Evan Smith: Point Wells proposal denied because of inadequate second road, other deficiencies

Richmond Beach Drive in Shoreline is the only road
in to Point Wells
Photo by Diane K. Hettrick

By Evan Smith

A Snohomish County hearing examiner has ruled against a developer's proposal to build a 3,100-unit condominium project on an industrial site at Point Wells because he found the developer's proposal for a second road to be inadequate.

He also found other inadequacies in the proposal for the development along Puget Sound in Woodway and unincorporated areas of Snohomish County near Woodway. It is currently used as a marine fuels depot and an asphalt plant.

Snohomish County Hearing Examiner Peter Camp denied the developer’s request for an extension of the expiration date of its urban center development applications and granted the county planners’ request to deny the developer’s application without an environmental impact statement because the application violates county code.

County planners had given the developers three deadline extensions over seven years before asking the examiner earlier this year to turn down the project.

Camp cited inadequacies in the developer’s proposal to build a second road into and out of the area.

A county planner said Friday that the developer's proposal for a road over a hill in Woodway didn't adequately address issues related to road construction down the muddy hillside.

The only current access to Point Wells is by a two-lane road that crosses the Snohomish - King county line from the Richmond Beach area of Shoreline, Richmond Beach Drive.

The principal planner for the project, Paul MacCready, also said that the inadequacy of the developer’s proposal for a second road was just one of several reasons why planners had recommended denial of the developer’s proposal.

MacCready cited these other reasons for denial:

• Failure to address impacts on Woodway and Shoreline.
• Failure to protect one of the buildings from possible mudslides from a nearby hillside.
• A lack of plans to protect nearby wetlands.
• A lack of access to transit.
• A lack of adequate parking in the developer's plans.
• Failure to show the correct number of condominium units.
• Failure to address impacts on Woodway and Shoreline.

In another setback for developer BSRE Point Wells, the examiner denied an attempt to double allowable building heights to 180 feet. That affects almost half of the 46 proposed buildings, which exceed 90 feet.

The developer now can ask the hearing examiner to reconsider the ruling or appeal the ruling to the Snohomish County Superior Court.

Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com.