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• Letter to members 07/24/07

SAVE THE DATE-August 6

CNW Public Hearing with City Council

Dear Woodinville Neighbor,

It's finally here!! Our "date" with the City Council starts at 6pm on August 6 for the proposed Wood Trails and Montevallo developments. It's true-what the developer thought would be a 90-day, quick-and-easy, rubber-stamp process, has now gone on for over 3 years due to the assertive stance that you've taken to protect our wetlands, our neighborhood character, and to fight against the cumulative and secondary impacts to the entire R-1 zoned area (600 homes total) that will occur if these two developments are granted.

ACTION-PLEASE Plan to Attend the August 6 Closed-Record Hearing
In all the 4 years of various meetings to which we've pleaded with neighbors to attend, THIS ONE is the big one. While three meeting dates were set by the City Council on July 16, only the first date is guaranteed at this point. The City Council has the legal, binding authority to vote on four issues with regard to these proposed developments:

1. Issue of whether the developer's request to increase the density of housing for Montevallo from 1 house per acre (R-1) to 4 houses per acre (R-4) is granted or denied.
2. Issue of whether the proposed development (the layout of the houses themselves) for Montevallo is granted or denied.
3. Issue of whether the developer's request to increase the density of housing for Wood Trails from 1 house per acre (R-1) to 4 houses per acre (R-4) is granted or denied.
4. Issue of whether the proposed development (the layout of the houses themselves) for Wood Trails is granted or denied.

REMEMBER:

• The builder does NOT have permission to break ground and they HAVE NOT been granted the right to do anything yet. Only the City Council can make this decision and their decision-making process will begin on August 6 at 6pm. While additional potential hearing dates for August 13 and 14 have been set, there is no guarantee the City will need to hold these meetings-your attendance on August 6 is very important.
• IF you spoke at any of the April or May hearings or you delivered a letter to the Hearing Examiner during those hearings, you have the legal right to SPEAK AGAIN at the August 6 hearing. We encourage you to do so---remember that while you may be tired of saying "the same thing" over and over again, this is the first time the City Council will have been allowed to hear any citizen comments on these developments in the 3 years that they've been going on. The City Council has been legally barred from discussing the issue or having any knowledge of the details of the issue or how they feel about it due to the quasi-judicial nature of the topic (the fact that they have to vote on the 4 topics above).
• City Council needs to understand that HUNDREDS of Woodinville area citizens continue to be keenly interested in the outcome of the City Council's vote. We've worked hard for over 3 years to hold our stand and fight off the builder---please show up and show your support.
• The Hearing may last for more than one meeting-this is a good thing---every delay prevents the builder from breaking ground and every delay to the process is a good thing.

More Key Victories for CNW!!

• The process of "re-engineering the city" took another step in the forward direction this past week. If you watch the July 16 City Council hearing (either on TV channel 21 or online ) or if you attended the meeting in person, you'll notice that the city's legal counsel has changed. This is another victory for CNW and we celebrate the fact that neutral, experienced personnel continue to be added to the city staff. Conversely, folks whose interests were clearly on the side of rapid, unmonitored development with no regard for individual citizen's concerns continue to need to find employment outside the city of Woodinville. We're very pleased to see this further evidence of change and are very glad to have played a part in bringing about this change.
• The closed-record hearings which begin on August 6 will now accept testimony from other interested citizen parties. Until Monday, July 16, it was the intent of the city legal counsel to only allow testimony from CNW's attorney-Richard Aramburu-and the developer's attorney. However, during Monday's City Council meeting, the Council wisely determined that other Woodinville citizens have a right to have their views heard as well!! We continue to be grateful for strong voices on the City Council who listen to citizens and who are willing to speak up in support of those citizens.

Why Is This Taking So Long?

The process of government is counter-intuitive to most Americans' desire for "instant gratification". In this particular case, "dragging out" the process for as long as we possibly can is a good thing-every delay is a good thing. Why? Because every day that the developer is not allowed to build R-6.25-density housing is another day they have to pay the mortgage on the land with no means of incoming revenue to offset those expenses. And while the CNW core team time is strictly on a volunteer basis, the developer is paying "expert witnesses" to show up, testify, write documents, etc. in response to the 1200 pages of written material that CNW has entered into the public record so far.

Remember that CNW is not against development-we are only against development that is more dense than the one-house-per-acre (R-1) zoning that is currently allowed in the 600 or so houses that are impacted by the decisions the City Council will make. As the enclosed flyer clearly depicts, in order to build densities of R-4, R-6.25 (density proposed in Montevallo, for example) or R-8, the developer typically "clear cuts" the entire block of land---almost every tree goes down. And the critters who made their homes in those trees or rested under them or foraged in them frequently die in the process. By the way, so do the wetlands and Wood Trails and Montevallo have some of the most beautiful wetlands in them today that exist in this area. Not to mention the impact of over-zealous development on the salmon who live in Little Bear Creek...

So, even though we may be impatient for "the answer" as to if the developer will get to build or not get to build, we have to remember that any and every delay is a good thing and takes us one step closer to prevailing!!

Are You Registered to Vote Yet? Your Kids?

We encourage EVERYONE to register to vote so that your voice can be heard. You and CNW can influence the election and the stance that the City takes on development issues. One of your and CNW's major accomplishments has been to alter the City's understanding of the GMA process and willingness to protect the neighborhoods. Only persons living within the Woodinville City limits may vote for Woodinville City Council members, although there are other county and state issues on the ballot as well.

Which City of Woodinville Council Candidates Support CNW's Efforts?

At the last all-CNW meeting, many citizens asked CNW who was running for City Council that definitely supported our cause. For your convenience, a list of candidates who support CNW has been posted to the CNW web site

CNW Needs Your Support!

• Can you knock on doors and distribute our latest flyer (enclosed for your convenience) to your neighbors, encouraging them to attend the August 6 Hearing? New neighbors may have moved in who don't know the potential impact of these decisions. Can you help spread the word? Print out and bring to the neighborhood BBQ, the day care center, post near your mailboxes, or email to folks who live in the greater Woodinville area. You'll need Adobe Acrobat reader, which can be downloaded free of charge at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html, to view this file.
• Can you send in a check today to support our legal costs? Our legal costs are higher now than in any time the past 4 years and we expect to incur significant costs in August due to the number of hours of City Council meetings that CNW's lawyer will need to attend. If you've given before, we appreciate your support and we'd ask you to consider writing another check, for any amount. Many folks realize that if approved, this development may certainly force us to swallow $15,000 to $20,000 sewer hook-up fees so helping CNW prevail may actually save you $$ as well as save our peaceful neighborhoods.

If you are willing to contribute to our efforts, please fill out the online form at http://www.wellington-neighborhood.org/ContactUs.shtml and we'll be sure to contact you. You may also use this form to send in your pledge for financial support in order to help us cover necessary legal expenses.

We appreciate your continued support! Together, we are a strong adversary and our strength as a community organization continues to gather more members!! Thank you for helping to ensure your neighbors are also informed.

Sincerely,

Your CNW Team

www.Wellington-Neighborhood.org

Please Send Your Contribution Today!

Please write your check payable to "CNW" and mail to:
Concerned Neighbors of Wellington
PO Box 2968
Woodinville, WA 98072-2968

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