News
Truck hits Front Street I-90 overpass Page 3
Opinion
Reporter ISSAQUAH | SAMMAMISH
WWW.ISSAQUAHREPORTER.COM
Sammamish buys Mars Hill property for $6 M Council authorizes the purchase for 30,762 square-foot property for higher education purposes BY MEGAN CAMPBELL ISSAQUAH/SAMMAMISH REPORTER
Legislature missed an opportunity with vaccine exemptions Page 4
FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2015
Sammamish City Council unanimously approved a $6.1 million purchase of the abandoned Mars Hill Church at the Tuesday meeting, after spending more than an hour in executive session. The council authorized the purchase stipu-
lating it be used for higher education. The city already has a letter of interest from Cascadia College, Bellevue College and the Lake Washington Institute of Technology. The 22.4-acre property is located at 120 228th Ave. NE, surrounded by Eastlake High School, Eastside Catholic School and Skyline High School. The property was originally valued at $8.75 million and allows for 330 parking stalls. It also features a two-story building of 30,762 square feet that includes a full-sized basketball court. City manager Ben Yazici entered into property negotiations a month ago. “We have the resources,” Yazici said. “These
opportunities do not come very often.” Funds will come from the city’s reserves. No new taxes will be required. Per the agreement, the city will pay $150,000 in earnest money by March 20. There will be a 45-day feasibility period and an appraisal process before the Mars Hill purchase moves forward. The letter of interest from the colleges are non binding. Should they decide not to lease space from the city, Yazici is confident other educational entities would be interested in the space. SEE MARS HILL, 5
Bear-resistant bins a boon for Sammamish homeowners
Sports
BY MEGAN CAMPBELL ISSAQUAH/SAMMAMISH REPORTER
Twins to play football for Air Force Academy Page 13
Contact Us!
Main Desk (425) 391-0363 News......................ext. 3 Circulation..............ext. 6 Advertising.............ext. 2 Sales Manager.........ext. 4
Daniel Nash, Issaquah/Sammamish Reporter
Hiker Robb Mitchell of Sammamish walks past Tent City 4’s latest location off exit 20 of Interstate Highway 90.
Tent City 4 sets base on Tiger Mountain BY DANIEL NASH ISSAQUAH/SAMMAMISH REPORTER
@IssReporter
A roving homeless encampment has once again found itself at the center of controversy after a permitting dispute over a county-owned campground prompted residents to relocate, unpermitted, to state lands on the north side of Tiger Mountain, east of Issaquah. Tent City 4’s resident camp adviser and leadership for governing organiza-
tion SHARE/WHEEL, in statements to the Reporter and letters to state and county officials, have painted a picture of a county government that is wantonly deaf to the plight of its homeless. County officials and a contracted homelessness consultant tell a different story: One where SHARE/WHEEL is ignorant of government process at best and openly combative at worst. Tent City 4 is a nomadic commu-
nity that sets up on lands volunteered by their owners for 90 days at a time. Typically these lands belong to religious organizations but occasionally Tent City makes other arrangements, such as when its residents stayed in Lake Sammamish State Park last year. Tent City had most recently been camped on a private citizen’s property in unincorporated Bryn SEE TENT CITY, 5
Sammamish City Council agreed that residents should have the option for bearresistant garbage cans in its next solid waste contract. Now it’s a question of how much customers will have to pay for them. In a survey examining city service providers, one-third of Sammamish residents report animals get into their garbage. But the majority of those surveyed are unwilling to pay more for bearresistant cans, according to Elway Research Inc. The research company surveyed 458 residents by phone and online earlier this year to assess the public’s satisfaction with service providers. Bear-resistant bins are more expensive than normal ones. It takes longer to service bear-resistant bins because haulers must stop and individually unlock them. SEE BEAR BINS, 7
Discover premier retirement living at University House Issaquah Please call (425) 200-0331 to schedule a personal visit. 22975 SE Black Nugget Road, Issaquah, WA 98029
eraliving.com