The old Sunset Materials/King County Shops site was designated as Industrial, if it remained in its present use (landscape materials handling). It is contrary to the King County Comprehensive Plan to allow a parcel of land among other parcels that does not match the land use (“spot zoning”), except in certain circumstances where the public wants it, like a water park. During a KC Council meeting ~2008, the site was changed from the zoning RA-5 (rural residential) to Industrial, with the caveat. However, now KC is going to allow a hot-mix asphalt and recycled asphalt product (RAP) processing plant here.
A building on the site was a designated KC Landmark, but with one employee’s signature, that was rendered moot and Lakeside Industries could demolish the building in 2018. https://www.historylink.org/File/2393
The parcel sits ~200 feet from the high water mark of the Cedar River, which is a salmonid spawning river, including for the endangered Chinook salmon. Sockeye runs this year were at a 40-year low and there’s not much hope for the future. The Cedar River, and this parcel of land are part of the watershed that provides 60% of Seattle’s (south of Shoreline) drinking water. https://www.myballard.com/…/lowest-sockeye-salmon…/
The site is also on top of an old coal mine (“Indian Mine” or “New Black Diamond Mine,” where uncounted tons of coal were mined, and whose structural stability is questionable and unknown. https://voiceofthevalley.com/…/acific-coast-coal…/
The site is a known seismic risk, landslide hazard, has three streams, four designated wetlands, and because the parcel is ~25 acres, it is home to a wide variety of animal life throughout the year: Columbian black-tailed deer, Bald eagle, Red-tailed hawk, Chestnut-backed chickadee, North American barn owl, Barred owl, Cooper’s Hawk, Sharp-shinned hawk, Stellar’s Jay, Black-capped chickadee, Common raven, Dark-eyed Junco, Douglas’ Squirrel, American beaver, and so many more.
The company has numerous complaints with the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) and the Department of Ecology. If fined, the company pays it and moves on, business as usual. They had a few code complaints since they took over the property.
This has more years of data: https://wdfw.wa.gov/fis…/reports/counts/lake-washington…
What good are jobs when the water is destroyed by pollution from a hot-mix asphalt and recycled asphalt product (RAP) processing plant there, with ground water 6″ from the surface in some places? The Cedar River, and this Lakeside Industries property are part of the watershed that provides 70% of Seattle’s (south of Shoreline) drinking water: the Cedar River Watershed. The company already has numerous complaints with the Dept. of Ecology and Puget Sound Clean Air Alliance (PSCAA). And DOE checks minimal things about the water (four, to be exact) to be tested, on an infrequent basis. Jobs are not a panacea. http://www.seattle.gov/…/our…/cedar-river-watershed
Note: written December, 2019, but links verified working 7 January, 2021.
Thank you for writing this summary. It will be a tragedy if the Asphalt Plant is built
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