UPDATED: "Lunch Buddy", Tutoring and Classroom Assistant volunteer training

Learn how to make your mentoring and tutoring more interactive and productive.
Students today deal with social pressures, including bullying and stereotyping,
that can affect their ability to concentrate on school work.

The need for "Lunch Buddy" mentors, "Tutors" and "Classroom Assistants" can't meet the demand.
LINKS (Looking Into the Needs of Kids and Schools) is a program of the Lake Washington School District (LWSD), with funding provided by the Lake Washington Schools Foundation

COMMENT:    I was a "Lunch Buddy" mentor for three Horace Mann  kids over seven years.  It's impossible to articulate all the benefits since much of the gain comes from the heart.   Link mentoring should extend into the Junior High since 7th grade is one of the most difficult transitions. School office managers and secretaries used to run the program until Links took it over three years ago.  The secretaries probably know your buddy better than any and can be a huge resource.  It's important to understand how they fit into the Links program.  - Bob Yoder

Owner of Las Margaritas of Redmond changes name

General Contractor George Moreno is remodeling Las Magaritas.  The name will change to Agave Cocina Cantina

About 2/3 of the western store front of  Bear Creek Shopping Center is undergoing a major remodel.  Ross Dress for Less is replacing Linens and Things.  A computer store is replacing Kits Cameras.  The Las Magaritas of Redmond  is changing it's name but the popular restaurant is still owned and operated by Julian Ramos.  The new name for Las Magaritas is Agave Cocina Cantina.  A second Agave restaurant is in Issaquah Highlands.

General contractor George Morena said, "the restaurant will have a new name but Julian Ramos will remain the owner-operator."  George said, "Julian was paying too much for the name, so he changed it to Agave Cocina Cantina."   He didn't say who owned the Agave restaurant in Issaqauh. 

The existing 5400 Sq Ft. footprint won't be changed.  New roll-up garage doors at the bar lounge.  Same address:  17106 Redmond Way.  The restaurant opening is planned sometime in April.

Reported by Bob Yoder
Photo by Yoder
Sources:  Agave website
C.O.R. Notice of Application

Evergreen Hospital's Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (S.A.N.E.)

UPDATED OPINION:  During last week's Evergreen Hospital's Board meeting, staff presented their "Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners' (S.A.N.E.) program.  S.A.N.E. was established three years ago to provide advocacy for Evergreen's Level III Trauma Center patients. 

Evergreen now has 12 active members on the SANE team, each having undergone 40 hours of training.  In 2010 they've advocated  almost 4 cases/month.  In 2009 they had 42 cases.

Several Commissioners talked about expanding the program beyond the Hospital to include high schools within Lake Washington, North Shore, and Riverview School Districts.  Commissioners also considered serving District-based city police departments with SANE services.

The District high schools are presently served with trained counselors to assist physical, emotional, and sexual assault victims.  For example, District high schools contract with Youth Eastside Services (Y.E.S.) for professional counselors.  If SANE hospital trauma care is required, assault victims can be referred to Evergreen. 

The Commission never suggested or implied that SANE receive levy-dollar funding for outreach services.  The Administration later informed me S.A.N.E. is not levy-funded.

Opinion by Bob Yoder

READ MORE>>

Lake Washington School District has a new LOGO

new logo

The Chip Kimball administration is redefining Lake Washington School District culture.  It's most visible in their new LOGO.  Do you like it?  

The existing, oval LOGO was thirty years old and according to Kathryn Reith, Communications Director, "it didn't express who we are".

What do you think about the new Evergreen ER Clinic planned for Bella Bottega?

REVISED:   Do you think 16 new acute ER exam rooms and a four-story building are an appropriate land use in Bella Bottega shopping center -- 4 miles from Evergreen Hospital?  In 2007, Evergreen Hospital was awarded a "Certificate of Need" to build 28 new acute care ER rooms and a 10 "rapid assessment" rooms for their hospital.  Why do we need more?   (A "Certificate of Need" is not required for ER Clinics.)   Swedish Medical Center is building an 18-room ER facility on Union Hill.  When you add them all up, Redmond will have 62 ER rooms, when only 28 are certifiably needed. 

Sherry Grindeland, Evergreen Healthcare Media Relations emailed:   "As a Public Hospital District, our mission is to provide outstanding medical care and service to the community."   An Evergreen marketing manager told me free-standing ER clinics are a marketing strategy used throughout the country to attract new patients.  ER clinics provide shorter waiting times, conveniences and emergency care a step-above urgent care.  However, response times may be delayed at ER clinics.  For example, compromised heart patients may drive directly to the ER Clinic only to find they must be rushed to the hospital for critical care.   

An Overlake Hospital manager said Evergreen's original plan was to consolidate three Redmond primary care facilities into a 2-story primary care/urgent care facility in Bella Bottega,  But, when Swedish announced plans for an ER clinic for Union Hill, Evergreen shifted gears and  hurried to push through the comprehensive 4-story ER facility.

Doesn't the "Certificate of Need" awarded to Evergreen Hospital for 28 new 'ER rooms' three years ago (2007) validate we are already getting "outstanding medical care and service"?  Is the Evergreen Bella Bottega facility even necessary?    Do users and taxpayers need more ER beds and millions of dollars of imaging and laboratory equipment with additional staffing when our needs are met?   No doubt patients will benefit from shorter waiting times, other conveniences and certified ER care.  But, according to Overlake Medical Clinic, the cost for sewing 10 stitches in a stand-alone ER is about 3 times the cost at their Urgent Care facility in SW Redmond. 

What are the best and highest uses of our medical resources....and our tax dollars?   The City needs a new downtown park, community pool and a fire station.  LWSD needs two new elementary schools, a modernized Juanita High School, and expanded Redmond and Eastside Highs.   Hospitals must pay for indigents.  How do you rank your priorities?   Does our Public Health District really need 62 ER rooms servicing Redmond?

Last year property taxes for the City of Redmond increased 1%. But not much media attention was given to the 1.7% increase levied by our Evergreen Hospital District Board of Commissioners in 2010. The 2010 Property Tax increased $280,056 to $14,914,002 - that's almost the amount needed to fund Evergreen's new $15M Redmond ER Medical Clinic building in Bella Bottega. Any thoughts on this?

Why are so many yellow signs littering our roadways?

Why do we see so many of these faded yellow signs all around town?   This one was up over two years before the city finally removed it.  

Last year, the city spent months on end writing a new sign ordinance to mitigate commercial sign pollution, but they do nothing about these old land use signs.  Why?  Do some of these signs bother you? 

They serve a useful purpose to notify residents of a new project underway.  But, seldom are they taken down once the project is over.  We have to live with this "litter". 

The city is so good at keeping our streets, parks and boulevards clean.  So, what's gone wrong here?  Part of the problem is the burden of  removing land use signs is left to the developers.   By city code they are supposed to remove the signs within two weeks after the project's "Final Decision".  But, the developer isn't required to remove the signs within a reasonable time.  We are left with the litter.

Personally, I don't mind the yellow and large white signs being up a little longer so we all can  know "something is going on."   But, to leave them up for months on end is "too much information".  The sign in this photo was staked for years on RED-WOOD Road and NE 90th St. at the Bella Bottega entrance.  It was finally removed after a citizen called Steve Fischer, in Planning and Community Development.  Does this sign pollution bother you?

Opinion By Bob Yoder

Photo by Yoder 

CEO Steve Brown expected to leave Evergreen Hospital in February - Search begins for his replacement.

Evergreen Hospital and Medical Center CEO is expected to leave the end of February, 2010 - Search begins for his replacement.

According to the hospital website, "Steve Brown, chief executive officer at Evergreen Hospital since 2002, has announced his resignation to become the President/CEO of the Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College, Pennsylvania." 

Richard Wisniewski, CPA is currently President and CEO of Mt. Nittany Medical Center, according to the Nittany website.  Brown  emailed staff on December 17 that he was stepping down for family and career reasons.  Brown's resignation was abrupt, without a transition team in place.

According to the Evergreen website front page, of January 6:

"In early January, the board will interview and select an executive recruitment firm, which will conduct a nationwide search for qualified candidates.

An internal search committee will be established, consisting of all five board members, two medical staff leaders, two community advisors, and an Evergreen Foundation board member. The internal search committee will work with the recruitment firm to narrow the candidates. We expect the search could take five to six months.

The board will hire an external interim CEO, who will be in charge until the new CEO is hired. It was decided to bring in an interim CEO from outside of Evergreen so as not to disrupt the current work distribution of the executive team, allowing them to continue to focus on the day to day operation of Evergreen.

In Brown’s eight years as Evergreen’s CEO, he has overseen a vast expansion of both facilities and services. Evergreen Hospital added a new Emergency Department, an eight-story patient facility and the five-story DeYoung Pavilion along with development of the Evergreen Neuroscience Institute."

According to records obtained from Evergreen Hospital's Public Disclosure Act Officer, Mr. Brown's 2008 salary and incentive bonus totaled $819,728.01, not counting retirement and other benefits.   Evergreen is a Public Hospital supported, in part, by property taxes.  Brown's salary is 4-6 times higher then the Mayor of Redmond and Superintendent of  Lake Washington School District's individual salaries.

The quoted segments of  this story are currently posted on the front page of the Evergreen webite.  Evergreen's website is subject to change without notice.  The opinions stated or implied are my own,.  1/6/2010. 

(UPDATE:  Evergreen's front page and news page was changed today, 1/7.  Mr. Brown's transition announcement was removed; copy on file).  

by Bob Yoder

Updated: Cindy Jayne - An extraordinary Redmond community leader and volunteer.

This strory was authored by Bob Yoder

Cindy Jayne is an amazing Redmond community leader and volunteer.  I first met Cindy reporting on a Parks & Trails Meeting.  I wanted to write her story.  Cindy has taken the summer off and is "working" full time on a backyard landscaping project right now, but she kindly offered a little of her time to share the biography of her volunteer life in Redmond.   Hold your hat, here goes: 

1992  Moved to Redmond - Lives west of Marymoor Park, in the View Point Neighborhood.
2004  Joined Northwest Earth Institute.  http://www.nweiseattle.org/
2005  Steering Committee member for Seattle Northwest Earth Institute
2006  Joined City of Redmond Trails Commission
2007  Joined City of Redmond Pedestrian-Bicycle Citizen Advisory Committee
2007  Laison between PED-Bicycle Advisory Committee and Parks & Trails Commission
2009  Vice Chair of City of Redmond Parks and Trails Committee
2009  Forest Land Steward (with husband Jeff) for Westside Park.
2009  Derby Day Redmond-Green booth volunteer and parade participant.
2009  Starting up "Sustainable Redmond Group",  http://www.scallopswa.org/

Northwest Earth Institute's Sense of Place course is part of what prompted Cindy to join the Trails Commission.   This course focuses on one's knowledge and commitment to the local community. The Institute is giving a presentation of their "discussion courses" for those who want to learn more, Thursday,  September 17, from 7-8 at the Redmond Library, Room. I.   Say hi to Cindy!

Professionally, Cindy worked for 13 years for Physio-Control in Redmond, designing medical devices.  She has a Bachelor's and Masters in Electrical Engineering, and an MBA.  She switched to consulting work in 2008. 

"I had the perfect commute for many years - 5 miles each way, most of which was along the Sammamish River trail. I would ride my bike to work typically twice a week, year round, which both reduced my carbon footprint, and gave me a good workout and fresh air."

Cindy Jayne's personal mission and philosopy on life:

"As I have learned more about climate change, I came to view that as the most critical issue that affects our planet today. It impacts so many other aspects, including poverty, disease, forests, and wildlife. I feel it is a moral responsibility that we all have to try to leave the planet in better shape than we inherited, for the sake of all the world's children (of all species) and future generations.  I am hopeful that not only can we change course, but that doing so will improve our lives by helping bring communities together, and shifting our culture away from consumerism and toward meaningful relationships. As the saying goes, the best things in life aren't things."

Thank you Cindy Jayne for all you do for our community!  

Cindy would love to hear from anyone interested in being part of "Sustainable Redmond".  She can be contacted at cindy@nweiseattle.org.   

by Bob Yoder

A visit with Audi Murphy, of Tent City-4

This is Audi Murphy. He's a Tent City resident, waiting for the bus to go to the library. Audi is carrying a comedy book, the Bible and computer with no web service.

Audi lives about 1/4 mile away from my home in a tent pitched on a parking lot at St. Jude's Church. His neighborhood is called "Tent City-4" though you could barely call it a home. I bumped into Audi at the Junior High Metro bus stop. He said I could interview him. Audi speaks English well.

Audi's life story is one of broken homes and far away places. He is the son of an Irish Philipino and didn't move to the States until 1998. His mother and brother moved to Los Angelos, when he was only 2 years old, leaving him behind. Audi lived with his "father" in the Philipines for eight years until his mother called for him. Audi is a gentle soul and when abusive fighting started with his mother he developed anxieties and anger issues. So, he left to join the Navy.  Working on a Navy boat was his best job but it only lasted 3 years. Audi was dismissed because he started drinking, probably as a way to manage his anger?

Audi moved to Las Vegas and then Kent, WA. He found a Mission in Seattle but, unable to find work, he couldn't pay the $5/night fee. So, he moved to Mercer Island TC-4. He's lived in various Tent Cities for over a year. After Mercer Island he pitched in Kirkland, Woodinville and finally Redmond. He left Kirkland for Alaska to fish for mackerel but got kicked off the boat because he was too small and slow. So, he worked on the dock for 3 months before coming "home" to Redmond.

Audi must be about 20 years old? He wants me to visit him at TC-4. I told him I would. Audi's a kind, quiet soul, eager to find his place in this world.  Audi is itinerent.  He already moved on.

Neighborhood Block Watch - more than security

For years, my wife and I were upset with how little we knew of our neighbors. Come the long, dark winter months, the whole block seemed in a state of hibernation. With the exception of a few friends, our little neighborhood of two cul-de-sacs and a hilly collector road near Redmond Junior High just never seemed to gel.

When we first heard about the Redmond police "Neighborhood Block Watch" (Watch) program I felt a spark of hope. Though, our neighborhood hasn't experienced much crime in our *22 years, the program sounded like it might bring other key benefits besides "security".

Last week we read an announcement in the "Redmond Reporter" about a "Watch" program scheduled for 5/28. I jumped at it and started calling my neighbors. It was then I realized how few neighbors I could really call "neighbors"! You know, the kind you bring popcorn to on a kid's birthday; have over for a spur of the moment snack; borrow an egg, swap a curbside story, pick up the paper when they're gone.

The police Block Watch program hosted by Community Outreach Facilitator Jim Bove (425-556-2545) was a smashing success for us! (see photo). The next program is 10/29. Many of my neighbors were interested and 5 showed up at the meeting! We are now gathering names, phone numbers, and addresses to post on a neighborhood map. Mr. Bove gave us lots of safety literature to share and the Police may send a quarterly Block Watch newsletter. We have nascent plans to build a phone tree and hope to gather for a potluck during National Night Out on August 5. Great! I may get another chance to use my new backyard patio! And, now we're in "the lottery" for a party visit from a fire truck, a councilmember, aid car, or even the mayor! Steaks on us! If all goes as planned for our "Watch" and we get at least 75% participation we will earn a "Block Watch Sign" for our neighborhood! Car prowlers beware!!

Like most, our neighborhood has gone "international" and Block Watch is already helping to connect our cultures so we can be closer to each other... more neighborly! It really works! Already I feel our neighborhood is being responsible and empowered by Block Watch. Thanks, Redmond!

*On the subject of crime: It's hit home once for us in 22 years. My company car was stolen for a day. Some pills on my front seat attracted them. Remarkably, the Redmond police found the car! Several neighbors have reported car prowlers. - especially of GPS units. View KOMO video on GPS theft HERE, with Jim Bove. One neighbor said her mail was taken. We have 1 officer for every 10,000 residents, so watchful neighbors are needed to observe and report.

For tips on starting a Neighborhood Block Watch go "here".

Neighborhood Block Watch Captains are chosen by neighborhoods to help organize the program.
To see how NOT to be a Captain view Jim Carrey's hilarious skit of Saturday Night Live "Lifeguard (captain) on Duty" - video clip here. It will keep you rolling for 6 minutes. Jim Bove played this during our break.

Miguel Llanos, dedicated public servent & Redmond historian

Above is a photo I took of Miguel Llanos orchestrating a Redmond Historical Society multi-media event

 Miguel Llanos, a friendly, respected Education Hill neighbor, is an admired co-founder of the Redmond Historical Society, the editor of the "Redmond Recorder" newsletter, and is now a newly appointed commissioner of Redmond's "Landmarks and Heritage Commission."

I first met Miguel on the Perrigo Woodland Trail in 2003 during the citizen & city council march through the Perrigo Heights Preliminary Plat to save the woodlands. Miguel set up an exhibit to educate citizens on the history of the woodlands.

Miguel was sworn into the Landmarks and Heritage Commission last night after Rep. Ross Hunter's Town Hall meeting. The commission meets only when an owner of one of the 16 properties listed as historic by the city wants to make a change, or when a property owner wants to have their property added to list.
Miguel says the 2-block row of old bungalow houses on 164th Street is not on the list 16 historic properties. This was the "Perrigo Plat" core of Old Redmond. According to Miguel, the Brown Bag Cafe bungalow, recently sold, was once owned by long-time Mayor Bill Brown! (1913-1948). Please speak up if you want Mayor Brown's old house on the List for preservation. Send your requests to Steve Fischer, city planner.
Below, is an excerpt from The Redmond Recorder newsletter:
"Redmond Historical Society -How respected are we?", by Miguel Llanos

How respected are we as a group? When you have three mayors
helping you out that’s a pretty good sign you’ve made it.

Mayor Rosemarie Ives (1991- 2007) is a Society founding member and helped us gain our footing when we started in 1999.

Mayor Chris Himes (1980-1983) joined us a few years later and has been a go-getter since day one. She was instrumental in contacting current Mayor John Marchione and Parks Director Craig Larsen to resolve a long-standing issue: securing the Old Redmond Schoolhouse auditorium for our Redmond Historical Society Saturday morning meetings.

Mayor Marchione (possibly influenced by attending our January meeting, where 100 people packed a room for 70!) was quick to make it happen, so starting in 2009, the auditorium will be our permanent venue.

Kudos also go to the City for taking steps to re-open Slough House Park, where famed carver Dudley Carter lived and worked during the latter part of his life. Carter’s Haida House is on the site, and is itself a work of art.

- Miguel Llanos
Editor, "Redmond Recorder"
Co-founder of "Redmond Historical Society"
Commissioner of "Redmond Landmarks and Heritage Society"

Video "here" of city attorney Jim Haney swearing in Miguel to city commission.
Please send comments and recommendations to Redmond Landmarks & Heritage Commission city planner, Steve Fischer. Your comments will be forwarded to Miguel.

An act of sportsmanship in Washington State heard round the world!

A 2 minute video is posted HERE.

By the time you read this incredible story, it will have probably been on national news. The above photo of heroic Central Washington University softball players speaks for itself. For the complete story read the article in The Oregonian, 4/30/08. (patience)

My neighbor Larry told me about this tear-jerker this afternoon. I couldn't believe it. My heart melted and eyes moistened as he told the story. It's about sportsmanship. It's in the New York Times and hundreds of blogs across the country.

If you look at the list of sports teams on my blog in Redmond (see sidebar) it's clear many, many Redmond players and coaches will by touched by this story. Just think how many times Redmond coaches and parents try to instill "good sportsmanship" and character in their children. Now, they have it!

I know two Redmond basketball coaches who went to Central Washington University. Mustang Girls Basketball Coach and FLIGHT President, Dennis Edwards played football under Central's present softball coach Gary Frederick. My daughter's FLIGHT coach, Jenny Jammerman played at Central, too. Do you know anyone?

Websites:

Central Washington University

Western Oregon University

Councilman Richard Cole - regional leader in Growth Management

Long-time Councilman Richard Cole has given hours of his free time (besides work at Council) these last 4-plus years as a Policy Board Member of the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC). In fact, every month Richard has attended monthly meetings lasting anywhere to 1/2 a day to 3 days. We applaud you, Mr. Cole!

PSRC is composed of four counties: Kitsap, Peirce, Snohomish, and King. It's mission is "multi-city planning" for population growth and transportation funding distribution. PSRC Vision 2020 is just about over and with it, Mr. Cole is retiring from the Policy Board. Though, Richard isn't hanging it up quite yet! He'll be moving to the PSRC Executive Board to begin work on Vision 2040 for the Puget Sound Regional Council.

After meticulous statistical study and review, PSRC Vision
2040 anticipates 4-county growth of 1.7M people in the next of 30
years of which 0.2M have already arrived. Interestingly,
70% of the growth is "internal" - from Washington State
families! Planning encompasses transportation
infrastructure and more affordable housing stock for our children.
Sustainability is critical to the plan.

Mr. Cole stated the failure of Proposition 1 to pass left our area in a bigger hole. (It's unfortunate the Proposition 1 funding proposal was so all-encompassing & immediate rather than incremental. Even more unfortunate, citizens rejected mass transit funding years ago when costs were much lower.)
Mr. Cole didn't represent just Redmond in the growth management process. He worked for "Suburban Cities" -- a growth management coalition that represents more than half the population of King County -- 37 cities. One of Mr. Cole's biggest accomplishments was to hold back Snohomish County from establishing a policy of " fully contained communities".... similar to Trilogy & Redmond Ridge. King County executive Sims agreed. The decision? Growth should occur where infrastructure already exists.

The General Assembly will be meeting on 4/24 to vote on the plan. Council President Nancy McCormick is a past Executive Board member will attend. Redmond gets 8 votes out of 400. Thank you Mr Cole, for your dedication and efforts in planning regional growth for "Suburban Cities". It was reported by Ms. McCormick yesterday:

Vision 2040 passed this afternoon on a 97.3% vote (think it was .3,
know it was 97+%). Kitsap County split their weighted vote and one city
voted no. 4/24/08

Vision 2040 update: visit SEATTLE TIMES, 4/14 "Steering growth to uban areas"

10/27, "Redmond Politics" - a gossipy new election blog

UPDATED:   "Redmond Politics" - was a short-lived gossipy social media blog about candidates of Election 2007.  

Find it here:  http://redmondpolitics.blogspot.com

The author, Ron Fuller states:  "This blog is intended to be a resource for voters about the Redmond city elections. There are 4 council seats in play and we will elect a new mayor. Your comments on the posts are encouraged but please note that any profanity or inappropriate language will result in comments being deleted from the site."

by Ron Fuller

Redmond Politics could be THE PLACE to post your comments on the candidates....

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About the author: , 7818 140 Place NE, said he wanted to educate himself on how the Council conducts business. He emphasized the need for transparency and funding for essential services."

"Ronald Fuller

- Minutes of the December 5, 2006 Council Meeting.

Comment:  Redmond Neighborhood Blog limits political reporting to nonpartisan, "community building" issues.  Political news takes a back seat, however Redmond Blog (RNB) ADVERTISERS welcomes and encourages candidate advertisements with discount pricing.  Bob Yoder, 6/11/2012

OPINION: 7/19/07 Shaughnessy Heights PRD - longest land-use plat review in Redmond history

OPINION

/17/07 - Last night's citizen appeal to council of the Shaughnessy Heights, 15.1 acre 42-lot development adjacent Redmond El. will go down in the history books. It was the longest running plat review in city history - much owing to our PRD (Planned Residential Use) policy allowing for clear-cuts and greater densities.
The proposed development of approximately 42 lots (including duplexes) is serviced by one road in&out adjacent Redmond Elementary School. Deforestation and loss of habitat would occur almost in size of Perrigo Heights.

Though traffic safety and habitat issues came up, the two main legal issues were about tree buffering and adequate water service to the nearby neighborhoods. After much discourse the Council decided 7-0 to deny the permit and uphold the appeal of six citizens; and remand the appeal back to the Hearing Examiner to allow a second, open Public Hearing.
Six citizens appealed, led persuasively by S. Howard and J. Richardson. Public Notification deficiencies were again, a major source of dissent. The Hearing Examiner did not allow scores of citizens to appeal in writing owing to a technicality. Alert citizens purchased audio tapes of the Hearing Examiner's appeal hearing to have proof for their case. Councilwoman Kim Allen asked that a comprehensive letter be written to the Hearing Examiner advising changes in his Party of Record policy.
Problems with the City's Planned Residential Development (PRD) permit resurfaced. Citizens were very upset that a line of trees buffering their neighborhood from the development would be stripped. The trees would provide a valuable buffer from seven proposed towering new homes. Councilman Vache empathized since Mosaic Meadows project impacts his property in a similar fashion.
The developer claimed he was technically meeting city requirements for significant tree count and pervious soils by accounting for it though the parcel's "native growth easement". ("Native growth easements" is land that can't be developed because of steep slopes, ravines, streams, etc.) Thus, the developer claimed he should be allowed to strip out the neighboring buffer trees claiming them unsafe.
The neighborhood citizens countered saying their trees would not be safe with concerns for quality of life.Allen, Marchione, and Vache, offered impressive analysis and decision-making. But, Council President McCormick's hallmark statement warrants quotation.
After thanking Ms. Allen for articulating the case so well, Council President Ms. Nancy McCormick movingly stated:

"The public process may not have been violated but it was twisted. I can't keep from thinking about that couple who appeared at the Tent City public meeting and signed up to be Party of Record only to be denied on appeal to be heard.

The public needs accurate information and timeliness of an appeal, otherwise we make a mockery out of Public Hearings and caring about public involvement."
Ms. McCormick's motion to deny and uphold the appeal passed unanimously. The public is invited to review the project once again.
10/8/07 SUMMARY COMMENTS FROM TWO APPELLANTS NEIGHBORING THE PROJECT; The neighborhood appealants 'lost' to the landowner.
NEIGHBOR Ian -
The disappointing thing in my mind is that we had to put forth a very large amount of effort to secure the condition that adds this new buffer, when I feel that the city should have been the one putting that requirement into place from the beginning. Somehow the city didn’t even know that the right of way had no trees in it, even though there’s a sewer line running down it, which means they would have cleared it at some point of trees to put in that line.
Codes such as what Kirkland has in place are really the only good way to go about preserving mature trees. Even if we could have gotten the developer to leave the strip of trees along the border, I don’t think I would want them to do so, given that they’d be clearing out all the trees behind them, exposing that strip to new wind forces that could bring them down on my house. Kirkland’s codes on the other hand would have prevented the clearing of significant trees behind the strip as well, preserving the wind break and forcing developers to build around existing trees. Now, for all I know, Kirkland may also have similar development programs like the PLAT which allow developers to use different rules as long as they meet some criteria, but I know that at least the starting point for Kirkland development projects is more tree friendly than what we have here in Redmond.
However, given that we can’t protect the large trees along that strip, and that we can’t really stop the development outright, I think we’ve managed to secure the next best thing: a new buffer of trees to be planted along that boundary which meets our requirements for screening, in exchange for our support of the project going forward (no more appeals basically, and an email voicing that support to the city now that the new condition is in place).
-Ian. 10/8/07
From Steve Howard: We could never stop the developer from taking the big trees, since the city allows the tree numbers to be measured over the entire site. Or in other words it gives the developer a license to clear cut the land where they plan on putting the new houses. I would love to see a way to require that 35% of the trees must remain across the site. including the building area. The present codes and how they are read allows the developers to play a math game with our mature trees receiving no protection. This is wrong. 10/8/07