Woodway Town Council to hold public hearing on Point Wells Monday October 2, 2023
Monday, October 2, 2023
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| Point Wells is at sea level. Town of Woodway is on the cliff above Photo by Steven H. Robinson |
Point Wells Public Hearing Monday October 2, 2023 6:00pm at Town Hall 23920 113th Pl W, Woodway, WA 98020
Since 1999, with the Town Council’s creation of the Point Wells Advisory Committee, the Town has been planning for the potential annexation of Point Wells.
Last October, Council directed staff to focus more intentionally on gathering information and identifying options that would provide Council with the ability to thoughtfully consider an annexation in 2023.
This has included information on public opinion, financial considerations, potential Town liability and legal risks, and options to complete an annexation. At each Council meeting since January, staff has provided Council and the public with updates on these topics, and Council has provided residents with an opportunity to comment.
The Town has engaged the property owner regarding their vision for Point Wells, as well as the Town’s potential annexation of the site.
The Town has engaged the property owner regarding their vision for Point Wells, as well as the Town’s potential annexation of the site.
Simultaneously, we have engaged Snohomish County, the City of Shoreline, and Olympic View Water and Sewer District in negotiations on an interlocal agreement (ILA) that would provide the Town with the option of annexing Point Wells under RCW 35A.14.296.
The statute provides a process through which the Town can complete the annexation of Point Wells by mutual agreement, without the property owner’s consent.
Negotiations with our government partners are now complete. As a result, Council will hold a public hearing on the ILA on October 2, 2023 at 6pm.
Negotiations with our government partners are now complete. As a result, Council will hold a public hearing on the ILA on October 2, 2023 at 6pm.
You can find a copy of the draft ILA and additional information related to annexation on the Point Wells page of the Town’s website.
Testimony is being accepted in person at the public hearing or by submitting written comment. Written comments must be submitted to at heidi@townofwoodway.com no later than 4:00pm PST on October 2, 2023.
After hearing from the public at the meeting, Council will consider a resolution that authorizes Mayor Quinn to sign the ILA and to submit a “Notice of Intent” to annex Point Wells to the Snohomish County Boundary Review Board.
After hearing from the public at the meeting, Council will consider a resolution that authorizes Mayor Quinn to sign the ILA and to submit a “Notice of Intent” to annex Point Wells to the Snohomish County Boundary Review Board.
If the Board authorizes the annexation, final approval of an annexation would not occur until Council holds another public hearing and approves an annexation ordinance.
If you have any questions or comments (other than written comments for the public hearing), or if you’re unable to attend the Council meeting, please feel free to email Mayor Mike Quinn at mquinn@townofwoodway.com. Also, please feel free to check out our Point Wells Q/A, located on the Point Wells webpage.
--Town of Woodway Mayor Mike Quinn
If you have any questions or comments (other than written comments for the public hearing), or if you’re unable to attend the Council meeting, please feel free to email Mayor Mike Quinn at mquinn@townofwoodway.com. Also, please feel free to check out our Point Wells Q/A, located on the Point Wells webpage.
--Town of Woodway Mayor Mike Quinn
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3 comments:
This whole 'process' has been a sham. Yes, the Council has provided many opportunities for public comment, but has basically ignored resident input and failed to address many of the residents' questions, especially with regard to legal risk and cost, environmental impact, the possibility that the developer will 'cap' the toxic waste asphalt rather than remove it per State ecological guidelines, the discrepencies between the Town of Woodway's shoreline boundaries vs. the County's, the failure to disclose developer input re industrial uses of the site, the failure to have landslide risk mitigated per the State's most recent post-Oso regulations, and the absence of any real understanding of what the developer needs for an acceptable ROI for a $100 million/10 year toxic waste clean-up. The Town is attempting to ramrod this critical strategic decision though by saying there's really no risk to filing an 'intent' for annexation, because the Town can always withdraw its annexation application within an approximate 6-month period if it finds the benefits of annexation are worth the risks and costs to Woodway taxpayers. This is a false assumption because there is no free lunch and the developer has a history of litigating any and all disagreements - which will quickly overrun the Town's legal budget and divert the Council's and staff's attention from 'right-sizing' its operations and matching expenses to actual Town needs in police and public works. If the Town goes forward with annexation, it will bleed residents with tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees - and will say it needs a new tax levy to finance the annexation. Why haven't Town officials realized annexation is a lose-lose proposition for all Woodway residents, who just want to keep their Town the "affordable, quiet place" to live?
Bill Krepick
10-year Woodway resident
Bill Krepick - email your comments to Editor@ShorelineAreaNews.com
It would be wonderful if this land could be cleaned up and the area turned into a park for all to enjoy. It would be the best choice for our salmon, the Sound, and our people.
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