WEBVTT
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print of this building is way too big. It is like when I
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glued it into that spot. It’s bigger than the other warehouses around.
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There is no reason except for everybody wants their stuff
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sent to their house within a day that we were building a that large of a warehouse in the backyards of an overbuilding burden community.
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who has air quality issues, noise issues that have not even been addressed whatsoever through the studies that have been done by this. This study, this
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is too early to permit
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This is not ready to be permitted. We do not have all the information we need to make sure that people’s lives, their health, their property values, all kinds of things
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are addressed
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through this project. So thank you very much. Thank you.
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Next on the list, I have Kathy McDon.
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One more time. You can proceed your story. I’m Kath McDonald, and not a witness now. I’m a resident. And I basically, I have an engineering degree and I have been a leader in technology since the early 80s.
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And I know any sound decision requires data.
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The applicant and the city haven’t gathered the full data set thoroughly to analyze this decision. I think it’s premature to
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you know grant permitting at this time.
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Talking to many people over the summer, I have not found one that thinks this is a good idea.
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We’re already living among noise and pollutants caused by the airport and removing our protective tree canopy is jeopardizing our personal health
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in our environment. I also learned that all the health through this, I’ve learned how bad it is where I’m living. I did not know that, how bad it was to live under the airport. And I have concerns about that. And I’ve spoke to my husband about that.
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Sometimes knowledge is scary.
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Living on the flight path. I’m getting port package windows to block the noise is not enough when you know all these pollutants are coming down now.
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I grow a big garden and I’m eating the vegetables in there. Now I’m concerned, is that even healthy?
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There’s no benefit to the citizens of Des Moines for this development.
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It’s only negative impact.
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If the project goes forward.
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Then the airport is in a land grab.
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They’ve already gotten 135 acres just
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Next to this development. And now you’re adding 30 more.
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They also proposed they’re going for more around score. They have a lot of land earmarked right now that is forested land.
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I own a property over by where they’re
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They’re building the other warehouses where 509 is. And I’ve seen the whole woods behind my property go down.
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The port has plans for both 509 and all these warehouses to really increase and speed up the logistics.
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of the airport to cram in more flights. What does more flights mean? More flights means more pollutants.
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And I have a concern about that so please
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I propose deny this permit until more data can be thoroughly analyzed. Thank you. Thank you for being here.
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Next, I have Len.
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Sorry if I’m saying this wrong. Sykes.
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Oh, okay. Okay. Great.
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Carolyn Decker.
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Okay, thank you. Shelly
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Wagner, Wenger?
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Okay, thank you. Rick Harwood.
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Let me get you sworn in. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth in the testimony you give here today? I do.
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Thank you. My name is Rick Harwood.
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I’m also a retired educator who worked in the Highline School District for 10 years.
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From 2005 to 2015, I was principal at
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one of the small schools in the tiny high school campus during that time.
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And became very closely connected with the residents
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students and their families who live
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who attended my school and live in the
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in the community that’s directly impacted by the airport
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And not just…
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Well, they’re impacted in
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In terms of health conditions, ability to learn.
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ability to breathe fresh air and recreate in
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healthy and and healthy and
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safe environments.
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And have been ever since retirement.
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continuing to work as a member of the Rotary Club of SeaTacuila and as a member of
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Defenders of Highline Forest to
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try to continue to preserve and protect the natural environment.
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We did a lot of work.
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lobbying the port commission and
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lobbying Congressman Smith to change the FAA authorization.
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Act to include the ability for local airports to
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provide to transfer property or sell property at below market rate, which is now the current law under the recently passed FAA Authorization Act.
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So that North SeaTac Park could be preserved as an environmentally sound
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area to recreate and also for tree canopy
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and water resources like the bog that’s tub lake
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And we feel like this development here will have the same potentially negative impact
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on the community if it’s allowed to be developed for more warehouses
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and destroy the natural environment and take down 500 trees and
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detract from the tree canopy. This area is
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that surrounds the airport has a 27 percent
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tree canopy cover that’s the lowest tree canopy in any region in the state of Washington.
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And so what’s here, what currently exists
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needs to be preserved and enhanced.
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not destroyed just for the sake of building another cargo warehouse. When there are cargo warehouses right on that same property that have vacant space.
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that could be used to to
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for business development and economic development without building another warehouse, without just cutting down more trees and taking away areas that
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The immediate neighborhood recreates and uses has been have been described by the people who testified earlier today.
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So I strongly encourage at least delaying until an environmental impact statement can be can be done that really adequately assesses the impact
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of this development on the health
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and environment of the community. Thank you. Thank you for being here.
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I have Aram Falsafi.
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I’m saying that correct.
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Yeah, that’s fine. I’m just going to go down the list and just let me know if you want to provide comments or not. Thank you.
02:12:27.000 –> 02:12:29.000
Patty Clayton.
02:12:29.000 –> 02:12:32.000
Thank you for being here today.
02:12:32.000 –> 02:12:34.000
Mike.
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Pekowitz?
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Was I even close there?
02:12:39.000 –> 02:12:42.000
Piasky. Thank you.
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I will be asking you to spell your name for the record.
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Can you please raise your right hand? Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth and testimony you give here today?
02:12:54.000 –> 02:13:00.000
Yes, sir. Thank you. And can you please spell your name for the record? Michael, M-I-C-H-A-E-L.
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Last name Pioski, P as in Paul, I-E-C-H-O-W-S-K-I.
02:13:06.000 –> 02:13:10.000
Thank you.
02:13:10.000 –> 02:13:12.000
I’m a…
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the hydrogeologist for Water District 54. I’ve also worked with a number of the other water districts in the area and
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One of the things I saw that was somewhat lacking
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in the work I’ve reviewed to date on this project is any mention of the fact that 50% of this property is covered.
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by wellhead protection areas.
02:13:31.000 –> 02:13:34.000
So wellhead protection areas are there to
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protect the groundwater
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from impacts because it’s easier to keep the water clean than it is to try to clean it up.
02:13:43.000 –> 02:13:52.000
So the fact that neither Water District 54 nor Highline Water District’s Wallhead protection areas were given any consideration is kind of interesting.
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well-hit protection continues on beyond development.
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property use would also be something
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that would have to be considered within a wellhead protection.
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They’ve mentioned machining.
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Well, machine shops use cutting fluids and lubricants that may contain
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substances that would degrade groundwater if it were released into the environment.
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So that’d be a concern. It’s just the kind of land use that we’re talking about and future use of the facility
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These are concerns that
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Water District 54 would like to see at least consider
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It might be a big non-issue. Maybe things can be handled through
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operational controls and operational controls
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institutional controls and proper implementation and operation of the facility. We don’t know. We haven’t been engaged.
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So I just wanted to come today and
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point that out and offer my expertise.
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as one of the guys that draws the wellhead protection areas
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to add to the dialogue if it’s necessary.
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Thank you for being here.
02:14:59.000 –> 02:15:02.000
Lloyd Little?
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Thank you, Your Honor. Thank you. You’re still under oath.
02:15:04.000 –> 02:15:09.000
Thank you. Thank you, Your Honor. I would like to testify on how
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The current development is a direct violation of Des Moines Comprehensive plan.
02:15:14.000 –> 02:15:16.000
Okay, number of areas.
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The first one I’ll just read.
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LU1.6, preserve open spaces where appropriate to
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protect environmentally critical areas and shorelines.
02:15:28.000 –> 02:15:31.000
protect endangered and threatened species.
02:15:31.000 –> 02:15:34.000
provide visual separation between different lands
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land uses, neighborhoods and city boundaries.
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and moderate the environmental and visual impacts of the new development.
02:15:40.000 –> 02:15:46.000
And Ms. King, may I go back to my slides real quick? To the very end, there’s um
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to I have the actual printout from the Des Moines Stormwater comprehensive Plan I’d like to show. That’s fine if we can keep it till the three minutes. Absolutely. Thank you, Your Honor.
02:15:57.000 –> 02:15:59.000
And while Ms. Keen is pulling that up.
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I’m connecting this to how the development of Pat
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impacts um
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potential overflows into the
02:16:08.000 –> 02:16:15.000
Des Moines Creek, which is a salmon bearing creek in which orca depend on the southern resident orcas which swim right
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next to our marina here.
02:16:19.000 –> 02:16:21.000
their main diet is salmon. And so if you
02:16:21.000 –> 02:16:26.000
degrade the salmon. You’re going to threaten endangered species.
02:16:26.000 –> 02:16:30.000
which we have that they lost two calves in the last year
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Okay, may you keep going, please, Ms. King? It’s stored at the very end.
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Let’s see if we can keep going.
02:16:37.000 –> 02:16:42.000
it’ll say Des Moines um
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It’s right after the riparian.
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Oh, here we go. So 2021 mid-plan update.
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One low impact development code, permittees shall continue to require
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lid principles and BMPs when updating, revising, and developing
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the local codes, et cetera.
02:16:58.000 –> 02:17:02.000
And I believe this is definitely a high impact development
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It’s clear that you’re replacing wetlands, you’re taking out trees, you’re potentially
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degrading a salmon bearing creek, so very high impact indeed.
02:17:09.000 –> 02:17:11.000
Next slide, please, Ms.
02:17:11.000 –> 02:17:20.000
comprehensive stormwater planning requires update and create land use planning and development policies that address receiving water needs, including
02:17:20.000 –> 02:17:22.000
policy and regulations.
02:17:22.000 –> 02:17:27.000
must consider land use and how the landscape is developed at a scale broader
02:17:27.000 –> 02:17:30.000
And I want to emphasize the term broader
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than individual site, which is the current development.
02:17:33.000 –> 02:17:40.000
and subdivision projects. So the city of Des Moines requires that we look at the surrounding area.
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And second, look for opportunities to integrate land use planning.
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Moving forward to proactively integrate stormwater management and water resource protection
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into growth management and land use planning. And growth management goes back to washington state
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guidelines and laws so
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This is my proof and evidence.
02:18:00.000 –> 02:18:04.000
that the surrounding area must be considered.
02:18:04.000 –> 02:18:08.000
And in addition to Mr. Pyotsky’s comments.
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I believe the current new wetlands retaining pond they want to
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develop. They want to go even deeper. So they’re really going to have to destroy that land and go deep.
02:18:18.000 –> 02:18:21.000
And that could get into those
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drinking water.
02:18:23.000 –> 02:18:25.000
areas because you’re going to have to
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get way in there and then you have this
02:18:28.000 –> 02:18:30.000
huge parking lot warehouse area
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where the pollutants are going to concentrate in their area
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And that can affect the groundwater too. So you’re affecting humans too.
02:18:37.000 –> 02:18:39.000
And so for these reasons.
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I believe there are four or five good reasons that this permit
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should be denied at this point. There should be an EIS.
02:18:45.000 –> 02:18:50.000
And further mitigation or maybe just
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kept as is. Thank you. Would you like your slide presentation admitted as an exhibit for
02:18:57.000 –> 02:18:59.000
this portion of this portion
02:18:59.000 –> 02:19:04.000
Yes, Your Honor. Is that something you can forward to the office when you have it?
02:19:04.000 –> 02:19:08.000
Thank you. And I don’t, our designations are a little strange, but I’ll designate it something.
02:19:08.000 –> 02:19:13.000
Oh, thank you for being here. Appreciate it.
02:19:13.000 –> 02:19:19.000
JC Harris.
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Left, okay.
02:19:23.000 –> 02:19:25.000
Barbara McMichael.
02:19:25.000 –> 02:19:30.000
She left too. Okay. Richard Burley.
02:19:30.000 –> 02:19:37.000
Thank you for being here today. Linda McKill.
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And Ms. Russo, would you like to provide comments?
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Let me get you sworn in.
02:19:49.000 –> 02:19:52.000
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth when the testimony you give here today?
02:19:52.000 –> 02:19:56.000
I do. Thank you.
02:19:56.000 –> 02:19:58.000
Okay, so let me transition from
02:19:58.000 –> 02:20:02.000
everything I was doing to this as a citizen.
02:20:02.000 –> 02:20:05.000
I’m asking in my
02:20:05.000 –> 02:20:08.000
Heart of hearts at this point.
02:20:08.000 –> 02:20:11.000
that you really hear us as a city
02:20:11.000 –> 02:20:17.000
The city wants us to start gaining their trust as citizens and their loyalty
02:20:17.000 –> 02:20:23.000
I know this is you as this, but I’m also kind of referring to the city as well if possible.
02:20:23.000 –> 02:20:28.000
Please hear us. Listen to us crying out.
02:20:28.000 –> 02:20:35.000
We are wishing that you would stop the destruction and the breaking down of our green space, our wetlands, and the trees.
02:20:35.000 –> 02:20:37.000
realize that the extra noise pollution
02:20:37.000 –> 02:20:42.000
the air pollution and the wetland pollution is going to be big.
02:20:42.000 –> 02:20:47.000
the pollutions are going to affect us as a community, and that is why we are here.
02:20:47.000 –> 02:20:49.000
The city has asked citizens in a survey
02:20:49.000 –> 02:20:54.000
what they wanted. The number one was preserving our green space.
02:20:54.000 –> 02:20:56.000
That is why we are here.
02:20:56.000 –> 02:20:59.000
The SEPA codes are not fully correct.
02:20:59.000 –> 02:21:01.000
As we have pointed out.
02:21:01.000 –> 02:21:04.000
Excuse me.
02:21:04.000 –> 02:21:09.000
And did they miss the extinct wildlife that we have in there? Did they miss
02:21:09.000 –> 02:21:20.000
the salmon, you know, just a few things. I am asking that you hear us, that as a community we are saying
02:21:20.000 –> 02:21:23.000
give us our green space and preserve it.
02:21:23.000 –> 02:21:31.000
you want to hear us, please do. Listen to the actions that the 9999 petition signs that we got.
02:21:31.000 –> 02:21:34.000
We’re done. And please give us more time.
02:21:34.000 –> 02:21:36.000
give us the EIS.
02:21:36.000 –> 02:21:39.000
give us what we are asking.
02:21:39.000 –> 02:21:42.000
as a citizen.
02:21:42.000 –> 02:21:44.000
tearing apart this trail
02:21:44.000 –> 02:21:48.000
is a big thing for us. It gives us that peace.
02:21:48.000 –> 02:21:52.000
it gives us that
02:21:52.000 –> 02:21:57.000
Like they said, I live directly across from what will be a warehouse possibly.
02:21:57.000 –> 02:22:00.000
and seeing the planes within a rock drill.
02:22:00.000 –> 02:22:03.000
of my apartment door.
02:22:03.000 –> 02:22:06.000
and not having those trees to help
02:22:06.000 –> 02:22:11.000
keep the noise and the pollutions down are going to affect us.
02:22:11.000 –> 02:22:14.000
Please hear us.
02:22:14.000 –> 02:22:24.000
I understand that you’re going to look at the laws and you’re going to do all that and all of this, but please hear us as citizens as well.
02:22:24.000 –> 02:22:27.000
We’re asking that you deny this permit today.
02:22:27.000 –> 02:22:34.000
And hear us as citizens. Thank you. Thank you.
02:22:34.000 –> 02:22:37.000
Eileen.
02:22:37.000 –> 02:22:44.000
Sorry, I can’t read it.
02:22:44.000 –> 02:22:50.000
you want me to come back to you. I’m going to get through everyone in the room and then I’ll circle back.
02:22:50.000 –> 02:22:57.000
Nancy Kaur.
02:22:57.000 –> 02:23:00.000
Linda Hope.
02:23:00.000 –> 02:23:06.000
Holcomb?
02:23:06.000 –> 02:23:11.000
Claire Parfitz.
02:23:11.000 –> 02:23:13.000
Let me go ahead and get you sworn in.
02:23:13.000 –> 02:23:17.000
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth in the testimony you give here today?
02:23:17.000 –> 02:23:20.000
I do. And can you just please spell your name for the record?
02:23:20.000 –> 02:23:23.000
C-L-A-R-E.
02:23:23.000 –> 02:23:25.000
P-A-R.
02:23:25.000 –> 02:23:28.000
F-I-T-T.
02:23:28.000 –> 02:23:31.000
Thank you.
02:23:31.000 –> 02:23:35.000
I am an almost 20-year resident of Des Moines.
02:23:35.000 –> 02:23:43.000
avid hiker, biker on the trails. I use the trails several times a week. I actually even ski on them when we have snow.
02:23:43.000 –> 02:23:46.000
I’m an avid
02:23:46.000 –> 02:23:51.000
Mountaineer, hiker. I’m the environment is my passion, and I believe it’s our
02:23:51.000 –> 02:23:53.000
It’s our duty as citizens
02:23:53.000 –> 02:23:59.000
In this era of climate change to preserve remaining green space when it doesn’t have to be developed.
02:23:59.000 –> 02:24:04.000
I think this warehouse, just the very idea of this warehouse in this location
02:24:04.000 –> 02:24:08.000
is morally reprehensible and we have a duty
02:24:08.000 –> 02:24:12.000
as stewards of the environment, the city, the port.
02:24:12.000 –> 02:24:16.000
has a duty to listen to citizens of Des Moines that are going to be impacted by this.
02:24:16.000 –> 02:24:19.000
We have a duty, they have a duty to
02:24:19.000 –> 02:24:23.000
preserve green space when it’s appropriate.
02:24:23.000 –> 02:24:26.000
The scale of this project is absolutely
02:24:26.000 –> 02:24:30.000
monstrous 403,000 square feet
02:24:30.000 –> 02:24:34.000
400 parking spaces, 68 trailer parking spaces.
02:24:34.000 –> 02:24:38.000
an estimated 838 trips a day
02:24:38.000 –> 02:24:41.000
with trucks and traffic.
02:24:41.000 –> 02:24:46.000
with the accompanying exponential increase in pollution and noise.
02:24:46.000 –> 02:24:52.000
The city did a terrible job of informing residents about this development.
02:24:52.000 –> 02:24:58.000
And the city needs to listen to us and provide more transparency, more communication.
02:24:58.000 –> 02:25:06.000
I’m also a local business owner and I was a volunteer among the core group of
02:25:06.000 –> 02:25:09.000
people who spoke at the hearing
02:25:09.000 –> 02:25:18.000
who collectively spent hundreds and hundreds of volunteer hours and many late nights to fight this development.
02:25:18.000 –> 02:25:23.000
I compiled the 300-page evidence document
02:25:23.000 –> 02:25:26.000
Including having an all-nighter
02:25:26.000 –> 02:25:30.000
hundreds of documents I compiled with all the studies and
02:25:30.000 –> 02:25:33.000
letters and environmental studies so i’m
02:25:33.000 –> 02:25:36.000
fairly well versed in the issues involved.
02:25:36.000 –> 02:25:43.000
First of all, the city only sent notices to 220 residents.
02:25:43.000 –> 02:25:48.000
They didn’t even send notices to people on 14th Avenue South that are directly
02:25:48.000 –> 02:25:52.000
very close to the proposed development.
02:25:52.000 –> 02:25:59.000
The city has a population as of 2022 of 32,480 people.
02:25:59.000 –> 02:26:02.000
Many of those people use the trail
02:26:02.000 –> 02:26:10.000
And appreciate the green space, want to have a high quality of life in this community, much more than the 220 people that were contacted.
02:26:10.000 –> 02:26:13.000
As mentioned, the signage
02:26:13.000 –> 02:26:19.000
was only placed 2 16th. There was no signage about the project on the 15th Avenue South Trail.
02:26:19.000 –> 02:26:26.000
or the Martins Creek Trail, nor the trailhead at the Des Moines Beach Park.
02:26:26.000 –> 02:26:32.000
These residents were contacted, 220 were mailed to given notices. They were given
02:26:32.000 –> 02:26:42.000
an appalling three days notice to attend a virtual hearing, which is not sufficiently adequate, respectful of engaging the citizens in this town.
02:26:42.000 –> 02:26:45.000
The poor, unfortunate people
02:26:45.000 –> 02:26:51.000
need to be respected who live on 15th Avenue South. They will have dramatically lowered property values.
02:26:51.000 –> 02:26:54.000
They have…
02:26:54.000 –> 02:27:01.000
green space in their backyard, including one gentleman who moved here specifically in July of this year
02:27:01.000 –> 02:27:04.000
from Linwood because he wanted to
02:27:04.000 –> 02:27:09.000
have a green space in his backyard. He was not aware whatsoever of this proposed warehouse.
02:27:09.000 –> 02:27:14.000
So he’s stunned and shocked and appalled that this is happening.
02:27:14.000 –> 02:27:20.000
There’s no plan to compensate the residents on 15th Avenue South.
02:27:20.000 –> 02:27:26.000
who will have now dramatically lowered lowered home values.
02:27:26.000 –> 02:27:32.000
The city of Des Moines was listed as an overburdened community by the state with associated
02:27:32.000 –> 02:27:37.000
air pollution, as we’ve been mentioned, level 9 or 10, the highest in the state.
02:27:37.000 –> 02:27:39.000
excessive noise.
02:27:39.000 –> 02:27:45.000
Extreme air pollution has been linked to much higher rates of cancer.
02:27:45.000 –> 02:27:48.000
Asthma, especially in children and
02:27:48.000 –> 02:27:56.000
the elderly, as we saw through Barbara McMichael’s impassioned testimony, she has cancer she said.
02:27:56.000 –> 02:28:00.000
one street from her. Everybody has cancer. We can’t neglect
02:28:00.000 –> 02:28:03.000
the issue of air pollution which is not
02:28:03.000 –> 02:28:07.000
sufficiently address that whatsoever in this mitigation
02:28:07.000 –> 02:28:09.000
the
02:28:09.000 –> 02:28:14.000
Applicant is proposing wetlands mitigation, which
02:28:14.000 –> 02:28:27.000
has not been approved by the Department of State Department of Ecology. It’s still viewed as conceptual. The Department of Ecology has said that their mitigation plan may differ in potentially substantive ways
02:28:27.000 –> 02:28:31.000
from the developers mitigation plan.
02:28:31.000 –> 02:28:33.000
the
02:28:33.000 –> 02:28:40.000
Des Moines Creek has also listed as a state as a terrestrial habitats and green space corridor.
02:28:40.000 –> 02:28:43.000
I would like to read a section from
02:28:43.000 –> 02:28:46.000
the Des Moines Municipal Code.
02:28:46.000 –> 02:28:50.000
16.05.310 the city
02:28:50.000 –> 02:28:58.000
shall use all practical means to A1, fulfill the responsibilities of each generation as trustee of the environment
02:28:58.000 –> 02:29:01.000
for succeeding generations and A2.
02:29:01.000 –> 02:29:04.000
assure for all people of the state health
02:29:04.000 –> 02:29:09.000
the state safe, healthful, productive, and aesthetically and cultural pleasing surroundings
02:29:09.000 –> 02:29:17.000
And A3, attain the widest range of beneficial uses of the environment without degradation.
02:29:17.000 –> 02:29:22.000
risk to health or safety or other undesirable and unintended consequences.
02:29:22.000 –> 02:29:29.000
E, it is the city’s policy to protect its residents and businesses from the long-term consequences
02:29:29.000 –> 02:29:35.000
of successive incremental negative environmental impacts associated with a specific proposal or its
02:29:35.000 –> 02:29:43.000
connected actions. Accordingly, the city may condition or deny proposals in order to mitigate or prevent such long-term impacts.
02:29:43.000 –> 02:29:46.000
We’ve clearly shown that long-term impacts
02:29:46.000 –> 02:29:50.000
include extreme pollution to air pollution
02:29:50.000 –> 02:29:56.000
exposure to airplane pollution and noise, which there’s no mitigation for this.
02:29:56.000 –> 02:30:04.000
F, unusual circumstances related to a site or proposal and significant adverse environmental impacts.
02:30:04.000 –> 02:30:10.000
not capable of adequate mitigation may be cause of denial for a proposal.
02:30:10.000 –> 02:30:13.000
the state HEAL Act, short for
02:30:13.000 –> 02:30:17.000
healthy environment for all actors
02:30:17.000 –> 02:30:20.000
developed in 2021 states the law
02:30:20.000 –> 02:30:27.000
requires state agencies to address environmental health disparities and overburden communities and for vulnerable populations.
02:30:27.000 –> 02:30:30.000
As I mentioned before, Des Moines is listed
02:30:30.000 –> 02:30:33.000
by the state as an overburdened community.
02:30:33.000 –> 02:30:53.000
We must make sure no community is overburdened by environmental pollution and that we strive to eliminate environmental and health disparities. There’s an obvious disparity in health outcomes for people that live under the flight path in this overburdened city of Des Moines. Health disparity and respiratory illnesses, cancer, asthma, etc.
02:30:53.000 –> 02:30:59.000
and noise. The SEPA policy or state environmental policy act
02:30:59.000 –> 02:31:09.000
Because each generation is a trustee of the environment for succeeding generations. It is a continuing responsibility of the state to carry out that principle.
02:31:09.000 –> 02:31:19.000
I’d like to point out an issue about the… I’m giving you, we’re moving along pretty good, so I’m giving you a little extra time, but I just want to get an idea. I just have one more point away. Great. Thank you.
02:31:19.000 –> 02:31:21.000
Okay, so as I mentioned, the
02:31:21.000 –> 02:31:27.000
applicant has a mitigation plan for the wetlands. There’s no mitigation plan.
02:31:27.000 –> 02:31:31.000
to allow for the destruction of the 500 trees.
02:31:31.000 –> 02:31:36.000
And the associated increase in air pollution and noise.
02:31:36.000 –> 02:31:43.000
the applicant has maintained that the trees will be replaced at a four to one ratio
02:31:43.000 –> 02:31:52.000
However, if you looked at the current business park, it’s plainly obviously that there’s not four times the number of trees planted in that location.
02:31:52.000 –> 02:31:58.000
So if these trees are planted, replanted, where are they planted? Is that anywhere in the state or in the city?
02:31:58.000 –> 02:32:05.000
And if they’re planted elsewhere, anywhere in the state, that does not allow sufficient mitigation for the air pollution and noise
02:32:05.000 –> 02:32:18.000
And I’d like to see some data or documentation of the actual tree replacement policy that the port has actually instituted the four to one tree replacement policy in other locations.
02:32:18.000 –> 02:32:22.000
That’s all I have to say. Thank you for being here.
02:32:22.000 –> 02:32:34.000
Nicole Malik.
02:32:34.000 –> 02:32:38.000
Just went in. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth in the testimony of your day today?
02:32:38.000 –> 02:32:42.000
Yes. Thank you. And can you please spell your name for the record?
02:32:42.000 –> 02:32:47.000
N-I-C-O-L-E-M-A-L-I-K.
02:32:47.000 –> 02:32:50.000
I didn’t know what I was coming to today.
02:32:50.000 –> 02:32:54.000
I am a homeowner on 15th Avenue South.
02:32:54.000 –> 02:32:59.000
So I’m directly affected by it.
02:32:59.000 –> 02:33:02.000
backyard is my sanctuary.
02:33:02.000 –> 02:33:04.000
I sit in the backyard.
02:33:04.000 –> 02:33:07.000
feed the birds um
02:33:07.000 –> 02:33:10.000
And woodpeckers.
02:33:10.000 –> 02:33:13.000
Northern flickers, owls.
02:33:13.000 –> 02:33:16.000
have come into the yard. I have five grandchildren.
02:33:16.000 –> 02:33:21.000
that I’ve taught them the species of birds.
02:33:21.000 –> 02:33:26.000
And when they come over the backyards also, we have a playground, trampoline
02:33:26.000 –> 02:33:30.000
We do little nature hunts in the backyard so
02:33:30.000 –> 02:33:33.000
warehouse going up.
02:33:33.000 –> 02:33:37.000
will not be it.
02:33:37.000 –> 02:33:41.000
fun visual to look at and destroy
02:33:41.000 –> 02:33:44.000
what natural
02:33:44.000 –> 02:33:48.000
trees and plants are back there and replacing them with
02:33:48.000 –> 02:33:51.000
nurse we bought trees and planted.
02:33:51.000 –> 02:33:53.000
Also, I’m…
02:33:53.000 –> 02:33:56.000
worried about what the runoff would be
02:33:56.000 –> 02:34:01.000
into my backyard. It is at a slope and then it levels out
02:34:01.000 –> 02:34:03.000
So I don’t know what water
02:34:03.000 –> 02:34:05.000
would come off during heavy storms or rain.
02:34:05.000 –> 02:34:11.000
would come into my yard, erode it, possibly flood the house.
02:34:11.000 –> 02:34:18.000
Thank you. Very nervous. Thank you for being here.
02:34:18.000 –> 02:34:22.000
Oh boy, I’m going to butcher this. Catherine
02:34:22.000 –> 02:34:25.000
Baroshka.
02:34:25.000 –> 02:34:30.000
Oh, really? Did you want to provide comments today?
02:34:30.000 –> 02:34:35.000
We’ll need you to come up here so we can get you on the recording.
02:34:35.000 –> 02:34:38.000
Okay, thank you for being here.
02:34:38.000 –> 02:34:48.000
Andrea O’Farrell.
02:34:48.000 –> 02:34:52.000
Let’s get you sworn in. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth in the testimony you give here today?
02:34:52.000 –> 02:34:58.000
Thank you. And can you please spell your name for the recording? A-N-D-R-E-A.
02:34:58.000 –> 02:35:03.000
overall O apostrophe F-E-R-R-A-L-L.
02:35:03.000 –> 02:35:09.000
Thank you. I’m going to speak on
02:35:09.000 –> 02:35:12.000
thinking globally and acting locally?
02:35:12.000 –> 02:35:15.000
My general mood these days
02:35:15.000 –> 02:35:19.000
Swings from hope to sorrow and back to hope.
02:35:19.000 –> 02:35:22.000
As I see neighbors and activists here to defend the land.
02:35:22.000 –> 02:35:24.000
a wetland.
02:35:24.000 –> 02:35:31.000
Sorrow creeps in as I see that we as a people no longer hold life sacred.
02:35:31.000 –> 02:35:33.000
Globally, extreme weather.
02:35:33.000 –> 02:35:37.000
and flooding are causing death and destruction in Florida.
02:35:37.000 –> 02:35:41.000
Southern Appalachia, Acapulco, and so on.
02:35:41.000 –> 02:35:44.000
No one is safe from the impacts of carbon pollution.
02:35:44.000 –> 02:35:48.000
We are failing to see the interconnectedness of the web of life.
02:35:48.000 –> 02:35:51.000
The havoc that consumerism is causing
02:35:51.000 –> 02:35:55.000
And the death sentence of unbridled capitalism.
02:35:55.000 –> 02:35:59.000
When I was young, we chased lightning bugs across the yard.
02:35:59.000 –> 02:36:06.000
at dusk. We have lost 75% of the global insect population in the last 50 years.
02:36:06.000 –> 02:36:08.000
My generation’s grandchildren
02:36:08.000 –> 02:36:10.000
will likely not even know.
02:36:10.000 –> 02:36:12.000
what a lightning bug is.
02:36:12.000 –> 02:36:15.000
Yet they will not grieve their absence.
02:36:15.000 –> 02:36:19.000
Generational drift is the term for the phenomena.
02:36:19.000 –> 02:36:29.000
As global changes in the world around us occur over time, they go unnoticed by individuals within a generation because they are so accustomed to the new normal.
02:36:29.000 –> 02:36:32.000
While the older generation perceives the lost.
02:36:32.000 –> 02:36:39.000
Perhaps this is why the loss of life due to endless growth doesn’t feel real to so many.
02:36:39.000 –> 02:36:42.000
You cannot miss what you never knew.
02:36:42.000 –> 02:36:44.000
You didn’t.
02:36:44.000 –> 02:36:49.000
You cannot be alarmed at patterns you have experienced as normal.
02:36:49.000 –> 02:36:54.000
I am disheartened and grieving, yet I prefer that over numb or unaware.
02:36:54.000 –> 02:37:02.000
I still believe we can change our trajectory and build a just and abundant world beyond the climate and ecological crisis.
02:37:02.000 –> 02:37:07.000
So here I am to ask Beg that you look beyond the short-term profit
02:37:07.000 –> 02:37:10.000
it makes no sense to move a thriving wetland
02:37:10.000 –> 02:37:12.000
for more warehouse space.
02:37:12.000 –> 02:37:19.000
We can continue with the capitalist profit model that devours the land and water we depend on to live healthy lives.
02:37:19.000 –> 02:37:23.000
So I obviously support an EIS.
02:37:23.000 –> 02:37:26.000
Thank you for being here.
02:37:26.000 –> 02:37:28.000
Then I believe it’s
02:37:28.000 –> 02:37:34.000
Tracy Buxton.
02:37:34.000 –> 02:37:41.000
Is there anyone in the room that wants to provide comments that I haven’t called?
02:37:41.000 –> 02:37:43.000
We can get back to you, Eileen, if you
02:37:43.000 –> 02:37:56.000
I don’t see anybody else.
02:37:56.000 –> 02:38:01.000
get you sworn in. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth in the testimony you give here today?
02:38:01.000 –> 02:38:12.000
Yes, I do. And can you just go ahead and spell your name for the record? Eileen Lambert, E-I-L-E-E-N, last name L-A-M-B-E-R-T.
02:38:12.000 –> 02:38:20.000
Thank you. Hello, my name is Eileen. I’m a Des Moines citizen, resident, community builder
02:38:20.000 –> 02:38:23.000
Also avid
02:38:23.000 –> 02:38:33.000
I lead a birding group here called Des Moines Birders, and I’m also in the process of being hired to lead nature-based programming here in the city of Des Moines.
02:38:33.000 –> 02:38:40.000
Of which I consider some of the best outdoor classroom possible. We live in a very
02:38:40.000 –> 02:38:55.000
beautiful, green, diverse area where we have streams, green spaces. We have the Puget Sound. We have all these beautiful habitats that are just ripe for bringing the community to learn more about them. So again, I’ve been
02:38:55.000 –> 02:39:02.000
in talks with the City of Des Moines Parks and Rec to start leading nature-based programming, of which I’m looking at areas such as the Des Moines Creek
02:39:02.000 –> 02:39:08.000
such as these beautiful green spaces, such as these forests, these salmon bearing creeks, which I have personally seen salmon
02:39:08.000 –> 02:39:16.000
spawning down and going to the Puget Sound. I have seen orca wells from the Puget Sound near Des Moines.
02:39:16.000 –> 02:39:27.000
And I’m coming here today also speaking as a member of the Latinx community, which we have heard a bit about some of these impacted communities.
02:39:27.000 –> 02:39:29.000
the underrepresented communities
02:39:29.000 –> 02:39:43.000
who we are heavily burdened living here. I graduated from the Highline School District, Highline High School, as well as Highline College, and I’ve spent years living in this area now wondering about my life expectancy being
02:39:43.000 –> 02:39:50.000
decreased because of all of this air pollution, all of the air quality, the sound issues, which they’ve been finding studies
02:39:50.000 –> 02:39:57.000
that are tied to our educational outcomes as well as students because of all the airplane noise.
02:39:57.000 –> 02:40:04.000
I’m speaking here as a naturalist. I’m speaking here as a community builder who is
02:40:04.000 –> 02:40:16.000
leading communities that want to be more connected to nature, that want to yield the mental health benefits that being in uninterrupted, undeveloped green spaces provide. There’s so much
02:40:16.000 –> 02:40:22.000
so much scientific data there. National Health Institute data that I’ve been researching about the
02:40:22.000 –> 02:40:25.000
the very close
02:40:25.000 –> 02:40:31.000
evidence to support that our mental health actually is increased and has
02:40:31.000 –> 02:40:42.000
significant benefits by being out in nature, which you’ve heard many of our residents here speak to, the joy, the peace.
02:40:42.000 –> 02:40:55.000
all of those health benefits that we derive from being in these uninterrupted green spaces are trails that are more undeveloped trails, not paid trails.
02:40:55.000 –> 02:40:58.000
as they were in natural parkland setting
02:40:58.000 –> 02:41:05.000
I am worried as a resident who also lives in Des Moines that is literally under the flight path about
02:41:05.000 –> 02:41:13.000
my health outcomes as well as those who cannot be here to speak for themselves because English is not their first language, such as the Latinx communities.
02:41:13.000 –> 02:41:18.000
Such as those communities that were impacted, those that live within that 300
02:41:18.000 –> 02:41:22.000
square foot zone around the proposed development.
02:41:22.000 –> 02:41:31.000
that they did not receive communication in a language that they could actually understand because none of the notices were in fact translated into Spanish.
02:41:31.000 –> 02:41:38.000
myself personally, I translated notices into Spanish to actually get the word out to those communities.
02:41:38.000 –> 02:41:49.000
Because they’re being left out. They’re historically marginalized and they are not being part of this conversation that very much significantly impacts their life and their livelihoods.
02:41:49.000 –> 02:42:00.000
I also, Mayor Buxton is not in the room right now, but I was actually a guest at the South Sound Mayor’s Forum on September 25th.
02:42:00.000 –> 02:42:07.000
As a guest of Highline College, where I’m an alumni, because they recognize myself as a Latinx leader and community builder, I was invited to be their
02:42:07.000 –> 02:42:11.000
There are special guest who’s a sponsor of that event.
02:42:11.000 –> 02:42:17.000
And I will say I was absolutely appalled when I saw Mayor Buxton’s presentation.
02:42:17.000 –> 02:42:22.000
Speaking to the City of Des Moines accomplishments and what the plans are for the future.
02:42:22.000 –> 02:42:31.000
Because it was very strongly highlighted this actual Des Moines Creek West development was one of those noted accomplishments of what we are working on.
02:42:31.000 –> 02:42:40.000
for the future as if it was a foregone conclusion, as if there wasn’t appeal already scheduled on October 18th, that it was a done deal.
02:42:40.000 –> 02:42:48.000
And it literally made me so sick to my stomach sitting there. And that recording of that meeting is actually coming out today and I will be receiving a recording of that.
02:42:48.000 –> 02:42:52.000
I think it was very disingenuous for her to present it
02:42:52.000 –> 02:42:56.000
as if it was a foregone conclusion that this development was approved.
02:42:56.000 –> 02:43:02.000
And I feel that approving this permit today would have so many detrimental
02:43:02.000 –> 02:43:11.000
negative outcomes for not just the citizens, not just for the wildlife, which I really haven’t had a chance to talk about, but I’m very passionate about, but
02:43:11.000 –> 02:43:15.000
For our long-term health outcomes, for our life expectancy.
02:43:15.000 –> 02:43:18.000
for our peace of mind, for our mental health.
02:43:18.000 –> 02:43:25.000
for all of the people that have not just sat in this room that are attending on Zoom, that have written letters that we’ve received
02:43:25.000 –> 02:43:29.000
petition support from all around the world, in fact.
02:43:29.000 –> 02:43:31.000
But the fact that
02:43:31.000 –> 02:43:43.000
there is so much disingenuousness that this is like a done deal already that why are we even here today if the mayor is already portraying it to the whole entire, all of the mayors to to
02:43:43.000 –> 02:43:53.000
to Burien, to SeaTac, to Tukwila, that this is our shining example of economic prosperity that we’re going to be signing off on this deal because we need the money.
02:43:53.000 –> 02:44:04.000
let alone and not even taking into consideration that we have a whole public appeal that the citizens actually fundraise. We crowdsource $900 to be here today
02:44:04.000 –> 02:44:08.000
to file the appeal, I personally authored the appeal letter.
02:44:08.000 –> 02:44:15.000
I was very involved in that because I have a communications background. I also was a leader in the corporate tech world for 10 years.
02:44:15.000 –> 02:44:23.000
And I could not let that stand without adding my voice to this. So I stand here today as a citizen, as a naturalist.
02:44:23.000 –> 02:44:30.000
as an educator, a community builder who has actually been invited to some of these very prestigious events in the community.
02:44:30.000 –> 02:44:40.000
And just on Wednesday, two days ago, I actually spoke to a virtual global community of 10,000 about tree equity as a Latinx woman who actually runs a climate meetup.
02:44:40.000 –> 02:44:49.000
I spoke to 10,000 people about tree equity and I didn’t necessarily reference the entirety of this project, but I did say I have working knowledge and that
02:44:49.000 –> 02:44:56.000
that trees are being cut down in my city and that is a tree equity issue because our tree canopy is only 29%.
02:44:56.000 –> 02:45:04.000
Whereas the standard for healthy urban forest canopy is 40%. We’re well below that.
02:45:04.000 –> 02:45:16.000
And also earlier this week, I spoke to forterra, who had a long relationship with the city of Des Moines, with the Green City Partnership. That partnership has since ceased because they’ve discontinued the Green Cities program
02:45:16.000 –> 02:45:20.000
So basically, there’s no one managing our urban forest right now, and we’re losing canopy
02:45:20.000 –> 02:45:24.000
And planting brand new trees that take 20 years to mature
02:45:24.000 –> 02:45:35.000
That means they’re 20 years of no urban forest canopy and our health is being degraded on a daily basis. The air quality, the carbon sequestration.
02:45:35.000 –> 02:45:37.000
the oxygen that those trees that those
02:45:37.000 –> 02:45:45.000
mature trees provide, we’re losing all of that for 20 years. What are we going to do in that time? We’re losing access to our trails for who knows how long.
02:45:45.000 –> 02:45:56.000
we’re losing continuity. We’re losing a community gathering space. We all have made friends. We’ve all built community around these trails, around these green spaces.
02:45:56.000 –> 02:46:09.000
I know families are using it. I know the elderly are using it. I know people, everyone of all kinds are using that. It’s a community gathering space that brings diverse communities together and we’re going to lose that the way it is today.
02:46:09.000 –> 02:46:13.000
Thank you so much. Thank you for being here.
02:46:13.000 –> 02:46:22.000
Just want to check again with the room if there’s anyone that I didn’t call that wants to provide any comments.
02:46:22.000 –> 02:46:25.000
You get one shot at that.
02:46:25.000 –> 02:46:29.000
Do we have people attending via
02:46:29.000 –> 02:46:36.000
Can you just give me an, I don’t know if everyone wants to provide comments, how many attendees do we have?
02:46:36.000 –> 02:46:45.000
There’s 20 altogether.
02:46:45.000 –> 02:46:50.000
Okay, well, let’s do this. Is there like a raise hand function?
02:46:50.000 –> 02:46:55.000
So for anyone that’s viewing this via Zoom, if you could
02:46:55.000 –> 02:47:17.000
utilize the raise hand function and we’ll get to you one at a time.
02:47:17.000 –> 02:47:24.000
we can just, I’ll allow you to just bring up anyone that’s holding the number.
02:47:24.000 –> 02:47:52.000
And will I be able to see them on the screen?
02:47:52.000 –> 02:47:56.000
What’s the name? If Laura can turn on your video.
02:47:56.000 –> 02:47:59.000
And you may need to unmute yourself as well.
02:47:59.000 –> 02:48:01.000
Okay.
02:48:01.000 –> 02:48:02.000
Okay.
02:48:02.000 –> 02:48:03.000
Great. Well, I can trust
02:48:03.000 –> 02:48:05.000
Hi, everybody.
02:48:05.000 –> 02:48:07.000
I can trust, I can’t see you.
02:48:07.000 –> 02:48:11.000
But I can trust that you will raise your right hand.
02:48:11.000 –> 02:48:15.000
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth in the testimony you give here today?
02:48:15.000 –> 02:48:16.000
I do.
02:48:16.000 –> 02:48:18.000
Thank you.
02:48:18.000 –> 02:48:21.000
And can you go ahead and state and spell your name for the record?
02:48:21.000 –> 02:48:28.000
Laura Hardima, L-A-U-R-A, Hartima, H-A-R-T-E-M-A.
02:48:28.000 –> 02:48:29.000
Great. You can go ahead and provide it.
02:48:29.000 –> 02:48:38.000
Your Honor, I prepared a slideshow, so I’m hoping that they can post that and that I’m able to see it as they move through the slides or should I share my screen?
02:48:38.000 –> 02:48:41.000
I don’t know if you have that. Okay.
02:48:41.000 –> 02:48:46.000
And then, yeah, I’m going to allow you to do that. But if you could please try to limit it to around three minutes.
02:48:46.000 –> 02:48:49.000
I’ll try.
02:48:49.000 –> 02:48:51.000
I’ll talk really fast.
02:48:51.000 –> 02:48:55.000
Okay, everybody, my name is Laura Hardima. I’ve been a, should I go?
02:48:55.000 –> 02:48:56.000
Go for it. Yeah. You’re on.
02:48:56.000 –> 02:49:04.000
Okay. I’ve been a Des Moines resident since 1996, and I’ve been leading the Friends of Des Moines Creek community group since 99.
02:49:04.000 –> 02:49:17.000
And I’m an ecologist and my job is to design, build, construct, and monitor restoration projects. So this is near and dear to my heart. Des Moines Creek is my backyard.
02:49:17.000 –> 02:49:27.000
I will move on with try to keep it focused here, but on this first slide, I’m just showing you, this is the project area and I’m going to whip through next slide.
02:49:27.000 –> 02:49:32.000
So this is the master plan and like i’m
02:49:32.000 –> 02:49:42.000
These are kind of all the actions, big manipulation of the site, of the groundwater, of their stormwater treatment. There’s a huge detention pond. There’s underground facilities, there’s
02:49:42.000 –> 02:49:45.000
complete and partial filling of wetland streams, ravines
02:49:45.000 –> 02:49:52.000
the redirecting flows and French drains and pipes, they’re altering wetlands and their buffers. They’re removing over 500 trees.
02:49:52.000 –> 02:50:01.000
And these trees are not just crappy old trees. Some of them are considered landmark trees. They’re over 25 inches. Some are over five feet.
02:50:01.000 –> 02:50:04.000
in diameter where you can’t even hug them, they’re so big.
02:50:04.000 –> 02:50:11.000
This proposal is over 30 acres total of disturbance
02:50:11.000 –> 02:50:20.000
There’s been no mention of any arsenic in the soils. There’s obvious arsenic in these soils. I don’t know how that would be remediated.
02:50:20.000 –> 02:50:24.000
No information. There’s huge impacts to the neighborhood.
02:50:24.000 –> 02:50:33.000
and to the neighbors, I feel sorry for the people that have to live next door to this at this monstrosity happens. And then just the decrease
02:50:33.000 –> 02:50:38.000
property values with the removal of this green space for not only
02:50:38.000 –> 02:50:41.000
the adjacent properties, but all of the properties.
02:50:41.000 –> 02:50:46.000
So all this to me indicates that we need more
02:50:46.000 –> 02:50:49.000
environmental review, such as an EIS.
02:50:49.000 –> 02:50:53.000
Next slide. And I have a lot to say, so I’m going to go fast.
02:50:53.000 –> 02:51:04.000
People keep saying, oh, this is, you know, it’s a crappy, crappy trees. There’s not that many trees. It’s not, you know, they’re residential. Well, look at this aerial, 1936 to 2023.
02:51:04.000 –> 02:51:07.000
it pretty much remains unchanged.
02:51:07.000 –> 02:51:14.000
Except the trees are a lot bigger and there’s more of them. So next slide.
02:51:14.000 –> 02:51:22.000
Someone else showed this slide earlier. In the last 10 years, all these lots here with the big X’s over them used to be forested space.
02:51:22.000 –> 02:51:32.000
It has now been reduced to a bunch of detention ponds for stormwater and impervious service in huge, ugly buildings that nobody wants.
02:51:32.000 –> 02:51:40.000
So there’s been no commute, the cumulative effects of all these developments have not been shared.
02:51:40.000 –> 02:51:42.000
And how that impacts
02:51:42.000 –> 02:51:46.000
the project and environmental
02:51:46.000 –> 02:51:53.000
critical areas. Next slide.
02:51:53.000 –> 02:52:01.000
Yeah, so this just shows that the north part of this project is in a landslide and severe erosion. This is an active ravine.
02:52:01.000 –> 02:52:08.000
Most of Des Moines Creek in the upper region is very steep and at high risk and
02:52:08.000 –> 02:52:13.000
there’s just a development just upstream that causes a huge slough.
02:52:13.000 –> 02:52:19.000
Not probably within the last two years or so so this um
02:52:19.000 –> 02:52:21.000
is likely to happen.
02:52:21.000 –> 02:52:24.000
Next slide.
02:52:24.000 –> 02:52:33.000
So I want to know that the scale of this project as some other people have mentioned, this is five times the size of the Safeway lot. And if you drive down the road.
02:52:33.000 –> 02:52:38.000
You see the OR, the Oregon Research, the building that holds organ research
02:52:38.000 –> 02:52:42.000
I can’t point to it, but it’s right next, it’s just west of the safe way
02:52:42.000 –> 02:52:47.000
This is going to be one and a half times the size of that organ research housed building.
02:52:47.000 –> 02:52:50.000
It’s ridiculous. It has no place in our
02:52:50.000 –> 02:53:02.000
neighborhood. And these parcels were not always business parking. They were residentially zoned and they just recently converted to business per next slide
02:53:02.000 –> 02:53:09.000
I can’t explain enough how important this corridor is and how this
02:53:09.000 –> 02:53:11.000
building bisects
02:53:11.000 –> 02:53:13.000
fragments divides
02:53:13.000 –> 02:53:17.000
This one last corridor
02:53:17.000 –> 02:53:23.000
And critical areas. It links Des Moines Creek from Puget Sound to Des Moines Creek
02:53:23.000 –> 02:53:26.000
to Barnes Creek in the white area
02:53:26.000 –> 02:53:29.000
that divides, that goes south
02:53:29.000 –> 02:53:31.000
And then all the way to to um
02:53:31.000 –> 02:53:35.000
Massey Creek. They have fish
02:53:35.000 –> 02:53:42.000
They’re very important and it’s a migration route and it’s our life and it’s our air
02:53:42.000 –> 02:53:44.000
air quality and this um
02:53:44.000 –> 02:53:51.000
This property also matters because it’s a corridor on 216th between the post office, between our retirement homes.
02:53:51.000 –> 02:53:53.000
between the parks
02:53:53.000 –> 02:53:55.000
the community centers.
02:53:55.000 –> 02:54:03.000
and the library. And it’s just going to be this big building that has no place. It needs to not be there.
02:54:03.000 –> 02:54:05.000
Okay, so this code is essentially
02:54:05.000 –> 02:54:08.000
I don’t want to cut you off i just uh
02:54:08.000 –> 02:54:11.000
I want to make sure we get to all the people who want to comment today.
02:54:11.000 –> 02:54:14.000
Oh, great. Okay. Next slide.
02:54:14.000 –> 02:54:16.000
approximately how many slides left do you have?
02:54:16.000 –> 02:54:26.000
I just have a couple more. This is really important, and I think mine is especially important because I have such background in this.
02:54:26.000 –> 02:54:30.000
And this is important stuff to share that the public needs to hear.
02:54:30.000 –> 02:54:35.000
So this is also a biodiversity corridor, priority habitat
02:54:35.000 –> 02:54:40.000
Wetland C is part of that, but Wetland D is part of that.
02:54:40.000 –> 02:54:44.000
Okay, next slide.
02:54:44.000 –> 02:55:00.000
This is a really big one, and I don’t think many people have mentioned this, but PSM, pre-spawn mortality is happening in our coho today and the fish are starting to run right now. And this six PPV quinone is a preservative in tires, and this development is going to increase
02:55:00.000 –> 02:55:06.000
The amount of that that is going into our water and it directly is a contributor and killer
02:55:06.000 –> 02:55:08.000
of fish.
02:55:08.000 –> 02:55:13.000
Just to make it short, next slide.
02:55:13.000 –> 02:55:19.000
These are just all the critical areas. I mean, I don’t need to go into the details, but there’s a lot of impacts
02:55:19.000 –> 02:55:21.000
on site and the variants are asking for
02:55:21.000 –> 02:55:25.000
is for this stream Y, which is a ravine
02:55:25.000 –> 02:55:31.000
And they’re just going to drain it and fill it and move it somewhere else. And we don’t know how these are going to impact offsite.
02:55:31.000 –> 02:55:41.000
There’s not just not enough information that’s been revealed. So we need an EIS for that. Next slide.
02:55:41.000 –> 02:55:47.000
Again, the north part of this project is in a steep ravine landslide
02:55:47.000 –> 02:55:53.000
an erosion area, it’s actively eroding. It will happen. It happened upstream.
02:55:53.000 –> 02:55:58.000
You should not be alone. Next slide.
02:55:58.000 –> 02:56:10.000
So I just feel that the code and the levels of protection are inadequate for this development proposal. It does not need to be this big. We do not need this monstrosity. We do not need this building. We can do something that makes sense
02:56:10.000 –> 02:56:13.000
for our neighborhood and for our area.
02:56:13.000 –> 02:56:16.000
This is a super, super important
02:56:16.000 –> 02:56:27.000
link of green space and critical area from Des Moines Creek to Barnes Creek to Miller Creek to Puget Sound, and it should not be undervalued and it needs special protection.
02:56:27.000 –> 02:56:32.000
The SEPA checklist and all the information was very vague, very minimal.
02:56:32.000 –> 02:56:36.000
And it does not equal the impact
02:56:36.000 –> 02:56:38.000
to this site.
02:56:38.000 –> 02:56:39.000
Would you like your…
02:56:39.000 –> 02:56:40.000
I submitted all this.
02:56:40.000 –> 02:56:46.000
Sorry, would you like your slide presentation admitted as an exhibit and then I can review that a little more thoroughly.
02:56:46.000 –> 02:56:47.000
Great.
02:56:47.000 –> 02:56:50.000
Yes. Can I just finish off this?
02:56:50.000 –> 02:56:51.000
Last comment.
02:56:51.000 –> 02:56:52.000
Yeah, your final thoughts, that’d be great.
02:56:52.000 –> 02:56:58.000
So, yeah, I just want to say the issuing of variance is not in the best interest of the public.
02:56:58.000 –> 02:57:02.000
And nor is it a good use, land use of this property.
02:57:02.000 –> 02:57:04.000
Whether it’s zoned
02:57:04.000 –> 02:57:07.000
is a business, whatever or not.
02:57:07.000 –> 02:57:13.000
We can do it appropriately. We do not need to impact the wetlands. They’re already shrinking the buffers
02:57:13.000 –> 02:57:22.000
filling wetlands, don’t care about the small ones in the first place. The code is less than King County. So Des Moines Creek.
02:57:22.000 –> 02:57:28.000
we have a much bigger buffer if it was regulated by King County, but because it’s Des Moines, it does not.
02:57:28.000 –> 02:57:35.000
So anyway, I request that we revise the determination from a mitigated to environmental impact statement
02:57:35.000 –> 02:57:38.000
So that would give us a little bit more information
02:57:38.000 –> 02:57:42.000
to make a decision, but my vote is no
02:57:42.000 –> 02:57:48.000
And the next slide. Also, I submitted a letter and I referenced a bunch of code
02:57:48.000 –> 02:57:53.000
And a whole bunch of my thoughts. This is a list. I don’t know if you want me to go through it. I have time.
02:57:53.000 –> 02:57:55.000
I’ll take a careful look at all of this.
02:57:55.000 –> 02:58:00.000
Okay, because this is what I think is inadequate
02:58:00.000 –> 02:58:06.000
Off-site impacts to neighbors, property values. I feel sorry for everybody that lives near this thing.
02:58:06.000 –> 02:58:23.000
if it happened, there’s not enough information to say rerouting these flows into wetland d and stream Z, and there’s no significant impact
02:58:23.000 –> 02:58:24.000
examiner. Yep.
02:58:24.000 –> 02:58:30.000
offsite is barely even mentioned. The buffers are not even on hardly any of the plans. I think the geology report was the only thing where I saw the ravine buffer on.
02:58:30.000 –> 02:58:31.000
Okay.
02:58:31.000 –> 02:58:32.000
This isn’t even relevant to the permit hearing. Thank you. I’m going to admit your slides into the record so I’ll have a chance to review them.
02:58:32.000 –> 02:58:34.000
Okay, I got cut off. No problem.
02:58:34.000 –> 02:58:36.000
Thank you for participating today.
02:58:36.000 –> 02:58:39.000
Thank you. I appreciate that a little bit extra time. It was a lot of work. So I appreciate my input.
02:58:39.000 –> 02:58:42.000
And that’s something you have, you can forward to me. Great. Thank you. Who else do we have on?
02:58:42.000 –> 02:58:44.000
Thank you.
02:58:44.000 –> 02:58:47.000
Thank you.
02:58:47.000 –> 02:58:53.000
If Anne can go ahead and turn on your camera and unmute.
02:58:53.000 –> 02:58:56.000
Oh.
02:58:56.000 –> 02:59:02.000
All right. And Anne Craker, I presume you’re talking about.
02:59:02.000 –> 02:59:06.000
Yeah, great. Can you go ahead and raise your right hand? I can’t see you on my screen right now, but I’ll trust that you’re doing so.
02:59:06.000 –> 02:59:07.000
Okay. It is up.
02:59:07.000 –> 02:59:09.000
Do you switch?
02:59:09.000 –> 02:59:14.000
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth and the testimony you give here today?
02:59:14.000 –> 02:59:15.000
Yes, I do and
02:59:15.000 –> 02:59:17.000
Great. And can you go ahead and spell your name again for the record there?
02:59:17.000 –> 02:59:21.000
I will do. Ann, A-N-N-E.
02:59:21.000 –> 02:59:26.000
Kraker, K-R-O-E-K-E-R.
02:59:26.000 –> 02:59:27.000
Thank you.
02:59:27.000 –> 02:59:31.000
Thank you. I am a
02:59:31.000 –> 02:59:38.000
A 10-year resident of Des Moines, I’m also a co-president of our 25-year
02:59:38.000 –> 02:59:46.000
private foundation in conservation and education, but the conservation partners such as
02:59:46.000 –> 02:59:48.000
Trout Unlimited, Future Wise.
02:59:48.000 –> 02:59:51.000
for Tara and all of these
02:59:51.000 –> 02:59:55.000
groups are not only just environmentally oriented
02:59:55.000 –> 03:00:05.000
but also community oriented. So over the years, I have definitely learned a few things and this is what I’m relating to as far as buildings.
03:00:05.000 –> 03:00:09.000
building in appropriate places and not building in other places.
03:00:09.000 –> 03:00:12.000
places that are our wildlife
03:00:12.000 –> 03:00:15.000
And our habitat needs to be. I hope
03:00:15.000 –> 03:00:21.000
that earlier when I submitted my letter to you that that is already in the record.
03:00:21.000 –> 03:00:27.000
And it was a letter I submitted to the Port of Seattle three and a half years ago.
03:00:27.000 –> 03:00:37.000
When they first announced that they were going to, that they just acquired this land and they’re very excited about doing another industrial development.
03:00:37.000 –> 03:00:45.000
It outlines many of my concerns. I have even more concerns now. Some of them have to do with the rerouting streams.
03:00:45.000 –> 03:00:54.000
Which is actually not nothing that works. And it’s very surprising that anybody would include that in the 21st century development.
03:00:54.000 –> 03:01:01.000
I hadn’t also put in wildlife corridors and the fact that 20 year of maturity of trees
03:01:01.000 –> 03:01:10.000
is certainly not enough for Canopy and for also carbon sequestration, let alone all the other values that trees offer us.
03:01:10.000 –> 03:01:19.000
What I didn’t see and I haven’t said yet is and haven’t heard yet is that the culture of our city
03:01:19.000 –> 03:01:26.000
Our city of Des Moines is really being degraded if we go ahead with this project.
03:01:26.000 –> 03:01:28.000
Not only is there a loss of green.
03:01:28.000 –> 03:01:32.000
But the buildings and the land
03:01:32.000 –> 03:01:34.000
won’t belong to the city.
03:01:34.000 –> 03:01:37.000
And to the people. And when that happens.
03:01:37.000 –> 03:01:45.000
there’s not care for the land. There’s not care for the community spaces. And that happens over and over again it’s just
03:01:45.000 –> 03:01:47.000
the way people are
03:01:47.000 –> 03:01:52.000
These particular land and building development, if it’s like the other
03:01:52.000 –> 03:01:57.000
so-called business park that they’ve done is edge to edge
03:01:57.000 –> 03:02:00.000
some impervious cement
03:02:00.000 –> 03:02:05.000
And it’s sprawling. It serves outside the city.
03:02:05.000 –> 03:02:09.000
it doesn’t support our local economy. Very few people are
03:02:09.000 –> 03:02:18.000
are employed there who also live in Des Moines. This will cause congestion. Activity that doesn’t concern us
03:02:18.000 –> 03:02:23.000
the people and one more step for our city to not
03:02:23.000 –> 03:02:28.000
have a personality and to have
03:02:28.000 –> 03:02:30.000
a space more spaces
03:02:30.000 –> 03:02:35.000
where we can communicate and congregate and
03:02:35.000 –> 03:02:42.000
enjoy each other’s company along with our natural beauty and our local economy.
03:02:42.000 –> 03:02:44.000
So thank you very much for letting me
03:02:44.000 –> 03:02:47.000
comment today and i
03:02:47.000 –> 03:02:49.000
I look forward to the rest of the hearing.
03:02:49.000 –> 03:03:02.000
Thank you for attending.
03:03:02.000 –> 03:03:06.000
Is there an Olivia?
03:03:06.000 –> 03:03:07.000
Turn on your video.
03:03:07.000 –> 03:03:08.000
Yeah, I’m here.
03:03:08.000 –> 03:03:12.000
Great. You go ahead and raise your right hand. I’ll trust that you’re doing so.
03:03:12.000 –> 03:03:14.000
Yes, I’m doing so now.
03:03:14.000 –> 03:03:18.000
You swear or affirm to tell the truth in the testimony you give here today?
03:03:18.000 –> 03:03:19.000
I do swear.
03:03:19.000 –> 03:03:22.000
Thank you. And can you state and spell your name for the recording?
03:03:22.000 –> 03:03:32.000
Yes, my name is Olivia Bronson, O-L-I-V-I-A-B-R-O-N-S-O-N.
03:03:32.000 –> 03:03:33.000
Thank you.
03:03:33.000 –> 03:03:53.000
Okay, well, I’m going to keep mine brief. I did time myself, so I’ll try not to run over time. I’m a homeowner and a local artist here in Des Moines. I can see my house in all of those slides that the previous speakers just before me actually showed on their screen. So that’s kind of fun. And I can see the creek from behind my house out my window right now.
03:03:53.000 –> 03:04:03.000
I’m an artist here in Des Moines as well as an active member and volunteer of the Washington Native Plant Society. I’m asking you to consider the impacts this project will have on residents like me nearby.
03:04:03.000 –> 03:04:10.000
I’m in a working class neighborhood and I’m just downstream. Like I said, I can see my house on the slides. It’s kind of funny.
03:04:10.000 –> 03:04:16.000
Right along the ravine in that critical landslide area that one of the previous speakers talked about.
03:04:16.000 –> 03:04:34.000
As do many others that are speaking here today or right along the creek. And I would say the applicant ignoring the adjacent plots of land as they are like in a vacuum on our water table is really disingenuous and shortsighted. Water flows downhill and our water districts should be included here in further decisions.
03:04:34.000 –> 03:04:41.000
Furthermore, it’s a fact that industrialization lowers property values, and I am concerned about that. I bought my first house here.
03:04:41.000 –> 03:04:49.000
I highly doubt any of the city officials or wealthy lawyers here would tolerate a project of this magnitude being built in their backyard, less than half a mile upstream.
03:04:49.000 –> 03:05:00.000
As we are being asked to, but the baked in classism of increasing traffic and ecological impacts so that the burdens are primarily shouldered by marginalized communities and working class people surrounding the poor properties.
03:05:00.000 –> 03:05:03.000
is just a theme of poor development in this area.
03:05:03.000 –> 03:05:10.000
As many people illustrated today, Des Moines is already one of the most environmentally impacted communities by port expansion.
03:05:10.000 –> 03:05:26.000
The applicant is asking us and the city is asking us to consent to the destruction of hundreds of mature trees whose replacement species like Douglas fir and Pacific drone on the mitigation documents will take up to two decades, assuming they are in ideal growing conditions. Majorans have a really high failure rate.
03:05:26.000 –> 03:05:43.000
To provide a real canopy again. Many people like me have bought homes here to raise families nearby with the green belt as a major consideration for our purchases and nature paths being a source of appeal. Who other than the port or the applicant standing to profit from it could consider this a logical improvement?
03:05:43.000 –> 03:05:54.000
Many people use the connection to walk their dogs, hike, or get to downtown safely, myself included. First in perspective, 20 years is enough time for a child to be born, grow up, and go to college.
03:05:54.000 –> 03:05:57.000
20 years is enough time to adopt a dog and then bury it.
03:05:57.000 –> 03:06:05.000
In 20 years, retirees and some of the people in this room and elderly who make up a large portion of our voting populace will not be around to benefit from any replacement trees.
03:06:05.000 –> 03:06:14.000
20 years represents several generations of wildlife whose shorter lifespans will absolutely feel the impacts of this short-sighted industrial bloat of a building project.
03:06:14.000 –> 03:06:22.000
And there is little assuring us with the way that these previous warehouse operations have gone and how the adjacent lots have been developed, disappearing our trees over the years.
03:06:22.000 –> 03:06:27.000
that the recommended amount of trees or even the native species on the mitigation document will be returned to this area.
03:06:27.000 –> 03:06:33.000
This does not replace or improve the function of the property as it is currently being used and assumed by the residents.
03:06:33.000 –> 03:06:48.000
The City of Des Moines is again pushing its citizens to accept a proposal that will have lasting impacts on our environment, health, and well-being, its elected officials would be showing us the voting members of the public that they are fine with selling us out for a few hundred thousand dollars in a one-time sale.
03:06:48.000 –> 03:06:54.000
Land owned by the port is tax exempt and will not earn the city’s bleeding treasury any long-term benefit.
03:06:54.000 –> 03:07:09.000
There are documented concerns from the water district who spoke today to wells downslope from this project. The city has already failed to mitigate some of the existing damage that harms our salmon bearing streams and lags behind our neighbors in preserving the recommended minimum of 40% urban tree canopy.
03:07:09.000 –> 03:07:16.000
Coastal erosion, flooding, and landslides will only intensify as water levels from climate change rise and storms worsen worldwide.
03:07:16.000 –> 03:07:21.000
Canopy loss and wetland removal will impact this community, not if, but when.
03:07:21.000 –> 03:07:33.000
What a green light for the industrial building will do, especially in the absence of an EIS, is motivate alien constituents within this room and without to find better representatives who consider our future. Thank you so much for your time, Your Honor.
03:07:33.000 –> 03:07:35.000
Thank you for attending.
03:07:35.000 –> 03:07:41.000
Do you know how many are raising their hands?
03:07:41.000 –> 03:07:44.000
Okay, let’s check one more time here if you are
03:07:44.000 –> 03:07:48.000
participating via the remote technology
03:07:48.000 –> 03:07:53.000
If you’d like to provide comments, please raise your hand now. This is going to be the
03:07:53.000 –> 03:07:59.000
last opportunity to do so.
03:07:59.000 –> 03:08:03.000
Jackie, if you could turn on your camera.
03:08:03.000 –> 03:08:04.000
Hi.
03:08:04.000 –> 03:08:06.000
Okay, great.
03:08:06.000 –> 03:08:09.000
Can you please raise your right hand? I’ll trust you’re doing so.
03:08:09.000 –> 03:08:10.000
Yes.
03:08:10.000 –> 03:08:15.000
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth in the testimony you give here today?
03:08:15.000 –> 03:08:16.000
Yes.
03:08:16.000 –> 03:08:20.000
Thank you. And can you just go ahead and state and spell your name for the recording?
03:08:20.000 –> 03:08:24.000
Jacqueline Dahlquist, J-A-C-K-L-Y-N.
03:08:24.000 –> 03:08:29.000
D-A-H-L-Q-U-I-St.
03:08:29.000 –> 03:08:31.000
Great, thank you.
03:08:31.000 –> 03:08:40.000
So I’m not a resident of Des Moines. I do hold a master’s in public health from the University of Washington and am a
03:08:40.000 –> 03:08:42.000
avid um avid
03:08:42.000 –> 03:08:46.000
activists of native plants and spaces
03:08:46.000 –> 03:08:52.000
And as I’ve been listening the past few hours to this hearing, I just
03:08:52.000 –> 03:08:55.000
I didn’t prepare anything, but I just want to um
03:08:55.000 –> 03:09:02.000
make it abundantly clear how important these spaces are. I know everyone has been talking about the trees and the loss of canopy space.
03:09:02.000 –> 03:09:08.000
And that is super important. But I also want to recognize the importance of the rest of the
03:09:08.000 –> 03:09:13.000
animal and plant life that lives in these spaces as well.
03:09:13.000 –> 03:09:19.000
it that is just something that you can’t replicate even even in 20 years if those
03:09:19.000 –> 03:09:27.000
Trees grew to the same size, you would lose all of the soil biodiversity, especially with development. Development is horrible for the soil.
03:09:27.000 –> 03:09:31.000
It just, it kills the soil essentially um
03:09:31.000 –> 03:09:41.000
And that is difficult to replace along with all the native herbaceous perennials, all of the shrubs, all of the mammals, all of the insects.
03:09:41.000 –> 03:09:47.000
all of the microbiome, all of the little things that live in the soil and the water
03:09:47.000 –> 03:09:51.000
just that is so important to preserve and it’s not something that you can
03:09:51.000 –> 03:09:56.000
just quickly get back in a couple years, even 20 years necessarily um
03:09:56.000 –> 03:09:59.000
So I just want everyone to keep that in mind as well.
03:09:59.000 –> 03:10:02.000
That’s all. Thanks.
03:10:02.000 –> 03:10:04.000
Thank you for your comments.
03:10:04.000 –> 03:10:09.000
Do we have anybody else on the
03:10:09.000 –> 03:10:15.000
Okay, great. So before I turn to the applicant and city for any responses.
03:10:15.000 –> 03:10:19.000
How are we feeling as far as do we need a break? Do we need a longer break?
03:10:19.000 –> 03:10:30.000
Short break. I actually would like to call our wetlands expert and he has a hard stop at 145. So could we call him and then we’ll readdress taking a break. Excellent.
03:10:30.000 –> 03:10:34.000
And Ms. King, could you pull up exhibit C-17?
03:10:34.000 –> 03:10:38.000
sheet 40 is page 47 of that PDF.
03:10:38.000 –> 03:10:42.000
It’s a conceptual mitigation plan now.
03:10:42.000 –> 03:10:44.000
uh see
03:10:44.000 –> 03:10:53.000
17, like the airplane, I guess. And page 47 of the PDF.
03:10:53.000 –> 03:11:00.000
And then this is John Pickett, and he’s actually on the Zoom.
03:11:00.000 –> 03:11:03.000
Hello, Mr. Pickett.
03:11:03.000 –> 03:11:04.000
Mr. Examiner.
03:11:04.000 –> 03:11:07.000
Yes.
03:11:07.000 –> 03:11:11.000
Well, I can’t see you, but if you could please raise your right hand.
03:11:11.000 –> 03:11:15.000
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth on the testimony you give here today?
03:11:15.000 –> 03:11:17.000
I do. And my right hand goes up.
03:11:17.000 –> 03:11:21.000
Okay, great. And can you please spell your name uh
03:11:21.000 –> 03:11:23.000
For the record and explain your role with this proposal.
03:11:23.000 –> 03:11:28.000
Yeah, John Pickett, J-O-N-P-I-C-K-E-T-T.
03:11:28.000 –> 03:11:35.000
And I’m a principal consultant at Sanvi Consultants. Our office did the onsite wetland investigation.
03:11:35.000 –> 03:11:41.000
the wetland delineation report, the conceptual mitigation plan, biological evaluation, JARPA,
03:11:41.000 –> 03:11:47.000
As well as coordination with the various agencies that have been involved with the project.
03:11:47.000 –> 03:11:56.000
So although this is a very colorful drawing, I think it really does a good job explaining the differences in terms of the mitigation aspects that we’re doing out on site.
03:11:56.000 –> 03:12:05.000
So just to kind of clarify the different types of mitigation, we’re doing wetland creation for the direct impacts to wetlands A.
03:12:05.000 –> 03:12:07.000
A, C, and D.
03:12:07.000 –> 03:12:12.000
That’s the green area that you see between on the right side of your screen
03:12:12.000 –> 03:12:15.000
between wetland sea and wetland B.
03:12:15.000 –> 03:12:19.000
Those two areas are essentially going to be excavated out.
03:12:19.000 –> 03:12:21.000
to develop wetland conditions.
03:12:21.000 –> 03:12:26.000
And similarly, that’s going to take place over adjacent to wetland D.
03:12:26.000 –> 03:12:32.000
These areas will stay hydraulically connected to the groundwater table. In discussions with the
03:12:32.000 –> 03:12:40.000
the project engineer and the geotech have a very shallow surface flow from the adjacent stormwater ponds.
03:12:40.000 –> 03:12:49.000
In addition, the Watland Sea currently receives hydrology from the offsite stormwater pond from the DeWines Creek Business Park
03:12:49.000 –> 03:12:51.000
development adjacent to the east.
03:12:51.000 –> 03:12:56.000
that hydrology will still be connected through wetland sea. It’ll essentially
03:12:56.000 –> 03:13:00.000
discharge from the stormwater pond into wetland sea
03:13:00.000 –> 03:13:04.000
However, there’ll be a portion of it that is going to be diverted to the north
03:13:04.000 –> 03:13:08.000
Which if you look over on the left side of your screen.
03:13:08.000 –> 03:13:16.000
There’s a newly created stream channel, which is kind of that orange figure that has sinuosity
03:13:16.000 –> 03:13:18.000
going to the north to wetland deep
03:13:18.000 –> 03:13:23.000
a portion of, as I mentioned, a portion of that stormwater will be diverted into this area to
03:13:23.000 –> 03:13:27.000
create the stream channel and maintain the hydrology
03:13:27.000 –> 03:13:33.000
We work with the project engineer and on page 29 of this report, which you don’t need to switch to now.
03:13:33.000 –> 03:13:48.000
It demonstrates the flows that we prepared to show under various events. So a two-year event that the stormwater would out from the outfall from the storm pond, a 10-year event, as well as a 100-year event.
03:13:48.000 –> 03:13:55.000
The newly created stream channel also to mitigate for the direct impacts to the stream channel on the
03:13:55.000 –> 03:14:06.000
west side of the site is being mitigated in this area. And that’s that, as I mentioned, that orange color that has sinuosity through
03:14:06.000 –> 03:14:11.000
the middle of the site, it’s going to be an approximately three foot wide stream channel
03:14:11.000 –> 03:14:14.000
with three to one slopes on each side.
03:14:14.000 –> 03:14:20.000
In addition, kind of jumping over to the purple areas, there’s a light and dark purple area.
03:14:20.000 –> 03:14:24.000
The dark purple area is predominantly
03:14:24.000 –> 03:14:28.000
buffer enhancement. It’s existing buffer area that’s going to be under plant or over planted
03:14:28.000 –> 03:14:36.000
the current conditions within this slope in the mitigation area is fairly degraded. There’s not weed
03:14:36.000 –> 03:14:43.000
There’s reed canary grass, there’s blackberries. It’s not a very diverse planting palette and so
03:14:43.000 –> 03:14:48.000
Our plan is to replant this area heavily with native vegetation.
03:14:48.000 –> 03:14:56.000
In addition, that lighter pink area that you observe, that’s buffer creation. So that’s areas that are outside the existing or standard buffer.
03:14:56.000 –> 03:15:01.000
that we will be replanting again with a diverse native planting palette.
03:15:01.000 –> 03:15:15.000
This also is going to be the areas where the tree mitigation at a three to one ratio will be provided on site. These trees are going to be spec’d to the city’s tree code requirements for the tree sizing calculation.
03:15:15.000 –> 03:15:20.000
Which is approximately a two inch caliper. If you have any specific questions on that.
03:15:20.000 –> 03:15:23.000
the tree replacement and tree
03:15:23.000 –> 03:15:30.000
tree density requirements, I’d refer to the arborist that also is on this call and she’d be happy to answer any questions.
03:15:30.000 –> 03:15:39.000
I will note that this plan that you’re looking at, there has been interagency coordination with the Department of Ecology, as well as the US Army Corps of Engineers
03:15:39.000 –> 03:15:46.000
And we’re working to remove four additional trailer stalls to lessen the overall impact.
03:15:46.000 –> 03:15:49.000
as well as to preserve
03:15:49.000 –> 03:15:54.000
a western white pine tree on site that there was significant public comments on.
03:15:54.000 –> 03:16:00.000
So with that, I’m open to any questions that you may have for me.
03:16:00.000 –> 03:16:04.000
I don’t have any specific questions for you, Ms. Rogers. Is there any…
03:16:04.000 –> 03:16:06.000
other testimony you wanted to elicit?
03:16:06.000 –> 03:16:13.000
No, I don’t have any other questions. I just wanted to make sure that plan got explained because it is very colorful and hard to follow sometimes.
03:16:13.000 –> 03:16:19.000
Thank you for being here.
03:16:19.000 –> 03:16:24.000
All right, do we want to address taking a break or it’s
03:16:24.000 –> 03:16:27.000
I guess, how long do you anticipate uh
03:16:27.000 –> 03:16:29.000
any providing any more responses to
03:16:29.000 –> 03:16:33.000
public comments.
03:16:33.000 –> 03:16:38.000
This is that you’re going to present. I’m just going to call one witness to respond to the water district.
03:16:38.000 –> 03:16:41.000
concerns and other than that.
03:16:41.000 –> 03:16:43.000
a few comments in terms of
03:16:43.000 –> 03:16:46.000
my own response to the code
03:16:46.000 –> 03:16:51.000
Responses to some of the comments I heard, or we could throw that into our post-earing briefing.
03:16:51.000 –> 03:16:57.000
Yeah, to the extent you can address those today so that members of the public
03:16:57.000 –> 03:16:59.000
I think we’re good to go if we want to just keep
03:16:59.000 –> 03:17:03.000
We want to push through here? Okay.
03:17:03.000 –> 03:17:04.000
Let’s do that. And if we end up getting to
03:17:04.000 –> 03:17:07.000
Two, I’ll probably insist on it.
03:17:07.000 –> 03:17:09.000
Okay.
03:17:09.000 –> 03:17:13.000
So I’ll let the applicant take the floor here. Great.
03:17:13.000 –> 03:17:25.000
And then the next witness I would like to call is Carolyn Decker, who’s here with us.
03:17:25.000 –> 03:17:30.000
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth in the testimony you give here today? Yes.
03:17:30.000 –> 03:17:35.000
And can you go ahead and state and spell your name for the record and explain your role at this practice?
03:17:35.000 –> 03:17:39.000
Carolyn Decker, C-A-R-O-L-Y-N.
03:17:39.000 –> 03:17:43.000
D-C-A-E-R, and I am the Project Geotechnical engineer
03:17:43.000 –> 03:17:50.000
I’ve been a geotechnical engineer with Terra Associates for the last 18 years.
03:17:50.000 –> 03:17:56.000
I’m up here to discuss the wellhead protection zone that was brought up
03:17:56.000 –> 03:18:01.000
requesting that we review that and ensure that we have taken it into consideration with the project.
03:18:01.000 –> 03:18:06.000
We have addressed it. We were aware of it, and we wanted to make sure that we
03:18:06.000 –> 03:18:09.000
took care of any mitigation that may have needed to come from that.
03:18:09.000 –> 03:18:18.000
The site itself is capped with a very thick layer of glacial till material, which is a silty sand with gravel that has been overrun by about three miles of glaciers.
03:18:18.000 –> 03:18:25.000
It’s very dense. It’s very cemented. It has very low permeability. It’s actually considered an impermeable material.
03:18:25.000 –> 03:18:34.000
So any water that is currently hitting the site is more likely to run off than to infiltrate down into the aquifer that is below this layer.
03:18:34.000 –> 03:18:43.000
So any water that currently hits the site is running off. Any water that we would move around due to development would follow that similar pattern.
03:18:43.000 –> 03:18:49.000
None of it is going to go to the outwash layer that underlies that till.
03:18:49.000 –> 03:18:56.000
And was that addressed in your geotechnical report? It is. It’s on page eight of our geotechnical report.
03:18:56.000 –> 03:18:59.000
Which I believe is exhibit C13.
03:18:59.000 –> 03:19:01.000
Yes. And I did.
03:19:01.000 –> 03:19:06.000
Read that. I can’t remember all the details off the top of my head. That is all right.
03:19:06.000 –> 03:19:12.000
Well, was there any other information you’d like to present or is there anything you want to elicit? Just one more question, I guess.
03:19:12.000 –> 03:19:16.000
Were you here? Two more questions, maybe.
03:19:16.000 –> 03:19:22.000
You were here earlier for the testimony from the gentleman from Water District 54, is that correct? Yes.
03:19:22.000 –> 03:19:24.000
and um
03:19:24.000 –> 03:19:30.000
Are you able to provide him comfort that his concerns have been addressed and that there’s not an issue?
03:19:30.000 –> 03:19:38.000
I would certainly hope so. It certainly is something that we have looked at. We are aware of. It is something that we review on all projects.
03:19:38.000 –> 03:19:43.000
to ensure that we are maintaining hydrology that currently exists, particularly to wellheads.
03:19:43.000 –> 03:19:49.000
And if there is any infiltration that does need to occur on the site to continue to
03:19:49.000 –> 03:19:52.000
recharge those aquifers, we make sure that is taken care of.
03:19:52.000 –> 03:20:01.000
Thank you. That’s all I had. Thank you.
03:20:01.000 –> 03:20:03.000
Roger’s floor is yours.
03:20:03.000 –> 03:20:05.000
Then I will go just
03:20:05.000 –> 03:20:08.000
limited rebuttal to the public testimony.
03:20:08.000 –> 03:20:16.000
focus really only on the master plan and variance because that is the topic of this portion of the hearing and not the SEPA appeal.
03:20:16.000 –> 03:20:20.000
a few general comments. You’ve heard true replacement
03:20:20.000 –> 03:20:29.000
Actually, Mr. Pickett already covered this. It’s a three to one ratio that complies with code. You can see the locations on the site where that primary tree replacement is occurring.
03:20:29.000 –> 03:20:32.000
I heard multiple concerns and
03:20:32.000 –> 03:20:34.000
about the size of the building.
03:20:34.000 –> 03:20:37.000
building is sized to meet all code standards. It’s actually underneath.
03:20:37.000 –> 03:20:41.000
some of the code standards in terms of its size and height.
03:20:41.000 –> 03:20:45.000
There were concerns about
03:20:45.000 –> 03:20:50.000
the West property line and the impact on the residential neighbors on that property line.
03:20:50.000 –> 03:20:57.000
When you look at the plan sheets, you’ll see that there is a substantial setback.
03:20:57.000 –> 03:21:02.000
There’s a 20-foot landscape setback and another. I couldn’t find a dimension plan as I was
03:21:02.000 –> 03:21:06.000
at least another 80 fees, another 100 feet or so.
03:21:06.000 –> 03:21:15.000
And then parking and then a building. And there’s also topography and that building will be up above.
03:21:15.000 –> 03:21:22.000
So there is a substantial setback. It’s not going to be a warehouse looming over
03:21:22.000 –> 03:21:25.000
and landscape as well.
03:21:25.000 –> 03:21:28.000
trees.
03:21:28.000 –> 03:21:37.000
the arborist report, and this is at exhibit C14 in the arborist report and exhibit
03:21:37.000 –> 03:21:40.000
C23 in the biological evaluation.
03:21:40.000 –> 03:21:42.000
talk about the talk about
03:21:42.000 –> 03:21:45.000
tree planting, obviously.
03:21:45.000 –> 03:21:47.000
there is going to be a net loss of
03:21:47.000 –> 03:21:49.000
tree canopy cover initially.
03:21:49.000 –> 03:21:52.000
That’s the only way that this development can happen.
03:21:52.000 –> 03:21:58.000
But the significant restoration and enhancement planting efforts are actually going to restore
03:21:58.000 –> 03:22:03.000
a third of the site ending up with a vertically and horizontally diverse canopy structure
03:22:03.000 –> 03:22:15.000
within 10 to 20 years, an increased canopy cover in those areas, which frankly right now are dominated by invasive species.
03:22:15.000 –> 03:22:18.000
So the conclusion of the
03:22:18.000 –> 03:22:20.000
biological evaluation was that
03:22:20.000 –> 03:22:26.000
the proposed mitigation is going to result in a denser tree canopy.
03:22:26.000 –> 03:22:30.000
non-native invasives and interspersion of upland and wetland habitat.
03:22:30.000 –> 03:22:34.000
Just all together anticipated to result in a smaller
03:22:34.000 –> 03:22:37.000
but a much higher functioning natural space on site.
03:22:37.000 –> 03:22:40.000
And the new trail, of course, which will do that.
03:22:40.000 –> 03:22:44.000
Permanent trail detected in an easement.
03:22:44.000 –> 03:22:46.000
is walking through that.
03:22:46.000 –> 03:22:55.000
new mattresses.
03:22:55.000 –> 03:23:01.000
Great. I’ll turn to the city to see if they have any responses to the
03:23:01.000 –> 03:23:04.000
concerns that were raised by members of the public.
03:23:04.000 –> 03:23:07.000
Your Honor, we have nothing further other than what’s in the staff report and in the brief that was submitted.
03:23:07.000 –> 03:23:09.000
Can you just briefly…
03:23:09.000 –> 03:23:15.000
just speak to the notice that was provided and if that
03:23:15.000 –> 03:23:21.000
Yes, it does, Your Honor. And that’s addressed in our staff report. But I think there was a statement
03:23:21.000 –> 03:23:24.000
where there was some confusion about a virtual hearing
03:23:24.000 –> 03:23:26.000
And notice that was received.
03:23:26.000 –> 03:23:30.000
So the city notices for the city’s actions
03:23:30.000 –> 03:23:32.000
And apparently…
03:23:32.000 –> 03:23:37.000
the port of seattle through their process had a virtual hearing regarding
03:23:37.000 –> 03:23:39.000
purchase of property that was that was
03:23:39.000 –> 03:23:43.000
outside of these parcels, but related to the project.
03:23:43.000 –> 03:23:45.000
that was completely
03:23:45.000 –> 03:23:51.000
it was not, I mean, I guess you could say related to this, but it wasn’t an action that the city was taking.
03:23:51.000 –> 03:23:53.000
So the notices were received
03:23:53.000 –> 03:23:56.000
by those required to receive notice.
03:23:56.000 –> 03:24:02.000
And then a couple days later, there was a virtual hearing by the Port of Seattle that was unrelated to the notice that was received.
03:24:02.000 –> 03:24:06.000
And so I think that’s where there was some confusion about notices being late.
03:24:06.000 –> 03:24:10.000
The notice referred to the city’s
03:24:10.000 –> 03:24:16.000
seepa decision and was noticed within the time frame that required by our city code and by law.
03:24:16.000 –> 03:24:19.000
Thank you for clarifying that.
03:24:19.000 –> 03:24:23.000
Are there any last thoughts on behalf of the city or applicant before I join?
03:24:23.000 –> 03:24:30.000
Okay.
03:24:30.000 –> 03:24:42.000
I’ll let your counsel decide that.
03:24:42.000 –> 03:24:48.000
Okay, thank you. Well, with that, I’m going to go ahead and adjourn the hearing today.
03:24:48.000 –> 03:24:51.000
I do want to thank everyone for participating.
03:24:51.000 –> 03:24:53.000
I have a lot to consider here.
03:24:53.000 –> 03:24:59.000
I believe is the code. It provides me 15 or 14 business days
03:24:59.000 –> 03:25:03.000
from the close of the record, which would occur in two weeks.
03:25:03.000 –> 03:25:07.000
Okay, it’s my intention to meet that deadline.
03:25:07.000 –> 03:25:13.000
Again, I’ll be issuing decisions on the SEPA appeal and permit application concurrently.
03:25:13.000 –> 03:25:18.000
My intent is to do so within 14 business days of the record closing.
03:25:18.000 –> 03:25:21.000
Which will happen in two weeks.
03:25:21.000 –> 03:25:33.000
And then I guess I’ll ask the city, how can members of the public obtain my decisions when they’re issued?
03:25:33.000 –> 03:25:35.000
we will send the
03:25:35.000 –> 03:25:37.000
to all to all um
03:25:37.000 –> 03:25:42.000
parties of record, we’ll send that out.
03:25:42.000 –> 03:25:44.000
either the document or a link to it.
03:25:44.000 –> 03:25:47.000
And we’ll also post it on our
03:25:47.000 –> 03:25:49.000
permit system, permit tracks.
03:25:49.000 –> 03:25:55.000
So that’s available through the city website.
03:25:55.000 –> 03:26:00.000
Thank you so much. All right. Well, with that, I will go ahead and adjourn the hearing. Thanks again.
03:26:00.000 –> 03:26:04.000
And I hope you can enjoy the rest of your day and your weekend.
03:26:04.000 –> 03:26:09.000
Thank you.