MONROE — A proposal to build a wakeboard park on Lake Tye isn’t going away.
City Council members decided late Tuesday night to move forward with the idea. The 5-2 council vote directed city staff to negotiate a development agreement with H30 Development for a later presentation.
“We took a huge step in that the council authorized us to put an agreement in front of them,” Monroe’s economic development manager Jeff Sax said. “We’re going to proceed with moving forward and see what hurdles need to be gotten over.”
The course that H30 Development hopes to build on the south side of the lake includes eight lattice towers used to pull wakeboarders through the water without a boat.
About 65 people attended the council meeting. Forty people spoke during the more than two-hour public hearing concerning the cable park.
Lake Stevens resident Michelle Frost was one of 22 people who spoke in favor of the cable park. She told the council that while she does not wakeboard she did raise three wakeboarders. The cable park would support safety for people who want to learn to wakeboard and help grow individual passion for the sport, she said.
“Wakeboarding is not an equal access sport and unless you’re lucky enough to own a boat or be invited to go along with someone else you may never get the opportunity to try the sport,” said Frost, 53. “Young people will have the opportunity to learn to wakeboard in a controlled and safe environment.”
Others who spoke asked the council to put the idea to a public vote, to postpone the decision and to be cautious about moving forward too quickly with building the park.
Resident Doug Knight, 58, presented the council with a petition including the names of 75 people who are opposed to the facility being built on Lake Tye.
“It’s very important that you hear from all the citizens not just those outside (the city) that have a great idea but are not going to have to put up with it,” he said. “It’s the neighbors who are going to have to put up with all of the noise and the ruinded park.”
City administrator Gene Brazel told council members that getting a lease agreement prepared in time for the Nov. 15 meeting would be unlikely. The council’s decision did not include a timeframe for the agreement.
Councilwoman Patsy Cudaback and Councilman Tony Balk voted against staff negotiating an agreement with H30 Development.
“I disagree we need to move as fast as business,” Cudaback said. “This is moving too fast for me.”
Councilman Jim Kamp said moving forward with an agreement would help answer questions about the park.
“There is a lot of misinformation,” he said. “I want more information to come back.”
Amy Daybert: 425-339-3491; adaybert@heraldnet.com.
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