Click HERE for aerial photo of Bear Creek & 520 widening site:
Mayor Ives asked staff to give a report to council on the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) SR 520 road widening plan. It won't be long before WSDOT files a city application to reduce our Bear Creek buffer protections from 150 feet to 60 feet!
WSDOT failed to file a complete Environmental Impact Statement on the widening project leaving the public out of the process. It is now clear WSDOT has shown complete disregard on three key environmental issues.
- Issue #1) environmental impacts to Bear Creek endangered Chinook & habitat were never addressed or acknowledged by WSDOT.
- Issue #2) Critical Area Ordinance wetland mitigation sequencing was ignored. Instead, WSDOT is mitigating the myriad of project wetlands off-site and not addressing required "no net loss" wetland management practices.
- Issue #3) WSDOT is not compensating for loss of flood plain storage.
Managing Bear Creek/520 flood hazards, natural resources, and preserving our endangered species and heritage can't be accomplished without the support and encouragement of our state representatives. THE BOTTOM LINE is we need to write our state legislators and request their effort to fund the Bear Creek/520 restoration.
We have some good news already! State Representatives Ross Hunter and Deborah Eddy have already responded to citizen input and are requesting additional information! Two influential and powerful Redmond council members are traveling to Olympia next month (Allen & Cole). Mayor Ives and Mayor-elect Marchione both appear enthusiastic and optimistic. But, we have a lot of letters to write!
Mayor Ives has even suggested writing Ron Sims in King County about shifting half of the widening to the South. Below are quick links to our representatives. Please take 3 minutes to sent them a note!
STAFF VIDEO REPORT at December 11 council meeting: http://www.redmond.gov/aboutredmond/rctv/ondemandcouncil.asp
(scroll 1/3 into the tape)
Contact Senator Rodney Tom, Representatives Ross Hunter and Deborah Eddy HERE:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Results.aspx?city=Redmond&street=10019%20169th%20AVe%20ne&zip=98052 Citizens outside of Redmond can locate their Representative's contact information at this link, too.
Representative Deborah Eddy is a crucial contact for us since she is Vice-Chair of the "Local Government Committee". Her committee deals with land use and local permitting issues. Ms. Eddy's website is HERE: http://www1.leg.wa.gov/house/eddy
Representative Campbell: House Select Environmental Committee http://www1.leg.wa.gov/house/campbell
Senate members or Natural Resources and Recreation Committee http://www.leg.wa.gov/Senate/Committees/NROR/members.htm
King County Executive Ron Sims: exec.sims@kingcounty.gov
James Pater, Permit Review, WA. Department of Ecology mailto:dapa461@ecy.wa.gov
FYI, Washington State Environmental Hearings Office Website is: http://www.eho.wa.gov/. This office hears appeals to the Shoreline Management Act. The City of Redmond hears appeals to the Buffer Variance.
Here is what I know [about the SR 520 widening project]. WSDOT plans call for an increase of lanes from two in each direction to four lanes in each direction. Each direction will have two lanes for normal traffic, one HOV lane and one on/off lane.
ReplyDeleteEastbound traffic turn lanes- a new separate bridge to access 520 from WLS which eventually turns into the new exit ramp to access Redmond Way.
For Westbound traffic the HOV lane starts by the Marymoor Park section of the road. The HOV lane does not start at the Redmond Way flyover bridge (the flyover bridge is being widen to 2 lanes in each direction). The fourth westbound lane consists of the new entrance to 520 via the new Highway 202 bypass bridge now under construction. That lane eventually turns into the off ramp to WLS parkway. A new bridge is also being build just for that exit.
Almost all work is directed north of existing highway in order to avoid Marymoor Park. Thus the drastic encroachment into the Bear Cr. floodplain and buffers.
I hope the above information helps answers some of your questions. Please feel free to contact me with any other questions you may have.
Dick Schaetzel
“There is ABSOLUTELY no reason that WSDOT should be allowed to encroach on the Creek Buffer. No way would it be allowed if I as a private citizen wished to encroach the buffer. For heaven sake, I couldn’t even do it on my own Private Property.
ReplyDeleteThe widening can be accomplished using Public Land, Marymoor Park and saving the Creek Buffer. Oh, Since this project is receiving so much of our tax dollars already, I am assuming that WSDOT has fully funded the replacement of the 520 Bridge. I am sure that the State would not sacrifice Life, Health and Safety by putting a convenience project ahead of a Life Threatening project.”
Regards, Vicky Methven – Redmond Resident.
Mr. Yoder,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your email expressing concerns about potential impacts to Bear Creek. I am a shoreline planner with the Dept. of Ecology and I have been working with Cathy Beam mainly on the City's Shoreline Master Program Update.
I recently spoke with Cathy about this WSDOT project and the buffer variance, it sounds like the City is still working out the project design issues with WSDOT. She also mentioned the possibility of re-routing Bear Creek and the associated funding issues.
The City is well aware of the potential impacts to Bear Creek and I'm confident that they will do what they can to minimize impacts.
The 150 Buffer you mention is the Critical Areas buffer. Redmond's critical areas regulations are more stringent than their current Shoreline Master
Program (SMP) regulations. The common rule of thumb in these situations is the more stringent/ protective regulations would apply. The Dept. of Ecology
does not have a specific role in approving activities in Critical Areas. That is purely a local government responsibility. Once the City SMP update has been
completed and approved by Ecology, the majority of the critical areas regulations will be incorporated into the SMP and Ecology would then have a
role in reviewing shoreline variances and conditional use permits within a shoreline critical area.
The Federal National Marine Fisheries Agency would be your best source for information on endangered salmonid issues.
Ecology's Water Quality Program would weigh in on potential water quality impacts to Bear Creek from the 520 project. The Watershed lead for the Redmond area is Sinang Lee (425) 649-7110.
For questions concerning floodplain issues you can contact Chuck Steele @ (425) 649-7139
If you need further assistance concerning shoreline issues please let me know.
Sincerely
David Pater
Shorelands and Environmental Assistance
Department of Ecology
3190 160th Avenue SE
Bellevue, WA 98008
(425) 649-4253
You can post my email response to your blog. Its public information. Mid-2008 is probably the earliest the Redmond SMP update would be approved by Ecology. My best guess is more likely late summer or fall. Depends on the remaining issues and how quickly they are resolved.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for your concerns about Bear Creek.
David Pater
Shorelands and Environmental Assistance
Department of Ecology
3190 160th Avenue SE
Bellevue, WA 98008
(425) 649-4253
From the Fish & Wildlife
ReplyDeleteI want to acknowledge the receipt of your e-mail to the Washington
State Department of Fish and Wildlife Commissioners dated December 6,
2007, regarding the proposed plan by the Washington State Department of
Transportation (WSDOT) to widen State Route 520 in the vicinity of Bear
Creek in the City of Redmond. As the Region 4 Habitat Program Manager,
the Commissioners have asked that I respond with more local knowledge of
the project.
It is acknowledged that the proposed highway widening project will
encroach into the riparian buffer of Bear Creek. This may result in
detrimental impacts to the stream and the associated flood plain as
described in your e-mail to the project engineer. I want to assure you
that these impacts are being thoroughly evaluated by the Multi-Agency
Permit Team (MAPT) set up specifically to coordinate permitting of WSDOT
highway projects. Any impacts to the flood plain capacity or shoreline
buffer will be addressed in this venue.
WDFW is charged with the enforcement of the Hydraulic Code (WAC
220-110) specifically intended to protect fish life. Only those aspects
of a project that may impact the bed or flow of the stream are regulated
under the Code. In the SR 520 widening project this includes only the
widening of the existing Sammamish River bridge and two new ramp
bridges. The riparian buffers are regulated entirely by the local
jurisdiction, the city of Redmond.
It is also noted that the relocation of Bear Creek to include natural
meanders would be an acceptable way to assure effective buffers and
productive fish habitat. As you pointed out, this alternative was
pulled due to lack of funding. Unfortunately the WDFW does not have
funding sources for this type of project.
I do want to point out that the Salmon Recovery Funding Board does
manage the distribution of state and federal funds for recovery
projects. The local Lead Entity is responsible for developing and
prioritizing the projects to be funded. Unfortunately these projects
have already been prioritized for the next several years. You may want
to begin now to work with the WDFW Watershed Steward, Kirk Lakey
(lakeykal@dfw.wa.gov) to develop and submit this project for future
consideration.
Your concern for public resources and suggested solutions is greatly
appreciated. Hopefully we can work together to assure this project does
not have long lasting detrimental impacts.
Respectfully,
David W. Brock
Region 4 Habitat Program Manager
16018 Mill Creek Blvd
Mill Creek, WA 98012
425-775-1311 #114
brockdwb@dfw.wa.gov
We are in a bit of a lull on the SR520 issue. I think Gov. Gregoire’s press conference may actually slow down planning for a bit as it proposes a “bridge-lite” solution that doesn’t provide the capacity, growth potential or safety that have been the documented problems in the past. Her intervention also raised the possibility of re-inventing other wheels.
ReplyDelete