In voting to approve the Consent Calendar at the Feb. 21 Woodinville City Council meeting, council authorized a $32,000 contract with Demarche Consulting Group.

Demarche recently assessed the manner in which the city processes complicated land use and site development permits. The city paid $40,250 for the study. In it, the company identified 17 recommendations to improve efficiency, cost recovery and organizational structure.

The $32,000 figure represents costs to implement the recommendations. The implementation phase should begin March 1.

Garden Way project

In voting to approve the same Consent Calendar, council also authorized the first addendum to the Molbak’s Purchase and Sale Agreement. The addendum halts the purchase process for 90 days in order to consider and address the concerns of adjacent property owners.

The purchase and sale agreement has to do with a project that would extend Garden Way from NE 175th Street to the south by-pass (NE 171st Street). The city began negotiating with Jens Molbak, owner of the longtime Woodinville garden center, for the purchase of enough land to build a road that would cut through his property from 175th to the south by-pass. The road was designed in such a way, however, that it was not entirely on Molbak property. Molbak asked the city’s property negotiator to bring other affected property owners into the discussion. Apparently, that request was not passed on to the City Council or the city manager. When neighboring property owners heard about the city’s negotiations with Molbak, they were upset, not knowing that Molbak himself had asked that they be included in the talks.

At the Feb. 6 City Council meeting, Jens Molbak addressed the council, saying he was awaiting a response to a letter he had sent to the council. The letter was printed in the Jan. 30 edition of the Woodinville Weekly and encouraged the city to develop a fair and transparent process for moving forward with the Garden Way road extension if that was, indeed, what the city wanted to do.

Not having heard from the city since his letter, Molbak asked, “Does the council believe this is still a good project?”

He also asked how the city planned to create a fair process for all involved.

He said, “We are willing to go back to square one.”

At the time, Councilmember Don Brocha said, “Personally, I think this is a good project.” He said that it combined a much-needed grid road with an important surface water management project.

City Manager Pete Rose said that the city should put a stop on the time clock, regroup, and hold talks with all parties.

Councilmember Chuck Price said, “I think council is in agreement with your letter. At least I am. The tone of your letter is how I feel. There was no intention of favoritism.”

Councilwoman Gina Leonard said, “ I think it is a good project. For the city, it is an essential project.”

Mayor Cathy VonWald said, “We’re very much interested in the grid road,” saying the city was very appreciative of all the work Molbak and his team had done up to this point.

Molbak said, “We’re happy to go back to square one so we can work together.”

Freezing the Molbak’s Purchase and Sale Agreement for 90 days will allow the city time to negotiate with other property owners affected by the road extension.