Greater Maple Valley Area Council hold monthly meeting

County Water Systems Policies

By Peter Rimbos, Corresponding Secretary

On Monday, July 6, the Area Council held its monthly meeting. Major topics included: Parks, Open Space, Natural Resources, and Services issues related to the 2016 major update to the King County Comprehensive Plan (KCCP).

King County Comprehensive Plan Update

The Area Council discussed its third major input for the 2016 Four-Year King County Comprehensive Plan (KCCP) Update. In May and June, respectively, the Area Council formally submitted Growth Management-related and Transportation-related Questions/Concerns/Recommendations to the King County Executive’s Office, which is preparing the KCCP Update’s Public Review Draft (PRD) for release for comment in October.

This month a set of Parks, Open Space, Natural Resources, and Services-related Questions/Concerns/Recommendations were discussed by the Area Council. Among many key policies addressed were: Notification distances for new development; Mapping of abandoned mine shafts; Trail access; Mapping of Transfer of Development Rights (TDRs) receiving sites; and Public water systems and private wells.

On private wells the Area Council agreed to submit the following question to the King County Executive’s Office: “What KCCP policies, King County Code provisions, and King County Development Regulations, including Department of Public Health Regulations, specifically address Rural Area private wells?”

In addition, the Area Council discussed a previously submitted recommendation concerning Policy T-224 (“In the Rural Area, the concurrency test may include a provision that allows the purchase of Transferable Development Rights (TDRs) in order to satisfy transportation concurrency requirements”). The Area Council agreed to recommend eliminating this policy, as TDRs should not be used to satisfy Concurrency testing anywhere within the Rural Area. The Area Council believes Concurrency is a tool used to ensure infrastructure keeps up with development and the use of TDRs to satisfy Concurrency testing does nothing to help reach that goal and, in fact, can hinder reaching that goal.

The Area Council approved set of Questions/Concerns/Recommendations related to all the above-mentioned policies will be submitted to the King County Executive’s Office for consideration of inclusion in the KCCP Update’s PRD.

Citizens can submit comments to: COMPPLAN@kingcounty.gov; follow the Update:

http://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/executive/psb/regional-planning/king-county-comprehensive-plan.aspx; and provide comments to the Area Council at its monthly meetings.

Next Area Council Meeting

The Area Council’s next monthly meeting will held Monday, August 3, from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the Fire Station on the southeast corner of the intersection of SE 231st St & SR-169. Meetings are held the first non-holiday Monday of each month.

Our invited guest will be John Taylor from the King County Department of Natural Resources & Parks who will discuss the King County Council’s recently approved “Rural Economic Strategies.”

A Public Comment period at the beginning of each meeting provides an opportunity to voice issues of concern to Area Council members and government officials in attendance.

Your Area Council serves as an all-volunteer, locally elected advisory body to King County on behalf of all rural unincorporated area residents living in the Tahoma School District. Please visit: www.greatermaplevalleyareacouncil.org.

*** NOTE: Three positions are open on the 16-member Area Council. If you live in the Tahoma School District outside the City of Maple Valley (see Service Area Map on our web site), you are invited to apply to become a member. Interested citizens can send a brief letter of interest to GMVUAC, P. O. Box 111, Maple Valley, WA 98038 or an e-mail to gmvac_chair@hotmail.com or attend a monthly meeting to express your interest. ***