” County Councilman Dave Somers said.
All but Councilman John Koster voted to reject the proposed spending.
“A couple of things need to happen rather quickly,” Koster said. “One of them is to have a conversation with those businesses about what exactly they need to stay in business.”
The council’s decision delighted some Snohomish residents who believe that further development in the valley could worsen flood damage in the future. At Wednesday’s public hearing, some said they are particularly concerned about a growth plan for Harvey Field. They fear the privately owned airport’s expansion would change the way floodwaters spread in the valley.
“We believe flooding consequences will be devastating. It is a matter of time,” Snohomish resident Barb Bailey told the council.
The Harveys hope to increase the airport’s hangar space and develop other facilities over the next 20 years to meet an increasing demand for service, according to a proposed master plan of the airport.
An average of 326 aircraft are kept at the airport each day, according to the plan. The number could go up to 410 over the next 20 years.
Business owners emphasized that they can’t survive under the current strict federal development regulations. The Federal Emergency Management Agency set the current rules in 2005 when it revised floodplain maps in the area.
All business owners want is to restore the previous regulations, they told the council. Some businesses have been located in the valley for decades.
“It would be a travesty to take away property rights from those businesses,” said Donna Harvey, whose family owns the 148-acre airport.
The county’s policy has been inconsistent with the floodplain rules, said Elaine Harvey, who runs Skydive Snohomish at the airport. The county has designated the area just south of the city of Snohomish as an urban growth area for years. That means that the area could become part of the city in the future and that businesses have plans for growth.
It’s not only the airport, but also a few dozen other businesses that are suffering from development regulations designed to limit building in the floodplain, said Lin Hill, owner of an auto repair shop.
“I want you to imagine how this would affect you if this was your business and your home,” Hill told the council.
The county had spent thousands of dollars on studies that aimed to change the federal government’s regulation of the flood plain. Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon has consistently opposed spending money on the issue.
In Snohomish, a sharply divided City Council last year narrowly approved a resolution urging the county to stop the floodplain studies.
In July, the Snohomish Chamber of Commerce sent a letter asking the county to stay on course and help clear regulatory hurdles for local businesses.
Greg Prince of Snohomish has opposed development in the valley for several years. The firefighter has rescued people in the valley when the river flooded.
Nonetheless, Price said he sympathizes with business people.
“I want to see businesses survive, but I don’t want to see fill,” he said.
Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@heraldnet.com.
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