Letter to the Editor: McClelland Responds to Salomon's Attack

To the editor:

I have always opposed BSRE’s attempt to tack an international resort onto a two-lane road at the expense of the Richmond Beach neighborhood and those beyond, including my own – Richmond Highlands.  My stance on the current proposal does not, in any way, conflict with my comments on the draft 2009 Point Wells Subarea Plan.

In December 2009 the Planning Commission held a public hearing on the draft Point Wells Subarea Plan. I was among four speakers (along with Caycee Holt, Jack Malek, and Don Ding) who commented on the draft.  Most of the discussion focused on ways the City of Shoreline would be able to mitigate traffic impacts.  I went to remind the commissioners that at one time a service road climbed from Point Wells to Woodway; in other words, in previous years there had been more than one way in and one way out of Point Wells.  I also went on to say, that in addition to limiting traffic through mitigation, the city should seek every type of mitigation possible to provide economic, recreational, and social facilities and amenities that would benefit the city.  I said then, and believe now, that whatever is developed on the site should be a welcome destination for Shoreline residents.

In fact, the adopted Point Wells Subarea Plan calls for a new subarea consistent with City objectives for economic development, housing choice, and waterfront public access and recreation.  “…this site has unparalleled opportunity for public access, environmental restoration, education and recreation oriented to Puget Sound”.  (Comprehensive Plan page 263; paragraph 2)

It is important to note that the subarea plan, environmental impact mitigation, and annexation remain three of our strongest legal tools to gain control over any proposed development at Point Wells.

The subarea plan was prepared following the April 2009 City Council Resolution 285 opposing the pending Snohomish County designation of Point Wells as an “Urban Center.”   The city stated in a letter to the Snohomish County Council its support for a mixed use development of a more reasonable scale and pointed out that the designation would be inconsistent with the Growth Management Act. (Comprehensive Plan, page 261)

Make no mistake: from the start, our officials and the community have opposed the inappropriate and out-of-scale project supported by Snohomish County.  

Rather than perpetuate an attempt to distort my comments on record, my opponent might take the time to read the city’s Point Wells Subarea Plan to understand the position taken by our city council and citizens.  I’ve been told he has lived in Shoreline fewer than two years.  By my calculation, that means he was probably unpacking when I was at the Planning Commission Public Hearing participating in the process to shape public policy.    

Robin McClelland

Richmond Highlands