loose around the edges
tkd
developers who want to include areas not already in the city limits. I
AGAIN WOULD LIKE TO KNOW CRAIG AND CISARS QUALIFICATIONS AS CITY
PLANNER/INSPECTOR...How are they keeping up with changes,what degrees,
certicates,certifications they have in their job field. The city is
running amok without thought /planning / research/ or any ability in
planning proper growth and design. I am for growth and new folks moving
to Sultan but with designed planning...not hodge podge poka dot self
interests. It seems from the grit web site there is conflicts of
interests within the council/city planning group/and still
favortism.Lets look at the whole picture and at the morals/ethics of it
all and how the city should be for the people and by the people...Not
just the few ...
Nick
Still without a Comprehensive plan over eight years late, this
developer driven City wants all the toys without any input from the
public. That's not UGA input, but it's own citizens input.
With the City giving away it's last true service in it's sewer
department and letting it's two man work force go, that leaves this
"full service annexing UGA City" with only one service left to offer!
Lake Stevens is WA. largest UGA, that's 4 to 5 times the size of the
City itself!
It's police force is it's only service left and only service worth it's
salt.
With the City's so called Planning Commission and Chamber of Commerce
made up of mostly nonresident developers and real-estate salespersons,
it can now get down to the real business at hand! Sidewalks and roads
owed to those who were annexed in over six years ago, "No!" A road
wider then 1? lanes? "No!" Priority one, bottom line and profit.
Sidewalks and roads owed to those who were annexed in over six years
ago!
""The City did however, place ""$6500 to $22,000"" liens on these
homes, for a developers sidewalks that they don't use! Those closest to
113 Th. were hit with the $22,000 welcome to the City gifts?
Need annexation ""question's answered?"" Talk to any of these people
who "asked" to be annexed!
The annexation petition conveniently left out the mandatory map! In
this case, the map showed these two year old homes being torn down for
an arterial road of four lanes wide.
Who spread the petition door to door? The developer of course, who
didn't want the road on his property. His land is still waiting, with a
buffer for more homes, and the liens are no more then "Leave town by
noon notes!" The only service given them by the City, due to there
still wanting that road.
This sad affair can be seen on 36 Th. Street & 113 Ave, under a ? mile,
north of the new elementary school on 113 Th. on the West side of 113
Th.
Ask any of these people about their six years worth of services
received? Plus they're looking at another $25,000 Plus, if they sell,
that's when the sewer lien kicks in.
ALL due to fighting the lose of their homes before the BRB and winning
six years ago.
Careful on the dirt road though, and watch out for the drainage gully's
in their front yards, when trying to park!
This is why a Comp. Plan is so vital. Newly annexed homeowners
""can't"" vote for at least three years. You have no elected
representation, and zoning can be changed in two City Council meetings,
and a paper bag on the back stoop. Your home on an acre could now have
50 new neighbors in months.
Lake Stevens has a standard reply for complaints "If you don't like it
move," on the record!
You won't find high density apartments in the City, another item
planned for the other 72% of the lake, and Frontier Village.
Perks of no Comp. Plan, the City owes 25 + acres of parks and avoided
high density apartments in the City! The City itself is nonconforming
to the GMA!
Remember ""CMC's"" Community Municipal Councils, that can be formed in
the UGA, if you see your area targeted. These can be formed under the
GMA, and submitted to the BRB or Boundary Review Board, before the
annexation hearing.
This falls under the preservation of existing neighborhoods, and allows
the neighborhood to elect a representative to protect your property's
from hostile, desired developer zoning changes.
In short, you won't read about a Walmart going in on your front yard,
or Casino in your back yard until to late. These stay in place UNTIL
your granted the right to vote.
This is why no Comp. Plan has been filed, they don't like showing
promises made, prior to annexation, of say your home is no longer on a
map?
Even it's own citizens, anticipating the public hearing with City Hall
and Lake Steven Sewer District # 8, over the two increase's this year
alone, and many more anticipated, the residents wanted answers.
What they got was a buried notice in the 5/23 Herald, that reported it
as a "Workshop" and of course nothing was stated in it's own City
paper, where these public hearings are normally reported. Most people
look at the Herald late in the day, so same day notice of ANY Council
meeting is a disgraceful at best.
It wasn't just any City Council meeting, but a party with cake and
refreshments being served, as the City handed it's sewer fund over to
Lake Steven Sewer District # 8!
(Lake Steven Sewer District # 8 shouldn't be confused as a city
service, it only uses the areas name.) Lake Steven Sewer District # 8
is a separate taxing district of Snohomish County.
Not only did Lake Steven Sewer District # 8 walk away with the City's
cake and sewer department, the cake and sewer wouldv'e come together
anyway.
It also received the City's sewer fund, that WAS just heralded in the
local paper recently, bragging over the City's being able to acquire a
Triple A rated Bond status for it's $3 million Council-matic Bond that
just voted on by the Council, and $300,000 loan for a City project
overrun.
Rather then admitting to what most City taxpayers already knew, is that
it's budget was in the red. After years of mismanagement, and
squandering the small amounts it charged area developers in mitigation
fee's during it's building boom. It couldn't afford annexations and
required services mandated by the UGA.
With the years of it's own residents paying for developers
infrastructure needs, it needed a cash injection fast, by way of
annexation. The same annexations that call for non-city residents
desiring City services.
With it's first annexation on the books in years, but still no Comp.
Plan, a Comp. Plan is hurriedly cooking in the back room right now.
Both the City Planner and the City Administrator left the City just
recently. What a shame, we might have seen true integrity running out
the door after looking at the highly questionable annexations that were
presented, and named after developers not the residents seeking police
protection.
The annexation, made up of 60 acres, 20+ are parcels recently purchased
by an incorporated outfit without an UBI number on record, and options
to buy at least a dozen or more, many people will be forced into the
City, like it or not.
It begs the question if the taxpayers $3.3 million residing in a much
larger Ex-City sewer fund, wasn't funneled into buying up open, cheaply
appraised farmland?
With no Comp. Plan, they're anticipating taking any UGA annexed tax
funding, and applying it towards building a luxurious hotel on their
18% of the lake front for the weekend collage students boat races.
It is infrastructure of sorts, and these students who travel nation
wide, are used to sleeping in their cars in order to maintain their
amateur status by not excepting any gifts, like hotel rooms.
Frontier Village it's hoped will pay this tab if they can drag them
into the City, like current annexation, or convince them it's cheaper
to be annexed? That's not only an impossibility, but to date not one
WA. State annexation has lowered taxes, with ALL causing taxes to
increase tremendously.
They will say the County squanders the money! Similar to putting their
$3.3 million debt on the shoulders of Frontier Village and UGA
residents sewer bills?
I'm anticipating the developer / real-estate composed Comp. Plan very
soon, and love reading the Sunday funnies like a lot of people.