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| Credit / Bob Yoder |
Bear Creek flooding behind Safeway Bear Creek Shopping Center on 12/4/08. Yes, that is a park bench.
PLEASE WATCH THIS 1-MINUTE VIDEO FIRST. Click HERE . You will be taking a drive with "Citizen Gary Smith" westward on 520. While looking toward Redmond Town Center you will see Bear Creek flood waters encroaching only 20 feet from the SR520 freeway. Enjoy the music on the way.
When WSDOT builds four more lanes on top of the Bear Creek flood plain you are watching, where will the water go? Local geologist Susan Wilkins is HERE to tell you.
"SLOW DOWN - CURVES AHEAD!"
In response to WSDOT’s proposal to widen SR-520 between the new Redmond Way flyover and Sammamish River, citizen leaders, activists, and staff say “Fine, but do it in an environmentally responsible way.” We urge everyone in Redmond to carefully consider the unintended consequences of proposed 520 widening to our safety and welfare; flood hazards are a central issue. The project would fill & build 4 additional lanes into the flood plain – this, at a time with Olympia is recognizing “climate change” impacts to highway flooding. Potential life threatening flood hazards combined with destruction of endangered, listed species habitat creates critical concerns about the WSDOT plan. However, all parties agree to the value of a road widening to 8-lanes.
On January 8, 2008 our Redmond city attorney gave notice to Ben Brown at WSDOT regarding WSDOT’s refusal to apply for a “buffer variance”. WSDOT plans to encroach up to 100 feet into Redmond’s Critical Area buffer breaking our city land use laws.
The City’s solution is to meander Bear Creek to the north and away from SR 520; but that’s $10M WSDOT doesn’t have. Mayor Marchione, Councilmembers Cole and Allen, and Staff Managers Beam, Spangler, and Cairns. have been outspoken and supportive of alternatives. Spangler indicates $2.5M could be funded through city grants. Cole and Allen traveled to Olympia. Citizens and students are writing letters to their State Representatives.
NEWS FLASH: State Representative Ross Hunter corresponded on 1/27/08: “ We are working on trying to fix this”. Rep. Hunter is the Finance Committee Chairperson. There is hope!
When WSDOT builds four more lanes on top of the Bear Creek flood plain you are watching, where will the water go? Local geologist Susan Wilkins is HERE to tell you.
"SLOW DOWN - CURVES AHEAD!"
In response to WSDOT’s proposal to widen SR-520 between the new Redmond Way flyover and Sammamish River, citizen leaders, activists, and staff say “Fine, but do it in an environmentally responsible way.” We urge everyone in Redmond to carefully consider the unintended consequences of proposed 520 widening to our safety and welfare; flood hazards are a central issue. The project would fill & build 4 additional lanes into the flood plain – this, at a time with Olympia is recognizing “climate change” impacts to highway flooding. Potential life threatening flood hazards combined with destruction of endangered, listed species habitat creates critical concerns about the WSDOT plan. However, all parties agree to the value of a road widening to 8-lanes.
On January 8, 2008 our Redmond city attorney gave notice to Ben Brown at WSDOT regarding WSDOT’s refusal to apply for a “buffer variance”. WSDOT plans to encroach up to 100 feet into Redmond’s Critical Area buffer breaking our city land use laws.
The City’s solution is to meander Bear Creek to the north and away from SR 520; but that’s $10M WSDOT doesn’t have. Mayor Marchione, Councilmembers Cole and Allen, and Staff Managers Beam, Spangler, and Cairns. have been outspoken and supportive of alternatives. Spangler indicates $2.5M could be funded through city grants. Cole and Allen traveled to Olympia. Citizens and students are writing letters to their State Representatives.
NEWS FLASH: State Representative Ross Hunter corresponded on 1/27/08: “ We are working on trying to fix this”. Rep. Hunter is the Finance Committee Chairperson. There is hope!
You can help by writing your State representatives or State Transportation Committee Chairperson: Representative Judy Clibborn of Mercer Island.
Stay tuned....
Thanks to Gary Smith, past Trails Commissioner, for creating and producing the the 520 flood video clip and organizing citizenry participation.
UPDATE: The lanes were later widened with embankments to keep 520 from flooding and protect the Bear Creek riparian and stream. BY, 12/13/19
Stay tuned....
Thanks to Gary Smith, past Trails Commissioner, for creating and producing the the 520 flood video clip and organizing citizenry participation.
UPDATE: The lanes were later widened with embankments to keep 520 from flooding and protect the Bear Creek riparian and stream. BY, 12/13/19
FROM: Ben Brown, WSDOT EnvDear Mr.. Yoder, Due to the holiday, and a busier than normal workload, this respond took longer than I would have liked, but here it is:
ReplyDeleteIn your e-mail you had two specific concerns that you wanted me to address:
Item 1: "a description of past WSDOT road widening projects that involved "taking of parklands",
In the meeting, I stated that we do have projects that impact parkland. What I was trying to respond to at the meeting is the sense that WSDOT adhered to some policy or requirement that we do not and will not impact parkland, and that requirement preempted any project level decision on impacting parks, that is not the case. We make these decisions on a project by project basis, there is no guidance within the department that directs us to avoid park impacts at all costs or regardless of any impacts that the avoidance would necessitate. In each case we look at the project and we balance the project against the project impacts, the ability to mitigate, and make those decisions on the direction the project will go, on a case by case basis. In this case, early on, we determined that we would avoid impacts to Marymoor Park. On this project as with most EIS projects, we establish an Inter-Disciplinary Team (IDT) that is steers the process. The alternatives were thouroghly discussed during the IDT process. Representatives at those meetings included staff from the City of Redmond and King Co. The decisions that were made were presented in the EIS and was subjected to the appropriate public processes. We are still operating within the project that was defined by that EiS process.
We strive to avoid and minimize all impacts, and when we do have to choose between impacts, we look closely at the feasibility and/or difficulty of providing necessary mitigation. Often, mitigation for park impacts are difficult, and that does factor into the decisions that are made. The potential impacts to Marymoor Park by this project was far more substantial than on most other projects, but it was still a project level and not a programmatic decision.
Some projects where we had recent impacts to parkland are:
SR 542, Boulder Creek Bridge
SR 539, Tenmile to Badger Rds.
SR 20, Troxel Rd.
SR 18, Maple Valley to Issaquah Hobart Rd.
Item 2: "when Marymoor Park was deeded to the city as "farmlands" what conditions were written into the documents? Do any conditions block WDOT from encroaching upon the parkland? "
I am unfamiliar with the "deed" itself or the specific language in it. However, the project was funded through what are known as "6(f) funds". These are monies provided through a grant process from the "interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation". They have specific published guidance on the mitigation requirements for any conversion of 6(f) land to other purposes. That complicates the mitigation process, making it more difficult, but does not preclude use of that parkland. This was all part what was considered during the alternative selection process and reported in the EIS for the project.
Ben Brown
Northwest Region
Env. Doc. Prog. Mgr.
Office Phone: (206) 440-4528
Cell Phone: (206) 999-3696
bownbe@wsdot.wa.gov
FROM: David Brock, WDFW, Mill Creek, January 9, 2008
ReplyDeleteBob Yoder,
I want to acknowledge the receipt of your e-mail to Washington State
Department of Fish and WildlifeCommissioners 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 BearCreek 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 (WAC220-110) 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
FROM BEN BROWN, WSDOT regarding severe buffer & flood plain mitigation requirements January 18, 2008
ReplyDeleteDear Mr. Yoder;
Your comments on this project were forwarded to us by the City of Redmond. Thank you for your interest in this project. This letter is our response to your concerns of December 6, 2007.
The existing Bear Creek buffer width varies from 34 ft at the confluence with the Sammamish River, to 54 ft at the backwater channel downstream of the railroad bridge, to a maximum of 241 ft at a point approximately 200 ft downstream of the backwater channel. The average width of the existing buffer is 96 ft. The resulting Bear Creek buffer width will vary from 34 ft at the confluence with the Sammamish River, to 25 ft at the backwater channel downstream of the railroad bridge, to a maximum of 155 ft at a point approximately 200 ft downstream of the backwater channel. The average width of the remaining buffer is 65 ft. Mitigation for the buffer impact will include restoring and/or enhancing the remaining buffer area to provide equivalent or higher function than the existing buffer. The increased vegetative canopy will increase shading and reduce temperatures in the stream as well as enhance habitat in riparian corridor. The dense mix of vegetation will increase the ability of the buffer to detain and filter flows; thereby, reducing the stream sedimentation.
Ben Brown
Northwest Region - WSDOT
Env. Doc. Prog. Mgr.
Office Phone: (206) 440-4528
Cell Phone: (206) 999-3696