Arnold Tomac, a Redmond Town Center Founding Father

Arnie Tomac at Soul Food Coffee, 6/2022 / by

Arnold Tomac and a founding of Redmond Town Center go hand-and-glove.  In this piece, Arnie's the storyteller of his early involvement in Redmond and his role as a founding Father.  

 Arnie says...

In 1973, when we moved to Redmond, I noticed we did not have a neighborhood park so I started going to City Park Board meetings. In 1977, I, wife Mary and future mayor Chris Himes called over 500 residents asking for their support of a $2.5 million Park Bond. The bond measure passed and Viewpoint neighborhood park was built.

I also got involved with C.A.R.E. "Civic Action on Redmond Environment," which later led me into running for City Council.  (C.A.R.E. was a coalition of residents with a goal of saving the golf course from development.)  In 1977, Mayor Bud Young appointed me to Chair the City's first Development Guide.

In 1978, several land use issues brewed.  One was an uproar over completing the construction of SR 520.  The other was more serious.  A developer purchased the Old Redmond Golf Course and announced they planned to develop the site. Concerned citizens, many of whom had never attended a Council meeting (moi) descended on City Hall asking the City to stop development.  

I was elected President of Council in 1981.  The population of Redmond was 23,000. The downtown was separated by an operating railway. It served the grain elevator in Redmond and the milk processing Dairygold facility in Issaquah. Everything north of City Hall was blueberry fields.

There were only two roads leading through Redmond that being Cleveland and Redmond Way.  Basically, the downtown with minimal service.  The rest of the Council and I wanted to create a downtown.  

Just before I attended my first Council meeting, we got to review Mayor Young's budget. Every department was listed with number and dollars amount. (ie 87340 $12500.)  So I knew I needed to create a readable budget. We had a surplus the end of the year so we created the Capital Improvement Plan. (C.I.P.)  We also created a new Hearing Examiner position and a Technical Design Committee.  (Tomac has degrees in engineering mathematics.)

In the 1982 election, another CARE candidate Pat Vache' was elected to the Council and Arnold Tomac was elected Council President.  

Town Center Associates offered the city $6 million for the 89-acre golf course.  There was a misunderstanding about a 4.62-acre parcel north of Leary Way.  Town Center thought the sliver of land was theirs;  Councilmembers Vache', President Tomac and the city lawyer felt otherwise and negotiated the final purchase option.  It was approved 6-0 by Council. 

"Councilmember Pat Vache' called me (Tomac) one day and asked if I would come to his office to talk about the golf course. "I said definitely!"  I think the golf course is going to remain controversial until people have a chance to address a ballot issue on the purchase of the property." said Tomac. "Pat and I informed Winmar (the owners) if the bond did not pass we would support "reasonable development" of the property."  The bond did not pass. "Pat and I stuck to our commitment to move forward with development of the property. Of course we received push-back from our supporters who wanted who wanted to keep the golf course open."

"Marchione, Vache' and Tomac all indicated they thought "reasonable development" included keeping some of the green space around the golf course as a condition of development should the voters elect not to buy the property.  "I'd like to keep it (the links) as is," concluded Tomac.  "But, are we willing to pay to keep it?" 

The $6 million measure went out for vote; it lost by 2%.  Master planning of the site came with 37 goals and policies, with 50% of the property to be preserved as open space.  

Tomac's recommendation for enhancing RTC:  "I believe we are lacking vibrant centers in the evenings.  The nighttime activity at Redmond Overlake and downtown is negligible.  It turns out 70% of business income comes from the evening sales.  To have vibrant Urban Centers, policies and zoning regulations must be in place that supports businesses being successful."

-- Reported by Bob Yoder, 11/25/2022

Sources:  Soul Food Coffee house interviews, 2022.  Arnie's notes & family keepsakes.  Excerpts from the Sammamish Valley News. Circa 82-83.  Redmond Kiwanis Club.