Lake Washington School District Director Reith explains issues around the STEM School

Lake Washington School District Communications Director Kathryn Reith says on April 4th.... 

I appreciate Ms. Wilkins’ interest in and concern about the proposed STEM school building. Unfortunately, she made some conclusions based on the traffic study we provided to her that are not correct. First, the district has no plans to further develop the site. Second, the educational program for the STEM school has not yet been determined. The possible scenario she reports was provided to the traffic consultant since it would create the most traffic to the site: that’s what a traffic impact statement should consider. Again, no decision regarding the STEM school academic program has been made.

I invite any community member or parent who is interested in this proposed building to attend the hearing at Alcott Elementary School on Tuesday, April 5. While the hearing will begin at 6 p.m., district staff will be available beginning at 5:30 p.m. to answer questions and will have site plans on display.
 
By Kathryn Reith
Communications Director, LWSD
April 4

Response by Susan Wilkins
 - District parent, PTSA member, volunteer:

"Kathryn Reith says that the district has no additional plans to develop the site? Well, in 2001, the district had plans to put a junior high on the site and had every square foot of the property covered by buildings, fields and parking. The district’s 6-Year Capital Facilities Plan 2010-2015 on page 14 says that all new schools will be built with plans to add portables as needed. The idea that the district can use only 7 acres of the 22-acre site and set aside 15 acres for “permanent conservation” isn’t believable or even allowed by a public agency. The property is listed as being held for the district’s “long term needs.” There is no doubt that the site will be fully developed over time".

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Significant details for land-use hungry readers:  The State Environmental Policy Act in RCW 43.21C required that a checklist be prepared by the school district that responded to specific questions about how the new STEM school would affect the community both locally and in general. The district issued its “SEPA Checklist” for the STEM School on January 31, 2011. The checklist included the Traffic Report as a supporting document. Based on the information in the checklist (including the Traffic Report), Dr. Kimball issued a Determination of Non-significance (DNS) stating that the project would not have a negative impact on the school district as a whole or on the rural community surrounding the new school site. The DNS was appealed by residents living near the school because they felt that the school would have an adverse effect on their residential neighborhood by creating traffic and parking issues and by destroying the natural environment by clear-cutting the school site. I also appealed the DNS because I believe the STEM School doesn’t belong at the far edge of the district along Redmond-Fall City Road and will not serve the best interests of the entire LWSD high school community. To now tell us that the information in the Traffic Report was invalid or unreliable suggests that the SEPA Checklist was defective and the DNS should be withdrawn. The details in the Traffic Report as well as the absence of essential school facilities like a library, gym and lunchroom in the building plan seem to imply a compromised, disjoint learning environment that may not serve the best interests of any of the students in the entire district.

The hearing on Tuesday, April 5 at 6:00 PM is for the building permit for the school and is required by the King County Development Guide 21A.42.140. At that hearing, members of the community may make comments about the STEM school. The hearing will be conducted by hearing examiner, James O'Connor. Mr. O'Connor has written: Accordingly, now is the time to hold the community public hearing... This is a time when public comments are likely to have more, rather than less, influence on the ultimate plans for the proposal.

Opinion and Report By Susan Wilkins
LW Distrcit Parent, PTSA member, Volunteer
Redmond, WA.