Thank you to The Herald for the article regarding the project to build 196 townhomes on 17 acres near Maltby (“Neighbors’ effort falls short of stopping 196 townhomes near Maltby,” The Herald, April 14).
We live on Paradise Lake Road and believe the impact of this development will go far beyond congested traffic, as bad as that will be. This will be a high-density residential development allowed by a zoning finagle when Brightwater was developed years ago. The surrounding area is zoned for one residence per 5 acres. The area drains into the upper Bear Creek headwaters.
In addition to the traffic impact to the intersection of Highway 522 and Paradise Lake Road, a “failed intersection” by state Department of Transportation standards, the site has no septic, no city water, no appropriate utility infrastructure, no public transportation, limited access by fire and law enforcement, and the school access for the 196 units will be across Paradise Lake Road where the traffic at that hour backs up for a mile down the road. Anyone traveling on Highway 522 toward Monroe will be familiar with long waits at the Paradise Lake Road intersection. This is going to get a lot worse.
The community surrounding has vigorously fought this development since 2016. We had good support from Snohomish County commissioners until recently, when the project was changed slightly and slipped through with little resistance from the county. Previous town hall meetings were well attended and resistance was vigorous. I guess they just wore us down.
Our family homesteaded on Paradise Lake in the 1800s, and we have been good stewards of the land all these years. We are sick at heart to see this development.
Connie Taylor
Woodinville
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