Covington/Maple Valley Reporter, June 13, 2014

Page 1

REPORTER

COVINGTON | MAPLE VALLEY | BLACK DIAMOND

NEWSLINE 425-432-1209

LOCAL | Few bright spots amid city’s bleak financial future [page 3]

A Big Hit | Maple Valley’s Kaiea Higa will compete in the MLB’s Pitch, Hit & Run FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014 Team Championship at Safeco Field [9]

A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING

Supreme Court upholds YarrowBay’s plans BY DENNIS BOX Editor

The state Supreme Court has denied a petition for review from Toward Responsible Development of the Court of Appeals decision upholding developer YarrowBay’s plans for two master planned developments in Black Diamond. The Supreme Court denied the petition and awarded court costs to YarrowBay June 3.

Former Mayor Becky OlOlness took considerable ness was mayor during the criticism during the 2012 hearings and approval of mayoral race because of the permits for the two master YarrowBay developments. planned developments, She lost her bid for a Lawson Hills and second term to Mayor The Villages. Dave Gordon. Olness said of Gordon did not BLACK the ruling, “Once return a call requestDIAMOND again the courts ing a comment on the have upheld that decision by the press the city did it right. deadline. We did everything accordBob Edelman, president ing to the law. This proves of Toward Responsible what we have been saying Development, wrote in all along.” an email concerning the

ruling, “We are, of course, disappointed but it was not unexpected. The Supreme Court grants review to very few petitioners and ours didn’t make the cut. The court never gives a reason. We will continue to monitor YarrowBay very closely to ensure that they meet the conditions of their permits. Also, part of the lower court’s decision that still stands is that a supplemental EIS is expected for later phases of the project.

That will address some of the public’s concerns since that gives the city the ability to impose additional mitigation measures where needed.” Edelman said he will need to discuss the issue of court costs with his attorney, David Bricklin. Concerning an appeal of the development agreement of the projects, Edelman said, “We will be withdrawing our appeal of the DA (development agreements)

since it was contingent on a favorable decision on the underlying MPD (master planned developments) and EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) appeal.” Edelman’s wife, Janie Edelman, is a member Black Diamond City Council. The Court of Appeals panel of judges, C. Kenneth Grosse, Ronald E. Cox and James Verellen, ruled [ more COURT page 2 ]

Local Relay for Life raises more than $84,000 Changes

continue to roll in the Donut Hole

BY ERIC MANDEL emandel@covingtonreporter.com

It took just one year of Relay for Life to hook the Leverton family. In support of Marty Leverton, a Renton police officer who was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer in July of 2012, Marty’s wife, Jennifer, and two children helped take this year’s local cause to new places. Close to 1,000 people attended the Relay for Life of Black Diamond, Covington and Maple Valley at the Tahoma High School on June 7th and 8th, according to Jennifer Leverton, co-chair of the event. A total of 54 teams with 414 registered participants lined the track to “celebrate, remember and fight back against cancer.” Sixty survivors registered and walked the opening survivor lap. The Relay missed its goal of raising $100,000 but collected more than $84,000 for the American Cancer Society. “I’m exhausted but it went really well,” Jennifer Leverton said. After first taking part in the event in 2013, Jennifer said last year’s organizers saw how much passion and support she brought to the event and gave her increased responsibility. “I was very surprised,” Jennifer said. “Last year being our first year, Team Marty grew so big… we had 52 people my first year… It was fun for me and something to do and get my mind off what [ more RELAY page 6 ]

BY KATHERINE SMITH ksmith@maplevalleyreporter.com

Christine Sizemore, a junior at Tahoma High School, walks during the Relay for Life of Black Diamond, Covington and Maple Valley event at Tahoma High School on Saturday and Sunday. The event raised more than $84,000. DENNIS BOX, The Reporter

The county will begin closing its Roads Maintenance Facility located at Summit Place, also known as the Donut Hole, this year. The city and the county are in the final phases of completing the annexation of the Donut Hole property — which is currently part of unincorporated King County — into MAPLE the city of Maple VALLEY Valley. “It’s been sort of an ongoing saga since I was first elected to council nine years ago,” King County Councilman Reagan Dunn said of the Donut Hole. The Donut Hole is 54 acres of unincorporated land within the urban growth boundary off Kent-Kangley Road Southeast and Southeast 228th Street that is home to nine holes of Elk Run Golf Course, a stand of trees and the county’s 13-acre roads maintenance facility. The county is the owner of the property. The county and the Tahoma [ more CHANGES page 6 ]


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