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Latest Updates

10/12/22 City Council Mtg Oct 18th

10/21/19 CNW Endorsements

10/07/19 Meet the Candidates

05/09/14 CNW Celebrates Vote

03/17/14 Important City Council Vote

11/28/13 We're Thankful For

02/19/13 CNW News and Updates

01/29/13 CNW News and Updates

12/08/12 Montevallo Permit Application

09/05/12 Community Meeting 9/6

06/04/12 Updates on Important Topics

04/15/12 Protecting Our R1 Neighborhoods

04/02/12 You Make Difference!

02/28/12 Woodtrails Again!

Milestones

05/09/14 CNW Celebrates Vote

06/16/11 CNW Prevails!!

07/11/10 Supreme Court Will Review

01/04/10 The Journey Continues

04/05/09 Wood Trails/Montevallo Update

03/08/08 Another Victory Celebration

02/18/08 We Won - Part II

08/13/07 Victory is Ours!

Archives

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Frequently Asked Questions

About Wood Trails and Montevallo

Neighbors have asked lots of great questions about Wood Trails and Montevallo over the past few months. Here’s the scoop.

I’m new to the neighborhood. What are Wood Trails and Montevallo and what effect do they have on me?

In 2004, a developer submitted applications for two developments that they called “Wood Trails” and “Montevallo.” Wood Trails is at the western end of 195th, 198th, 201st, and 202nd. Montevallo is on the northwest corner of 156th and 202nd. The developer asked to build 66 houses on each site.

The Concerned Neighbors of Wellington fought these two developments primarily on the basis of traffic impacts and safety concerns; landslide, wetland, and storm water impacts; habitat degradation for threatened and endangered species; and inconsistency between the proposed developments and character of the existing neighborhood.

In short, we argued that the Wood Trails and Montevallo applications were not consistent with Woodinville’s codes, and that it was not in Woodinville’s best interests to approve them.

The City Council agreed with us. They voted unanimously to deny the Wood Trails and Montevallo applications.

I thought we were done when the City Council voted in our favor. Why are we not finished?

We were always pretty confident that, no matter which way the City Council voted, the other side would appeal and we would have to go to court. The way things turned out, the Council sided with us and it was the developer who appealed, but it still lands us in court.

Does this mean all our work until now has been a waste of time?

Absolutely not. The hearings in March and April were the ONLY time that information could be introduced into the record of testimony that can be used in the Superior Court case. No new information can be introduced now or in future hearings. All the work we did had to be done, and had to be submitted last spring.

What's the hearing about in February? What's a LUPA?

The hearing in February, in Superior Court in Seattle, is called a Land Use Petition Act (LUPA) appeal, and is simply the developer's appeal of the City Council's decision. It's the developer asking the courts to force Woodinville to grow where, when, and how the developer wants, instead of allowing Woodinville and its citizens to make those decisions.

Are we going to win?

If we’re well prepared for the hearings, our chances are excellent. Between the thousands of pages of documents we submitted last spring, your articulate testimony and powerful presence at the hearings, and the City Council’s strong deliberations and resolutions in our favor, we have a strong case. We just need to present it well.

I heard that the City of Woodinville will shoulder the legal and financial burden now. Why do we still need our own legal representation and the bills that go with it?

There are three reasons we should participate fully.

First, the City's level of commitment to the hearing will be decided behind closed doors. We don't know how vigorously they'll defend the neighborhood. The uncertainty is all the greater because of turnover in the City Council between August of 2007 and January of 2008.

Second, CNW is named as a defendant/respondent in the appeal, which is to our advantage because no settlement can be reached without our consent -- but if we don't participate we lose our standing in the settlement process.

Last but not least, it's our neighborhood. If we don't step up, we can't expect the City to.

What's our current debt, what expenses are coming up, and how soon do we need the money?

We need to pay off our existing debt of $14,000, or most of it, by January 7, or our attorney can’t start preparing for our February hearing. The hearing will cost roughly an additional $16,000. That means we need to raise $30,000, or at least have commitments, by the end of February.

Have CNW’s finances been managed responsibly?

Absolutely! Virtually all of your contributions for the last three years have gone to legal expenses. Our technical experts have donated thousands of hours of work worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and board members have almost always paid costs for printing and other related expenses out of their own pockets.

If I make a contribution, will I be legally or financially vulnerable if the court decides in the developer's favor?

Absolutely not. The Concerned Neighbors of Wellington is a non-profit corporation that was formed specifically to protect all of us from personal legal and financial liability in this fight. The only thing that could be seized by the developer is the balance in CNW's bank account.

Where can I learn more?

Check out the rest of our Web site or send us your question via our contact page.

I’m convinced! How can I make a donation?

Donate online via PayPal or mail your check to:

Donate Online!

CNW
PO Box 2968
Woodinville, WA 98072-2968