King County is updating its Comprehensive Plan, its principle land-use document. The document does not pertain to the 39 cities in King County. Cities have their own comprehensive plans. It does pertain to some 370,000 people, those residing in the 78 percent of King County that is unincorporated.

April 9 in Duvall, three King County Council members attended a public hearing about the 2008 Comprehensive Plan Update, Larry Gossett, Kathy Lambert and Reagan Dunn. It was, according to Gossett, the council’s fourth of five public outreach meetings. Six of Duvall’s seven City Council members attended. Woodinville’s Deputy Mayor Bob Vogt and Councilwoman Liz Aspen were also present. About 75 members of the public were present in all; roughly 30 testified.

In their consideration of the proposed Comp Plan changes put forward by County Executive Ron Sims, the council has the option to accept a proposal, modify it, reject it or even produce new policies. They anticipate taking final action on the plan on Oct. 6.

This means the public can comment on the proposed changes until then. They can testify online at http://www.kingcounty.gov/council/comprehensive_plan.aspx (see link in center of the page); send comments to the council by mail to Metropolitan King County Council, 516 Third Ave., Room 1200, Seattle, WA 98104; or call a councilmember at (206) 296-1000.

Heritage Park proposal

Duvall Mayor Will Ibershof welcomed the County Council members to “a slice of heaven,” saying the city would celebrate its 100th year in 2013. He said Duvall had 6,000 residents, the average person was in their 30s, and the average income was $99,170.

The mayor, City Council members, and a number of residents spoke passionately about a proposed zoning map change. The proposed change would add 40 acres of what is now King County rural land to the City of Duvall. The purpose of the proposal is to create a Heritage Park and commercial / light industrial development, which would extend the Safeway shopping center.

A Duvall Heritage Park has been a dream, 10 years in the making. Ray and Tove Burhen are offering the City of Duvall the land to build it. They have pledged significant financial resources to support yearly operation of the park and have a group who are willing to donate time, money and materials for future construction of out buildings to house antique equipment and tools.

The park will be a place where residents, students and visitors can come to learn about the history of Duvall and the Snoqualmie Valley, a history too rich to lose. At between 15 and 20 acres, the park would provide the region with active and passive uses, open space and trails. It would also offer an opportune location on which to relocate culturally significant old Duvall homes and barns, perhaps the 1904 Thayer barn, the Losleben barn and the Losleben home. The property already has a significant old house, an old barn, a shop and the existing Burhen home. The history of local farm families and loggers would be augmented with displays of implements and artifacts.

The Heritage Park could feature a working blacksmith shop, wool spinning, butter churning, cider making, logging and farm demonstrations. A historic home could be used as a museum, a retreat or meeting location, or a hands-on training center / bed and breakfast for students enrolled in a hospitality course at Lake Washington Technical College, which will be located within walking distance.

The Duvall City Council pressed the County Council to permit the Urban Growth Area expansion. Mayor Ibershof said the City of Duvall is on the threshold of big changes. This summer, it will make major improvements to its historic Main Street. (It will include underground utilities, add new sidewalks, tree grates, street lamps, small public spaces and public art, much of it paid for by grants.) It plans to have a new King County Library on the south side of town, as well as a branch campus of Lake Washington Technical College. But historic Duvall is the heart of Duvall.

“We need to protect our heritage,” said Ibershof.

Councilman Gérard Cattin said, “To accommodate the college, we had to cut into our business core.”

The college, the planned King County Library close by and the Heritage Park would create a synergy and provide additional educational opportunities for the community.

Councilwoman Anne Pennington said there were deficiencies in parks in the south part of town. The Ray Burhen land that is proposed to be incorporated into the City of Duvall could add 15 to 20 acres of open space. A heritage park would enhance the quality of life for citizens, signal the city’s past, and enhance its identity and town character.

“We have a valued history here,” said Pennington.

Councilman Glen Kuntz said, “We have the possibility of this beautiful park down there. We all wonder about what life must have been like in the late 1800s and early 1900s. We won’t have to wonder anymore. Ray and Tove Burhen are offering the city a once in a lifetime gift: The Duvall Heritage Park.”

Councilwoman Dianne Brundnicki said that Duvall was a city outside the main hub of urban development. It had no mall, no conference centers, no entertainment centers. Its mall is Main Street filled with real people with real passions, who care about history and culture. Its conference centers are homes and churches. Its entertainment is parks and open spaces.

“We define ourselves … by a key element,” she said. “Community, (that is) the core of who we are. … We value our past, present and future.”

Councilwoman Vicki Edwards said, “No other city is like Duvall. We desperately need to preserve our heritage. We don’t have a lot of land. We do have a lot of hills. Moving the Urban Growth Area boundary would allow us to have this (Heritage Park).

Connie Zimmerman, president of the Duvall Historical Society, supported the amendment to the Comprehensive Plan that would make Duvall Heritage Park possible. The park would provide a place to assemble historic buildings, artifacts and equipment that reflect the agricultural and logging history of the community. Ray and Tove Burhen, said Zimmerman, have recognized the importance of saving the stories of this community. It is their generosity that would make this park possible.

Ray Burhen said that he sincerely believed the park would benefit not only the City of Duvall, but also surrounding cities and King County as a whole.

Tove Burhen said creating a Heritage Park would be a time-consuming effort. She and her husband would enjoy doing it.

Only one person spoke against the proposal, Tim Troimovich, of Futurewise.

“We are very concerned with the expansion of the Urban Growth Area,” he said. “Adding another 15 acres of commercial land (to the city) is a bad idea. I urge you to oppose it. They can build a park if they want (without expanding the Urban Growth Area). A park is already a permitted use (in the rural area).”

Woodinville issues

Though the current King County Comprehensive Plan Update does not include a proposal to extend Willows Road from Northeast 124th Street to State Route 202 in Woodinville, Woodinville’s Deputy Mayor Bob Vogt told the King County Council members that the City of Woodinville supported such an extension.

The Woodinville Council understands that extending Willows Road would take close cooperation between the state, King County, Redmond and Woodinville. Vogt said that the city had great difficulty moving traffic in a north-south direction. It has supported the project since they heard about it.

“Woodinville has looked at this,” said Vogt. “We have a concept design of how the northern part will look.”

Councilwoman Liz Aspen said that the City of Woodinville supports rails and trails along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe corridor. Use of Diesel Multiple Units (self-propelled rail cars) would offer minimum environmental impact at minimum expense. She said that the city had a business owner who was willing to partner to build a train terminal. Aspen hopes the County Council will support maintaining rails along the line. Aspen also asked that the County Council not approve the proposed Comp Plan amendment to increase the size of the Rural Neighborhood zone at Cottage Lake. Increasing neighborhood business near Cottage Lake shopping center would increase traffic on the Woodinville-Duvall Road, a main thoroughfare for many Woodinville citizens, one that is already congested, she said.

“If (the Rural Neighborhood zone) changed, that will have an impact on our city,” said Aspen, adding that she hoped the county would one day widen Woodinville-Duvall Road.

Skykomish concerns

Four or five individuals from Skykomish attended the public hearing. Bill Ocheltree said that Skykomish needs an economic development plan. There were no jobs up there. He also said there was no Metro Transit service at all. People in Skykomish pay King County taxes. They should be getting some of these services.

“Pat Casey is 78,” said Ocheltree. “He needs a bus to get to Gold Bar, which is 23 miles away. At Gold Bar, he can catch a bus to go wherever he wants.”

Ocheltree owns Billboard Towing and would like to build a low-impact storage yard on his property. The county won’t work with him and he feel’s he’s being denied the right to compete with other towing companies.

“Were I able to compete,” he said, “I could provide five people with a decent living.”

Heidi Hahn said that she lived in the Skykomish area, “out in the sticks.” There are no services, very little economic opportunity, no bus service, and no drug enforcement.

“We’re having taxation without representation,” said Hahn. “Some of your ideas don’t suit our lifestyle.”