The cost of good water quality & what we can do.

Two water tanks adjacent Horace Mann El. were repainted inside and out, retrofitted for safety and seismically upgraded for a total cost of $2.8 million.

OPINION: There is no question, the City is investing heavily into our water supply infrastructure, water quality assurance and water conservation programs. Did you know that residents east of Lake Sammamish and the Sammamish River get all their water from the ground?

• The City has spent millions of dollars retrofitting wellheads to improve treatment and safety standards. ~$11.5 million was recently spent by the City just to upgrade the two wellheads at Anderson Park. Expensive land had to be purchased to save Anderson Park during the wellhead upgrades.
  
• The City plans to build a Regional Stormwater Treatment Center in SE Redmond to treat industrial stormwater before it infiltrates into the shallow aquifer (underground lake). A $40 million regional treatment plant is already underway for the downtown. Overlake Regional Facilty is next. Treating dirty stormwater is expensive, as you see on your utility bill, but the regional systems will reduce costs over time.
  
• Redmond is a member city of the Cascade Water Alliance. Growing eastside cities would eventually run out of drinking water without a new water source. The Alliance is raising millions of dollars to build a pipeline from the Mt. Ranier watershed to the Eastside. **Emmons glacier on Mt. Ranier is receding but plans are proceeding. Lake Tapps has been secured to store the glacial mountain water before it's piped to the Eastside.

• Redmond spends a lot of money monitoring for spills and hazardous waste. The City has it's own geologist to oversee groundwater water quality and monitor the protection zones for our wells. Recently, a potential diesel spillage was discovered and quickly addressed with funding from Council for qualified inspection services.

Some great news came out of the the City Water Quality Report, Summer 2009. Did you see it? With all the talk about the safety of our groundwater supply it appears all is well - no pun intended. Did you read that four (4) fewer "compounds" were detected in our groundwater as compared to the Tolt River watershed that supplies residents west of the river? The city's investment in our groundwater supply definitively appears to be paying off.

One of the more significant contaminants now entering our water supply are pharmaceuticals. Councilmember Margeson brought this up at the last Council meeting and handed me the information. When pills and pharmaceuticals are flushed down the toilet or thrown in the garbage they NEVER get treated. And, we could be drinking them. Low levels of pharmaceuticals in drinking water have been found in 24 cities. Get this, pharmaceutical chemicals have been found in about 80% of our nation's urban streams. Please don't flush or trash 'em! Take your unused pills to a pharmacy for disposal. Group Health, Bartell and others participate.

It's estimated that over 120,000 gallons of water is saved per day by Redmond's Conservation Program. Don't forget to tap into the toilet and clothes washer rebates and check your outdoor faucets and hoses before you go on vacation! You can save a bundle. I learned the hard way.

** Read my '07 post on the receeding glaciers that are feeding the Cascade Alliance water pipeline.

Email your questions to Tom Fix, tfix@redmond.gov, City Water Quality Team.
Cascade Water Alliance informational video clip.
Cascade Water Alliance website.

Rain Gardens

Rain gardens work like native forests by capturing and infiltrating stormwater from rooftops, driveways, and other hard surfaces. Rain gardens reduce flooding by absorbing water from impervious surfaces; filter oil, grease and toxic materials before they can pollute streams, lakes and bays; help to recharge the aquifer by increasing the quantity of water that soaks into the ground; provide beneficial wildlife habitat.

 A workshop will be held in Redmond on Februrary 25 and in Bothel on March 18.   Workshop participants will receive a rain garden handbook and other useful materials. They will also be invited to participate in several full scale rain garden installation workshops scheduled later in the spring and summer.

Workshops are free and registration is required. Participants will be sent site-assessment instructions in advance to help maximize their learning at the workshops. Contact Stacey Gianas at Stewardship Partners to register and for more details:

Call (206) 292-9875 or email sg@stewardshippartners.org  and visit http://www.stewardshippartners.org/  for times and locations of the Redmond, Bothel, Bellevue, and Mercer Island workshops

By Stacey Gianas
Programs Assistant
Stewardship Partners
(206) 292-9875
http://www.stewardshippartners.org/

Did you know the City of Redmond is planning Rain Gardens for the Overlake Neighborhood?   Look closely at the rain garden picture.  Do you see where a ditch or depression is?

OPINION: Four Mayors and a Clerk - The duties of our City Clerk

City Clerk Doris Schaible's retirement party on 3/22/1995: Selwyn "Bud" Young ('68-'79; d '99), Christine Himes ('80-'83), Doreen Marchione, ('84-'91), City Clerk Doris Schaible, Rosemarie Ives ('92-'07)

That's quite a picture of retired City Clerk Doris Schaible (in green) with Redmond's four most recently retired Mayors. Doris Schaible was our City Clerk for 25 1/2 years and she worked with everyone of these Mayors.  

Did you know that the City Clerk is the oldest of public servants in local government, along with tax collectors?  A case in point is our first mayor, Frederick A. Reil, 1913 -1918. He was Redmond's first postmaster and town clerk before running for mayor, unopposed. (1)

My personal experience with the Office of City Clerk began about four years ago. A large group of Education Hill neighbors were trying to appeal the Camwest, Inc. Perrigo Heights plat Steep Slope and Landmark Tree Exception. We needed ordinances and code information and we discovered the Clerk's office was a big help.  Today, I like to copy the Clerk on important emails to help my correspondence get circulated to the right people and "for the record".  When I want a public record for some information on, say, SE Redmond septic tanks and our aquifer - I submit my written request to the City Clerk.  cityclerk@redmond.gov.    

Our city clerk is the "hub of government" and direct link between "us" and city government. Probably no one knows more about what's going on in the city then the City Clerk. At a 2008 council meeting, Mayor John Marchione likened the Office of City Clerk as "a rock to stand on".  (I'm not sure what this means).  Since then, public records request service has improved dramatically.  Over time the Clerk's knowledge of the city's recorded history builds. The Clerk is highly respected and a certain amount a power comes with that knowledge.

According to various sources, (3) a City Clerk needs to be highly diplomatic, apolitical, unflappable, patient, versatile, and alert. I might add careful and assertive. One understands why a city clerk has these traits when reading their job description, as found on the city website, as follows:

1. supports the Mayor and City Council, oversees the Hearing Examiner function,
2. coordinates City elections and monitors state legislative actions.
3. responsible for coordinating and distributing agendas and information in support of City Council meetings.
4. is the official Public Records Officer of the City and maintains official City records including minutes, ordinances, resolutions, contracts, deeds and titles.
5. In conjunction with the Police Department, the Clerk's Office oversees and responds to public records requests.

This old website description barely describes the duties of the Office of the City Clerk. In  2010, Mayor John Marchione added additional work load to the City Clerk's job.  The Office of the Clerk (3 FTE's) is now responsible for updating the Council portion of the City Web site.  The Clerk is also Program Manager for the new City Hall  Volunteer Front Desk Program.  As the Administration has grown, so have the number of meetings needing a Record by the Clerk.  The record at meetings is taken by notes, recordings, email, and video.

When City Clerk Malissa Files was promoted by Mr. Mayor to Finance Manager, Michelle McGehee was promoted to City Clerk.  I think Michelle was hired by Mayor Rosemarie Ives.  

Our new City Clerk, Michelle McGehee, is a "Certified Municipal Clerk". She is extremely well qualified, friendly, and committed. Michelle moved from Alaska to take the job.  Michelle, or her deputy clerk Liz, can be reached at 425-556-2190 and by EMAIL: CityClerk@redmond.gov.

Michelle's job has definitely grown from the clerking days of Doris Schaible! (2) In 1969, the population of Redmond was 9,213. There were 60 employees. 1 Parks employee. 5 firefighters. 10 police. 1 traffic light (Redmond Way & 164 Ave. NE).  Today, the population is over 50,000 by night and 90,000 by day. 

References:

(1) "Redmond Reflections...from settlers to software", Naomi Hardy, 2006; (2) Doris Schaible, Community Relations, Redmond Historical Society. Photo courtesy of Doris Schaible; (3) Wikipedia - (click title page).

Posted:  June, 2008.  Updated:  5/28/2010

By Bob Yoder
Photo donated by Doris Schaible

8/30/07, Redmond's $40 million Regional Stormwater Treatment facility

8/30/07. Have you seen all the digging activity along the Sammamish River south of City Hall lately? It's not just about "IMPROVEMENT FOR FISH AND PEOPLE" . Some of that work ($1.7 million) in the vicinity of Lukc McRedmond Park is the first step toward building Redmond's ambitious regional downtown stormwater treatment system.

Jon Spangler, Redmond Division Manager of Stormwater Management gave a presentation in July to the King County Water Quality Committee about Redmond's $40 million regional stormwater treatment plan for downtown Redmond. Click on the following link to find the video archive:

Regional Water Quality Program, 7/25 - Redmond Stormwater (Real One media suggested)

The Regional treatment plan is a huge, proactive undertaking designed to service over 500 acres of downtown development anticipated in the next 40-50 years. It involves building 6 large "outfall" treatment facilities rather than hundreds of smaller vaults. Large trunk lines the length of Redmond Way and on 85th Street will be dug with pipes installed. Planned road re-designs will probably be coordinated with the storm pipe installation. All six facilities will be built in five years. Click here for the stormwater facility map

The $40 million cost will be paid by 1) raising residential and commercial stormwater fees by 40% and 2) raising the capital connection fees from $900 to $4000. According to Spangler, the city is well funded and Redmond already has one of the highest stormwater rates. Our rates are about double Seattle's rates.

If you look carefully at your 2007 utility bill you will probably find an additional $6.58/month charge. It goes towards the new regional stormwater system. It appears Education Hill, North Redmond, Grass Lawn and other neighborhoods are now paying higher stormwater rates to help fund the DT regional system.

Spangler states that about 90% of Redmond stormwater drains into the Sammamish and everyone benefits from a healthy downtown.

For the downtown property developers the regional plan is a deal.

• $800,000/year savings is anticipated over the old site by site stormwater design. Spangler claims the regional plan is about 60% the cost.
  
• The regional system doesn't consume landowner's buildable land.
  
• Maintenance costs will be reduced since catch basins won't need to be cleaned 1 month every other year along Redmond Way; and no catch basins to vacuum at night when it's dangerous to workers.

All wastewater treatment will take place "at the end of the pipe" into the Sammamish River OR Bear Creek. End-of-pipe treatment is least desirable of all treatments, though Spangler says Ecology feels they have more control over overall water quality.

The 2009 "Safeway-Bear Creek" outfall underground facility ($7M) will direct discharge into Bear Creek without detention. WILL EXTRA PRECAUTIONS & TREATMENTS OCCUR HERE? The remaining 5 facilities are expected to be built by 2011 or 2012 and all 5 will direct discharge into the Sammamish River without detention, as follows:

• 2007. Luke McRedmond underground facility ($1.7M) -- under construction w/ habitat upgrades
  
• 2009. The 8oth Street Trunk underground facility ($7.6M)
  
• 2011. Redmond Way Storm Trunk ($22M) -- start in 2009
  
• 2010. Redmond Way Trunk ($4.5M) -- wetland treatment
  
• 2008. Leary Way ($5.8M) -- natural vegetation for treatment

The 6 facilities will monitor flows and treat the run-off water by using: 1) a swirl concentrator to remove the large debris and 2) media filters to remove contaminants. Spangler isn't sure if he will use bio-filters on the end. Just how effective will this "1-2 swirl/media punch" be to keep the Sammamish fish and our recreation healthy? We need to keep an eye on this. Spangler described a "water-oil separator" that would be used at a downtown branch. He indicated treatment wetlands and sand filters may be used.

WILL REDMOND'S ADOPTED 2005 DEPT. OF ECOLOGY TREATMENT STANDARDS GUARANTEE THE FISHABLE, SWIMMABLE, RECREATIONAL WATERS WE NOW ENJOY? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A county representative asked Spangler about the impacts of Microsoft's growth on our stormwater run-off. Mr. Spangler plans to build a separate regional stormwater system for the Overlake Urban area to service Microsoft & environs. Treated stormwater will be discharged into Bellevue's Kelsey Creek system.

Without a regional Overlake stormwater system, the "Block C" development of Microsoft would require 14 vaults each 700,000 cu. ft. in size! That's 3x the volume of City Hall. (Our wellhead protection officer also claimed removal of 3x the volume of City Hall in contaminated by hazardous waste. ) Our super-sized City Hall is drawing lots of attention these days. Thus, Overlake Urban Center will probably install a regional system -- the good news is Microsoft will apparently pay for most of it.

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

FACTOIDS:

1) did you know stormwater was not regulated for effective treatment until after 1987? Expensive stormwater treatment retrofits are required on redevelopments prior to 1987.

2) the largest contributor to fecal coliform in Seattle is non-waterfowl birds and rodents.

3) 25% of all land-use in Seattle are roads, highways & road shoulders! Some of the worst pollutants come from roadway stormwater. This does not include parking lots.

4) The Sammamish River reaches a low of 17 feet in summer and high of 28 feet in winter, thus gravity flow of downtown stormwater a challenge. DT Redmond is 35-40 feet above sea level. Gravity flow of our stormwater is not 'strong'.

5) Redmond's downtown aquifer is sometimes 5-7 feet below the surface in the winter making installation of infrastructure challenging.

6) It's estimated that 15 acres of our downtown will be developed each year. With 520 acres of developable land it will take about 40-50 years to develop our "downtown".

7) Redmond's stormwater treatment standards are higher than Bellevue's so Bellevue becomes the limiting factor to overall water quality. They need to get up to speed!

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

City Stormwater site: http://redmond.gov/insidecityhall/publicworks/stormwater/regionalfacilities.asp

Education Hill Neighborhood Association Forum

INTRODUCTIONS:  2:50 m

OPENING STATEMENTS:  4:40 m Koeppen;  **8:05 m Birney;  10:37 m Fields

QUESTIONS: (**denotes the response I liked the most)
     # 1:  Climate Change 16:16 m: Birney 17:00;  Koeppen 22:12;  **Fields 22:16
     # 2:  Climate Change, King County Collaboration:  Koeppen 27:49; Fields 29.34; **Birney 31:05
     # 3:  Water/Aquifer: Fields 33:14; Koeppen 35:41;  **Birney 37:47
     # 4:  Senior Housing/Vision:  **Koeppen 40:33; Birney 44:17; Fields 46:48
     # 5:  Parks & Recreation, 51:25 m:  Birney 52:13; Koeppen 54:36; **Fields 56:00
     # 6:  Leadership/Vision, Birney 59:12; Koeppen 1:02:44; **Fields 1:05:44
     # 7:  Ban on Facial Recognition, 1:18:50 m  **Birney, Fields, *Koeppen
     # 8:  Saturday Market Relocation, 1.24.00 m  Koeppen, Fields, Birney

STATEMENT:
Koeppen 1:30:45 m Excessive use of electricity at City Hall
**Birney 1:31:28 m Affordable Housing
Fields 1:32:34 m Infrastructure

CLOSING STATEMENTS
1:34:28  Birney, **Fields, Koeppen

Forum Produced And Directed By Paige Norman
Video by Paige Norman , 6/13/19
Opinion by Yoder, 6/17/19

This page is under construction

FINAL Updated Opinion; Do SE Redmond industries have a valid alternative to the city's regional plan for managing filthy industrial stormwater?

FINAL UPDATES: "And the answer is..." - it appears the industries & city will achieve a workable variation to the city regional stormwater plan to allow infiltration, if necessary. County Councilmember Kathy Lambert will tour parts of the Evans Creek county shoreline with me and other city officials on 7/16. Kathy is also a Redmond resident.

UPDATED, 7/14 - King County Environmental Health Manager Fay reassured me that fecal coliform bacteria issues should probably not be a big concern in SE Redmond city septic systems. Many thanks to county councilmember Kathy Lambert for her assistance in this matter. Dave Garland of Ecology reported inconsequential fecal bacteria in Evans Creek, at this time.

Two unintended consequences arose today during my meeting with staff:
1) The inaccurate city-county "zoning jurisdictional city web map" caused undue strain and waste of staff and citizen time during this fact-finding process. 2) Presently, no planner is assigned to the SE Redmond industrial district to review permit applications on site for either conforming or nonconforming uses. Photos are not required by permit to monitor "creeping" of uses onto the Evans Creek tree-lined banks in SE Redmond. (Yet, photos by homeowners are required in residential tree removal permitting. In addition, unannounced on-site residential tree inspections were made by planners and the code enforcement officer, during Ives Administration....my home and my neighbor's for my tree permit).

Councilman Hank Margeson, Chair Public Works Committee reported at a recent council meeting I was concerned about the integrity and safety of the county septic systems in SE Redmond. This is innacurate and a misunderstanding; and probably attributed to the outdated & confusing jurisdictional map on the city website. I've since edited my article to clarify my concern is about city septic systems. Mr. Jon Spangler, DNR, was aware of my intentions and concern about aging city septic in SE Redmond at: Cadman Gravel 'Olympian PreCast,' Skanska, Rainier Welding and most likely Genie Industries. I may be requesting public records to identify & confirm the location of these septic systems (and the newer sewer lines partially servicing 192nd Ave. Ne ) city industrial. In talking to city Dept. of Nat. Resources, East Redmond Properties, LLC (Watson Asphalt Co.) appears hooked up to the sewer line on 192nd Ave NE, though the department was unsure if All Wood Recycling, Inc. (AWR) was hooked up to sewer...hmmm.
UPDATED, 6/26 - after a 30 minute conversation with Jon Spangler of the Department of Natural Resources today I learned the SE Redmond city septic systems are safely operating and probably good for at least another five years.

During the June 17 council meeting, Public Works presented a proposal that could move forward plans for a critical new regional city stormwater facility for SE Redmond. Staff's Regional city Stormwater Facilities plan for SE Redmond can be found HERE with map in its entirety. Excerpts from the proposal are below. You may find these snippets astounding or laugh nervously; I'm ecstatic the Marchione Administration is proposing a regional stormwater system for SE Redmond. The facility would service over 300 acres in the vicinity of Union Hill and 192th Ave. NE adjacent Evans Creek. Find a helpful satellite terrain map HERE of Evans Creek running through a section of city, SE Redmond industrial park.

Below are excerpts from the staff report:


"Stormwater infrastructure in the area is primarily characterized as uncontrolled flow of stormwater from paved surfaces into sandy gravel areas where the water seeps into the ground to enter groundwater flowing towards the City’s municipal drinking water wells." !

"With minimal stormwater infrastructure, this contaminated stormwater can flow into the City’s groundwater (drinking water supply) and into Evan’s Creek, jeopardizing water quality for both of those resources." !

"In response to the need to end the practice of infiltrating potentially contaminated stormwater in this area, and in response to three currently proposed projects (Costco, extension of 188th Ave NE, and Union Hill Road Phase 3) City staff have worked to identify and size potential regional stormwater facilities to meet the current and future needs in this watershed."

This is something! In review of the archived tape of the 6/17/08 Council meeting, it sounds like most of SE Redmond's untreated stormwater currently flows slowly towards Wellhead #5. According to the Public Works director, Wellhead 5 is our most productive well and very important to our supply for affordable drinking water.

"R.I.C.E" -- "Redmond Industries for a Clean Environment" lobbied Council last Tuesday to water-down the proposal to allow existing infiltration practices (against new municipal code) and to not implement the 50 year flood capacity of the facility. SE Redmond city businesses lies in a 100 year floodplain above a shallow aquifer but fortunately, city sewer has been installed in the last 2 years at most city businesses along Evans Creek, according to DNR.

Council may make a decision on the RICE proposal in their their July 1 meeting. Tune into RCTV Channel 21 Tuesday, 7:30 to follow it. According to city Jon Spangler of the Depart. of Nat. Resources, within the last two years SE Redmond city businesses have partially converted to city sewer. In past decades the city businesses relied exclusively on city septic tanks and septic drain fields to treat wastewater. The drain fields are decades old and are buried near the shallow aquifer.

Think about the benefits of sewer and regional stormwater when you look at the photo of this filthy city stormwater pond. This detention pond is the only one I'm aware of in SE Redmond. It's located adjacent Evans Creek on 42nd Street on city property. According Jon Spangler of Redmond Department of Natural Resources the surface water, ground water, and Evans creek is free of significant fecal coliform bacteria; and all existing city septic fields are maintained and not failing. Now that's reassuring!!

Take a quick look at the Department of Ecology's "Citizen Guide to Monitoring Streams - fecal coliform bacteria". Does this answer some of your concerns? Click this link to read my last story on "Evans Creek - what went wrong?" As with any opinion story, I am always open to hearing and sharing your opinion in the comments section below.

And not to forget, the City of Redmond "2007 Water Quality Report" has city contact information. This 2007 report was printed & delivered this summer of '08. The city's new slogan is: "Safe Drinking water is our highest priority". It sure looks like they are working hard towards that end. Thank you, Department of Natural Resources & Council for your efforts!

cc: city council, mayor, city clerk, WDOE.

UPDATED: Downtown Construction Build-Out Achieves 50% of 2030 Downtown Density Goal

UPDATED, October 9, 3:28 PM:  According to Mayor John Marchione's density plans at the September 26 "Downtown Construction projects" town meeting, the city has already achieved 50% of their Downtown density goals set for 2030.  This includes 711 dwelling units currently under construction (see table below) and existing newer residential apartments like RED 160, Cleveland, and Veloce. 

According to data listed in the Urban Center Element of the Comprehensive Plan link, the 2030  target  for dwelling units in the downtown is 6,170.  2300 units are on record as built as of 2010.  So 2300 + 711 units = 3011 in 2012 for at least a 50% density.

In the town meeting, Mayor Marchione confused some members of the viewing public saying  "We're planning to be an urban community that's going to be over 2200 units."  He went onto say "There will be $330 million in private investments in building out this vision including 200+ affordable housing units" to achieve a variety of incomes and choices.

With Overlake residential redevelopment getting off to a slow start - and "One Redmond" in hibernation -  it's possible the private sector will build more aggressively downtown.  In fact, an Evergreen Health Hospital official said their parcel west of Redmond Medical Center is slated for apartments rather than another clinic.

One of the drawbacks in building downtown is coping with the high water table when installing underground parking.  The downtown is built over the city aquifer and wellhead protection zone and according to City Planner Gary Lee constrains underground parking.   Lee says the city requires 1.25 parking places for every residential unit which puts a pinch on parking for the downtown.

Despite emerging traffic, parking and pedestrian crosswalk issues from Redmond's rapid downtown residential growth, the Mayor was happy with downtown progress, saying "to have any cranes now in this economic environment is remarkable; to have two cranes and a third one here in 30 days show people want to come here and want to live here and the demand is high.."   According to statistics presented by Steve Bailey, Dir. of Finance in an earlier meeting there are three jobs in Redmond for every living unit. 

Councilmember Emeritus President Richard Cole said before his retirement he felt the City over-committed to taking additional density.  The Mayor said plans and decisions to grow to 4-6 stories downtown were made in l997-1999, long before his time as Mayor. 

Below is a list of current residential downtown construction projects with their number of units totalling 713.   These projects don't include existing projects already built like Veloce (300 units), RED 160 (250 units), and the Cleveland Building, etc. 

85th Street Apartments	85th St. NE and 158th Ave. NE	148	includes 3,000 square feet of retail	under construction
Centerpointe Mixed Use	16345 Cleveland St.	134	6 stories; 212,556 square feet (includes retail)	under construction
Old Town Mixed Use	16175 Cleveland St.	149	6 stories; 205,390 square feet (includes retail)	under construction
Redmond Square Apartments	7977 170th Ave. NE	154	2 4-story buildings with a parking garage below	under construction
Stelvio	15815 Bear Creek Parkway	32	plans call for mixed-use space	approved but on hold due to economy
Vision 5	8525 163rd Court NE	96	8 units with 96 single-room occupants; 37,168 square feet	under construction

At the current pace of downtown construction it appears the city could significantly over-shoot their 2030 density target of 6170 dwelling units.

Opinion By Bob Yoder

David Carson recommends "A Balanced and Predictable Shoreline Management Program"

DAVID CARSON CAMPAIGN ISSUE: 
A Balanced and Predictable Shoreline Management Program

David Carson writes:

"Any time new regulations are being considered, property owners have a right to be concerned about the impact to their property and its future value. When the council took up an update to the Shoreline Management Plan starting in 2008, a group of lakefront [Lake Sammamish] property owners were actively engaged to ensure that this plan did not discourage routine maintenance and wouldn't hinder revitalization of this neighborhood. This approach resulted in a plan* that is fair to property owners while protecting the natural habitats at the water’s edge."   -- David Carson's website

COMMENTARY:  The Shoreline Management Program applies to "Shorelines of the State," which for Redmond are:  1)  Bear Creek,  2) Evans Creek, 3)  Sammamish River, and 4) Lake Sammamish.  David Carson's campaign issue specifically addresses the Lake Sammamish shoreline and the City's plan* to manage view corridors, trees, open spaces, docks, building heights, and stormwater on the lake.

Significant impacts are occurring to Bear, Evans, and Sammamish River shorelines.   For example, the city has plans to buffer and alter Bear Creek further from SR 520.  And below, an aerial photo of the SE Evans Creek shows extensive industrial use has expanded on the shoreline banks.

In July of 2008, David Carson and I toured this site with Kathy Lambert and city staff, looking at industrial impacts to the shoreline and city aquifer.  Three years later, All Wood Recycling is still violating city code and is under review.  Is the Shoreline Management Plan for Evans Creek balanced and predictable?

 Evans Creek is flowing north and west (r-l) through All Wood Recycling, 2002
The site in SE Redmond is even more developed today.

By Bob Yoder
Photo Courtesy of City of Redmond
Source: Shoreline Substantial Development Permit.,
Kelsey Johnson, City Assist. Planner 

Council Considers Significant Stormwater Improvements Off Education Hill

The Council Committee is considering permitting "Pond C" to improve stormwater run-off from Education Hill.  The cost is estimated at $330,000.  Below, is the description of the project as found in the Council Committee memo of 8/13/2019:

"A NE 90th Street Stormwater basin is about 230 acres of predominantly residential and commercial land use. Much of the basin development was prior to modern stormwater standards. The basin originates in the uplands of Education Hill and extends southwest to discharge into the Sammamish River at NE 90th Street.

There is an existing stormwater wetpond located just upstream from the outfall. The existing pond is believed to infiltrate untreated stormwater into the aquifer, the project will stop untreated stormwater from infiltrating at this location. This project will also improve water quality in the Sammamish River through the retrofit design of a stormwater wetpond at NE 90th St in the City of Redmond. The design will focus on the removal of total suspended solids (TSS) to the Sammamish River by increasing stormwater runoff treatment."

This pond provides significant habitat for birds and fish. 

Reported by Bob Yoder

Our drinking water quality then...and now

After Citizen Nao Harding read my earlier story about aging SE Redmond city septic systems, she submitted the following newspaper article printed 75 years ago in the East Side Journal. The Journal reporter is almost as entertaining as the county nurse! Nao is a co-founder of the
Redmond Historical Society.

Nao says:

"Frank Buckley's garage was at the northeast corner of 164th Av &
Redmond Wy. Buckley's was combo gas station, auto repair garage, bar [yep,
beer for the road]. This intersection was the hub of the traffic wheel
planned by Mayor Brown to bring all roads to Redmond, and thus, the busiest
stretch of road in town."

"That testing showed the water to be excellent, despite gas
and oil spilled, splashed and dripped at the site, makes one wonder if, back in
the day, our aquifer was so pure and deep that it could drink anything without
indigestion, or if perhaps the County nurse did her testing at the bar. "

--Contributed by Nao Hardy
Co-founder and past President of the Redmond Historical Society
Compiler and Editor of "Redmond Reflections, settlers to software"
To order Nao's "Redmond Reflections" soft cover, call 425-885-2919

Updated: Kempin Creek, Part II - the misuse of science in classifying city streams, Part II

2005 Stream Map
City of Redmond Stream Classification Definitions


Updated Opinion, 3/14/09: A couple of weeks ago I gave testimony to the Planning Commission and staff during a Public Hearing. The Hearing was a final step in the public process of approving the revised "Stream Map". The Critical Area Ordinance (CAO) requires cities in Washington map out their "critical areas" (streams, wetlands, flood plains, geological hazards, and aquifer recharge zones).

The Stream map is a city guideline to help developers, landowners, citizens, and "qualified consultants" rank our streams according to their value and function. Value is mostly defined by the presence or absence of fish species. A Class I "Shorelines of the State" streams (Sammamish River, Bear & Evans Creek) have the highest value owing to their size and presence of Federally endangered Chinook and other salmon. Class II streams, like Kempen Creek in NE Redmond provide habitat for "salmonid" ( salmon, steelhead, bull trout) and fish. Class III streams as in Perrigo Creek of Hartman Wetlands, have no fish nor potential for fish. Streams are buffered from land use development according to their classification (and usually size) with Class III getting the least amount of buffer

So what does all this have to do with Kempin Creek - the subject of an earlier post? Kempin Creek is unusual because it crosses county-city jurisdictions. In the county, qualified fish and wildlife biology consultants determined during a land use proposal that Kempin Creek harbored salmonid fish and should have buffers equal in size to Redmond's Class II stream rating. However, during the CAO Stream map revisions, city staff downgraded Kempin Creek to Class III when it flowed downstream from the county into Redmond.

But then something weird happens. Several hundred feet further downstream this Class III segment of Kempin Creek is classified a Class II stream again! Question. How can salmonid fish swim up Kempin Creek from Bear Creek, then swim to where they are not supposed to be (the Class III segment) only to re-enter fish bearing waters of Kempin Creek of King County?!

Below is a chart of Kempin Creek's city classification from it's source in King County downstream to Bear Creek.

Creek- County Class22222- City Class333333333333- Class22222 Class1111Bear Creek
upstream in county (fish-2)...... at Redmond border (no fish-3)- then (fish-2 again) further downstream to Bear Creek class 1111 (fish-1).


Note the Class 3 segment containing no fish, yet salomonid are upstream.! How does the the city's best science explain that!

The map is a guideline and I wouldn't make a big deal of this were it not for the city's misuse of "Best Available Science" (BAS). According to the Critical Area Ordinance, "Best Available Science" (BAS) is to be used during land use projects when classifying streams and other critical areas. City stream classification changes are triggered when a "qualified consultant" is hired by a developer for a project. In this case, the developer was CAMWEST. The BAS for Kempin Creek proved the developer's consultant misclassified the creek. A King County qualified biologist proved salmonid were present upstream in the King County segment. Thus, by best science, salmonid have to be present downstream -- all the way to Bear Creek. But for some bureaucratic reason the city's lesser "Washington Trout" mapping data pre-empted the Best Available Science provided by the county. Most importantly, re-classification of the stream mapping guide is is etched by land-use development triggers, not by cartography. As a result, the city presents an embarrassing, illogical mapping of Kempin Creek and a flagrant disregard for Best Available Science.

Some good news: Wise Planning Commissioners recommended that hydrology surrounding Redmond Creeks near the county be monitored. Another Planning Commissioner (KP) recommended stream temperatures be monitored as a city indicator of water quality and fish health.

Fishing Tip: if you're looking for a good fishing hole might try the city's Class III "no fish" segment of Kempin Creek. Your won't find staff fishing there! But, check with WDFW first to see if Kempin is fishable.

Redmond Code: 20D.140.20.-010 - Redmond's Class III streams connected to tributaries are streams without fish and without any potential to support fish or salmonids. They connect to downstream salmonid-bearing Class II and Class I streams. While these streams don’t contain fish themselves, they can be critical “headwater streams,” providing cold, clean water to the salmon-bearing streams into which they flow, further downstream.
Kempin Creek - the stream with a split personality, Part 1

CC: R. Odle, Planning Director, C. Beam, Environmental planner, PlanningCommission@redmond.gov

UPDATED: Second 8-Story Building Planned for 80th & Leary

Excellent project!    Design Review Board 1 Presentation  Listen to the presentation!

Councilmember Vanessa Kritzer has been a strong advocate for more day-care space in Redmond. The Design Review Board reported day-care space is planned for this project!  Massing of the prominent Redmond Grand apartments on 166th and Redmond way is terrible.  This particular project (west & adjacent to the 8-story "Arco" project) has very creative architecture helping to reduce the massing affect.  Harvey Fairbourne, the new owner of RTC could learn from this exciting new project.

16310 NE 80th ST (& Leary) is a new proposed 85’ tall, 1.18 acre residential apartment building located on 80th Street in downtown Redmond, WA. It is comprised of 8 floors above grade, one level below grade totaling 347,713 sf with 260 parking spaces and 270 residential units. It includes a 5-story wood-framed residential tower above a 3-story concrete podium. Ground level uses include residential lobby/lounge, units and indoor open space that serves the neighborhood, as well as residents. 

Mayor Birney's Water Quality Report, July 2023

Good description and graphics of the aquifer here.

UPDATED: Evans Creek Relocation Put On Hold

The city environment planner, Cathy Beam, reached out to the community yesterday with a poster session on the pending Critical Area Update soon to be reviewed by the Planning Commission.  

Attendees learned the Evans Creek Relocation project was held up by King County permitting and the trenching to relocate the creek to the north hasn't started.  Trenching was supposed to begin last year.  

A large swath of invasive reed canary grass is being removed by mowing and applying Roundup.  It's a big project.  It's anticipated the relocation project will re-start sometime next year.  

Critical seismic areas didn't appear to be of deep concern with staff since entire Puget Sound area is subject. They referred to building codes as protecting the city structures in the event of an earthquake.  

The council-approved tree regulations are still not in effect owing to prolonged negotiations with the Master Builders.  Thus, current projects are vested under the old, more lenient regulations.  

Questions and concerns about the city's shallow aquifer was noted.  

-- Bob Yoder, 6/23/2023