Report: Snohomish County councilman told Legislature that negotiations on Point Wells should come after County review

By Evan Smith

ShorelineAreaNews Politics Writer

A Snohomish County councilman told State legislators Friday that the County would be willing to negotiate with Shoreline and Woodway over the Point Wells development after the County has completed its own review of the project, the Everett Herald reported Saturday.

The Herald quoted County Councilman Dave Somers as telling a legislative committee that the County would be “more than happy” to come to an agreement if there are unresolved concerns following the County’s lengthy process of reviewing the project.

He told a committee of the House of Representatives that the County’s review process can impose specific development conditions and that the cities could work out their own arrangements with the developer too, Herald reporter Jerry Cornfield reported.

But passage of a bill that local legislators have introduced would extend the Shoreline City zoning rules onto land in the county, which seemed unprecedented if not illegal, Somers reportedly said.

Somers said he feared that forcing the developers to negotiate would kill the project, Cornfield reported.

Reps. Ruth Kagi and Cindy Ryu have introduced a bill that would limit density at Point Wells unless the developer negotiates with Shoreline and Woodway to cover the impacts of the development.

Sen. Maralyn Chase has sponsored a companion bill that a Senate committee will hear Tuesday.

Chase, Kagi and Ryu represent Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Woodway and the rest of the 32nd Legislative District.