By Brian Kelly
Herald Writer
ARLINGTON — Almost four months of delay have not quelled the clamor over a proposed auto storage yard south of the airport in Arlington.
At a public hearing Tuesday night before the city’s planning commission, citizens lambasted the controversial plan. But almost as many praised it, as Cal Cornehl did.
"I’m tired of looking at cows and smelling cow manure," Cornehl said.
John Hanks took the opposite view.
"Our valley does not need to be developed end to end," he said. "There is no good sense in this plan. This plan reeks of unwise land use."
Don Fitzpatrick Jr. and Airpark Industries have proposed building a 40-acre auto storage yard near 51st Avenue NE. The storage yard would be used as a temporary home for vehicles that insurance companies deem totaled, which would later be auctioned to auto dismantlers, rebuilders and used vehicle dealers. The facility would be run by Copart, a national auto recycler that has more than 80 facilities in 36 states.
Although the development is allowed under the property’s existing industrial zoning, it has angered some residents, who claim the storage yard will pollute salmon streams and an aquifer that provides drinking water to Marysville and Arlington residents. Others in the area support the development and have said it’s a good fit for land that’s no longer viable for farming.
Before the public hearing, city planning staff said the proposal met siting requirements, was an appropriate use for the site and was compatible with surrounding properties. They said the project should be approved.
John Burkholder, a land use consultant for Fitzpatrick, emphasized the project was not a junkyard. He called it a parking lot.
"It is not a wrecking yard. I want to emphasize that again," he said.
Testimony was split in half between those who supported the development and those who didn’t.
Tuesday night’s hearing, which was still under way as The Herald went to press, centered on the development permit for the project.
After public testimony and planning commission deliberations are complete, the commission will offer an advisory opinion on the auto yard to the city council.
You can call Herald Writer Brian Kelly at 425-339-3422 or send e-mail to kelly@heraldnet.com.
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