DEMAND an environmental impact statement (EIS) for KCC ordinance 2018-0241

In the holiday classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Jimmy Stewart runs in horror through “Pottersville” as he dreams his town is filled with bars. Unfortunately the east side of the Sammamish Valley could soon be that nightmare.

King County Council (KCC) will vote on ordinance 2018-0241, allowing commercial land use on ALL rural area and agricultural areas throughout King County, including in the Sammamish, Snoqualmie and Cedar River valleys and on Vashon Island.

These lands were protected through the state Growth Management Act (GMA), which keeps King County from becoming covered with urban sprawl, a la Los Angeles. This ordinance ignores the GMA and was written without ANY environmental review. NONE. The ordinance benefits Eastern Washington wineries despite the plentiful legal space within the Urban Growth Boundary, including in the city of Woodinville.

The Sammamish River Valley ecosystem is such an incredibly fertile, agricultural gem the voters of King County taxed themselves to have it preserved by designating special “SO-120” rural area buffers (on the steep sides of the valley) and an agricultural production district. Farmers currently supply food for families, restaurants, farmers’ markets and service agencies throughout the county.

The council is ignoring the people and the GMA. Ordinance 2018-0241 allows 16,000 square-foot buildings and parking lots along SR-202, including on the rural area buffer and on agricultural land.

The environmental effects to the Sammamish River Valley ecosystem, including the endangered salmon, will be disastrous. Ordinance 2018-0241 will likely end farming here with urbanization of rural lands. King County residents will lose our precious natural resources. We do not want our rural areas and agricultural lands to become “Pottersville.”

DEMAND that FULL EIS for this VAST land-use change and urge councilmembers to vote NO on ordinance 2018-0241.

Barbara Lau

Redmond