snovalleystar080212

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Your locally-owned newspaper, serving North Bend and Snoqualmie, Washington

August 2, 2012 VOL. 4, NO. 31

The future of grocery shopping Page 6

Aggressive drivers ticketed on Snoqualmie Parkway By Michele Mihalovich

Unsung singer Local man updates story of composer/musician Steve Goodman. Page 2

Got shots? Snoqualmie Valley hospital offers free vaccinations. Page 3

Help the homeless Local group supports those in need. Page 6

By Michele Mihalovich

Snoqualmie Police Officer Nigel Draveling points his radar gun at possible speeders cresting the hill at Snoqualmie Parkway just before the Interstate 90 exit. Police set up a traffic emphasis for speeders and tailgaters July 25-26.

Personal victory Swimmer takes home top honors in the pool. Page 8

Fore! Caitlin Maralack takes second in state. Page 8

Police blotter

Page 10 Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Kent, WA Permit No. 71 POSTAL CUSTOMER

For some, the morning commute out of Snoqualmie was an even bigger drag than normal. The Snoqualmie Police Department heard from multiple citizens about the dangerous driving conditions on Snoqualmie Parkway as folks waited in line to get onto the westbound ramp of Interstate 90. After checking out complaints about speeding drivers and “line cutters,” officer Nigel Draveling decided a bit of enforcement and education was in order. He explained that sometimes at least 50 vehicles would be lined up in the right-hand lane, waiting to get onto the interstate. In the other lane, vehicles would race over the hill at 50 mph or more, when the speed limit is 30 mph, and then force their way into the lane at the bottom of the hill, jockeying for a better position to the interstate ramp. Draveling said the aggressive See STING, Page 2

Affordable housing project is on hold Dignitaries dig in dirt By Michele Mihalovich

A proposed affordable housing project in Snoqualmie Ridge will not go in front of the City Council again until early 2013. A Kirkland organization proposed an affordable, rental housing project to the City Council on June 11, and asked the city to waive property taxes for 12 years, but neighbors were not sold on the idea. Imagine Housing wants to build 160 apartment units on a 12-acre property that snuggles up to mid-sized Craftsman-style homes in the upscale neighborhood of Eagle Pointe. “There are a number of issues between Imagine Housing and the city that needs to be resolved,” Snoqualmie City Administrator Bob Larson said in a recent phone interview. He said the biggest factor is actually the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital’s new facility that’s being constructed near the proposed housing complex. “That project will be install-

ing sewer lines and drinking water pipe to that area,” Larson said. “The housing project really can’t go forward without those services … Imagine was hoping to get started this year, but obviously, it will have to wait until sometime next year.” But Ann Levine, executive director of Imagine Housing, said the response from the community who had turned out for the City Council meeting has a lot to do with the delay. “We have received a lot of input from the community regarding our proposed affordable housing community. We are going back to our design team to explore ways that we can improve our design concepts based upon the community members’ input,” she said. “We also want to conduct more analysis into the various impacts that community members have raised questions about. This is a complex endeavor with lots of alternatives and considerations to evaluate,” Levine said, adding that after the re-design effort,

Imagine will hold community meetings for further input. “Following this outreach, we would anticipate filing our formal application to the city for review. The first part of 2013 is a reasonable estimate for this process.” The residents who spoke out against the project June 11 said they had concerns about the tax break the city was considering. Imagine is asking for an exemption on the property taxes for the new buildings, expected to range from $765,000 to $890,000 in the 12-year period. Property taxes would still have to be paid for the land itself, and the city expects about $3,000 annually at the current levy rate of $2.73 per $1,000 of assessed value, according to documents provided by the city. Levine told the Star that the multifamily tax exemption is an important tool for local governments that the state Legislature provided to cities to facilitate affordable

See HOUSING, Page 3

Groundbreaking is held for North Bend’s new fire station By Michele Mihalovich A contractor’s bulldozer officially broke ground for North Bend’s new fire station July 11, but that did not dampen the spirits of dignitaries who showed up for the ceremonial digging of dirt July 25. “This is huge,” North Bend City Councilman Alan Gothelf said. “It’s been a long time in coming, but I’m glad we finally broke ground.” North Bend Mayor Ken Hearing went so far as to describe the groundbreaking as a “landmark in the history of North Bend, in particular, the successful collaboration with so many different entities.” See FIRE, Page 3


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snovalleystar080212 by The Issaquah Press - Issuu