Reject the proposed School Woods plan

I am writing this to express my opposition to the proposed plan for the School Woods.  Beyond the loss of trails, the increased residential and “cut-through” traffic through two established neighborhoods, and the violation of existing wetlands, it is a shame to have lost a potential open space and park area.

This is especially true in a city having the least park land of any in the area  (4.7 acres of park acreage per 1,000 residents in Newcastle, compared to Renton’s 12.7 acres and Bellevue’s 21.2).

Further, the proposed development shows a complete lack of imagination and respect for the land. The site plan as it stands is in the perfect image of California practice:  Flatten for building pad, drop, flatten for building pad, drop again, flatten for building pad, drop again, etc., extending over the entire site. This is a forced, high-density housing development that shows little or no sympathy and respect for existing neighborhood ambiance.

The only unbuilt land shown on the proposed plot plan is that which is considered unbuildable and is thus entitled variously “Open Space” and “Recreation.” One chain-link fenced “Water Retention” pond is actually located precisely where there now stands the largest Douglas fir timber on the site (or in the area), a stand that could be easily preserved. Further, it appears that both “Water Retention” ponds do no more than serve to collect drainage directly from the street system and disgorge it onto adjacent lands outside the limits of the development.

So much for the enhancement of Newcastle.

Please reject this plan.

Tom Liethen

Newcastle

Thanks, elected officials, for speed humps

I want to thank the mayor and City Council for the level of concern extended to the residents of Southeast 74th and Southeast 75th street corridors in relation to the installation of speed humps to slow traffic down for our safety.

Although I am disappointed at Carol Simpson’s response that she was “tired of paying for repair costs to her car due to the speed humps in her neighborhood currently,” I am very pleased the balance of the City Council members voted in favor of installing speed humps as a permanent solution to the high rate of speed exhibited on our streets and to bring us in line with what every other street has for safety in and out of our neighborhood.

We thank the City Council for working with us to find a solution.

Kelly Clark

Newcastle

Our neighborhoods are Newcastle’s real identity

Almost three decades ago, a small group of local visionaries carved a modern-day vision of Newcastle out of rural King County. Doing so, we placed our bets on the wisdom and ideals of our old-timers. Most of their wisdom and ideals are contained in the original Newport Hills incorporation study. So, what did we learn?

We learned that our current and newer neighborhoods could never be just ZIP codes. Many of our other areas would develop and evolve into beautiful, successful and stable neighborhoods, but they had to be sub-parts of the bigger picture — our city as a whole. There would be very real, future restrictive “location demographics” that could forever affect us, but we could survive, depending on the ongoing concern from our locals.

Additionally, allowing outsiders to redevelop, in our neighborhoods, could change the fundamental dynamics of how and where we live. Our way of life could become somewhat transitory, if those outsiders can readily exploit it. The respect for our future, therefore, must come from inside, because we’re betting that our leaders and staff will honor the wisdom in the founder’s visions.

Newcastle neighborhoods are not just places on a city zoning map. They are living entities, created and built over time, by caring people. Most of our neighbors cherish what they have accomplished, and many want to be able to live here a long time, around friends and neighbors.

Newcastle needs the value its neighborhoods contribute to community stability; that’s what they do. We appoint city leaders, specifically to represent us, thus our citizens should reasonably expect them to have concern for existing neighborhood community connections. These connections are very personal. They must never be secondary to redevelopment processes or someone recreating part of our city vision, either for personal gain or exploiting a new dream, of what might be.

Our original vision is a living history of why we are a city. It belongs to all of us. Those seeking new opportunities or just passing through should consider leaving it alone.

Giles Velte

Newcastle

The independent technical consultant hired by the city of Bellevue to assess the need for PSE’s “Energize Eastside” project, U.S.E., was expected to do its own independent future peak load forecast. Instead, it reviewed PSE’s forecast and found it “reasonable.”

If you want a second opinion from a doctor, would you be satisfied if he/she just looked at the medical records from the first doctor and thought her diagnosis was “reasonable”?

What U.S.E. finds “reasonable” is PSE’s new forecast of electricity demand growing at 2.4 percent per year from 2014-2024. By comparison, Seattle City Light is forecasting demand growth of 1.2 percent for Seattle. Why can’t we get independent verification that the Eastside is now growing twice as fast as booming Seattle? That seems totally implausible.

The big mantra for PSE is “reliability.” It’s as if we should double the width of our freeways because once a year there might be a huge traffic jam if both Safeco and CenturyLink stadiums emptied at the same time. Does that sound like sane highway planning?

Are we so lacking resource and imagination that an overkill of poles and wires is the only solution? There are more flexible and less costly alternatives.

Larry Johnson

Newcastle

Thank you. It has been an honor and a privilege to represent you for two terms on the Newcastle City Council. I will not be seeking re-election in the upcoming election.

I first ran for office because the city budget was out of control, and a majority on the council had lost touch with the people they represented. In the past eight years, we have made the necessary changes to the budget in a way that allows us to live within our means. We also have a city manager and staff that make customer service a priority and recognize everyone at City Hall is there to serve the community.

New perspectives and varied experiences on a council can make government better. I hope an open seat will encourage more people to run for office. My public service will continue as a trustee at Harborview Medical Center and on the UW Medicine/Valley Medical Center board.

I encourage anyone who is considering leadership in his or her community to learn more about the City Council. It is a great way to get to know the amazing people that live here and to have an influence in shaping the future of our city. I’d be happy to talk to anyone who is interested.

Lisa Jensen

269-3201

lisajensen3@hotmail.com

The Newcastle City Council recently voted to purchase a maintenance and storage building from the Coal Creek Utility District. In exchange for receiving a discounted price, the city agreed to a 10-year moratorium on the potential assumption of direct responsibility for water and sewer services.

Several current and former members of the City Council have registered vocal objections. They argue that the agreement is (a) illegal because it encumbers future councils, (b) unwise because it takes a reasonable option off the table and (c) it’s an unnecessary expense.

Limitations on future council action are neither illegal nor unusual. The city occupies office space under a long-term lease. Commitments to purchase and maintain our parks and to upgrade Coal Creek Parkway affected budgets over several years. Any issuance of municipal bonds requires repayment over an extended period. And the city attorney (an actual lawyer) approved the purchase.

It is true that the agreement delays a potential city takeover of the utilities. But as I understand, this possibility has been discussed and debated since incorporation, with no resolution in sight. The moratorium will provide more time to consider what is truly best for the city.

Finally, while the purchase of the building involves a cash outlay, it is not an expense. It is simply a conversion of assets from cash to real estate. If and when the city found itself short of funds, the building could be sold and our coffers restored. And since the negotiated purchase price for the property is well below what the parties believe to be its market value, the city could pocket the difference as a windfall.

I understand that this is an election year, and that potential candidates are in search of controversial issues on which to base their campaigns. This should not be one.

John Gordon

Newcastle

Editor’s Note: John Gordon is the husband of Newcastle City Councilwoman Carol Simpson.

As a resident and a physician, I am very concerned about Puget Sound Energy’s Energize Eastside Program.

What started as a far-sighted request to upgrade an aging infrastructure and plan for future growth has been hijacked into an oversized project that benefits a foreign-owned private corporation (PSE) as it prepares to divest in 2017.

Local needs have been expanded into a crisis, and we Eastside residents are being asked to pay for a vastly oversized project that seems more suited to transferring power between Canada and California than meeting our expected growth.

The Coalition of Eastside Neighbors for Sensible Energy has enlisted the talents of Eastside residents, including electrical engineers and people who have worked in the power industry, and have unearthed documents, data and have subsequently proposed an alternative solution. This can all be viewed at its website, cense.org.

The articles written to date on this subject have emphasized the PR tag lines that PSE has continually repeated. I guess if you repeat something often enough, it eventually becomes the truth. Frankly, it boggles my mind why a journalist wouldn’t delve a little deeper into the topic to expose other possible motives…especially when much of the work has been done already.

Once again it’s left up to the people. I urge all of you to visit cense.org to educate yourselves about what is about to happen to our cities.

Richard Kaner

Bellevue

Tell your representatives what you want for your city

As Newcastle claimed its place as a true “city,” a vision was conceived for its Community Business Center. The manifestation of this vision was to be a town center that would “serve as the civic, business and cultural center of the city.”

The urban design elements for this center would incorporate the community’s goals of protecting natural spaces and developing pedestrian-friendly connections between these areas and throughout the commercial zone. End result: a vibrant community with services close to home in a beautiful setting. “The best of both worlds,” as the saying goes.

Another often-used saying is that “the devil is in the details.” In order to guide developers’ efforts, very complicated codes were put in place in 2007 to address building heights and densities in the city’s development zones. Not every possible application of these codes was envisioned nor impact to peripheral single-family neighborhoods was vetted.

Now, our Newport Woods community is facing the unintended consequence of the application of these codes with a potentially devastating and permanent impact to our neighborhood. Goodman Real Estate has submitted plans to develop a six-story, 76-residential unit, multiuse building on less than an acre and just feet from our homes.

This building will obtrusively tower over our community, invading privacy, increasing noise and traffic, and potentially posing a hazard to the adjacent Olympic pipeline. We are heartbroken but we are trying to work with GRE to gain mutually acceptable modifications to this site that can best meet the needs of all parties involved.

Presently, the City Council is reviewing the Comprehensive Plan for Newcastle as well as the governing development codes. The current development plans for the city will add more than 1,100 residential units to Newcastle presumably vested into current codes. New development and future redevelopment will be affected by decisions made now.

Already, very big changes are coming to the city. Tell your representatives what you want for your city. No matter your position, it is critical that you get involved and let your voices be heard. Do not let your community or our city become victim to “unintended consequences.”

Jessaca Jacobson

Newport Woods

The recent announcement that our city commissioners voted to prohibit consideration of the possible establishment of state-monitored and state-taxed retail outlets for marijuana constitutes a vote to continue the monopoly of the illegal dug trade.

Despite the democratic vote of the public to legalize limited recreational use and sale of marijuana under controlled conditions designed to protect the public and our children, our commissioners voted to act against the public’s will by placing a moratorium on considering retail outlets in Newcastle.

This appears to be a misguided intention to keep marijuana out of Newcastle.

Wake up. Like alcohol, the public (including Newcastle residents) has used marijuana for years and will continue to do so. The only question is where they will buy it and if the state has a chance to control that. It is critical to understand this is not a question of supporting or stopping marijuana.

This letter is not to support the use of marijuana. Rather it is to recognize what the prosecutor’s office has recognized, what the bar association has recognized (both major supporters of the legislation), what our legislators have recognized and what the public has recognized — responsible use of marijuana (like alcohol) is possible.

What the above groups have also recognized (and we have seen from innumerable studies and research) is the black market and criminal prosecution of marijuana’s purchase and use is damaging to individuals and needlessly wastes our police, courts and tax resources.

This letter is to point out what seems to have been missed — preventing legal, controlled sales in Newcastle continues the black market monopoly that does not respect the laws prohibiting sales near our children’s schools and parks nor the laws requiring reporting, tracking and taxation.

Illegal marijuana dealers must be rejoicing over this decision to allow them to maintain their monopoly, control and market. As a parent and member of the community, I cringe.

Richard Cole

Newcastle

Thanks for your first-rate coverage of the departure of Mark Rigos, Newcastle’s Public Works director. Mark is an extraordinary individual who made a huge positive impact on the city and its residents, especially in expanding and improving Newcastle’s trail system, as members of Newcastle Trails can attest.

Projects that had been deferred for years were completed during Mark’s three-year tenure, often on his initiative (without prodding from Newcastle Trails). These included easements for the Horse Trail, drainage on the Highlands Trail, and surveys that helped prevent encroachment on our parks and trails.

Mark played a major role in the completion of the May Creek Trail, and cooperated effectively with the city of Renton in planning a May Creek Greenway from Lake Washington to Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park. His efforts have ensured the near-term completion of Newcastle’s part of the Greenway from Renton to Cougar Mountain. His support — with negotiations, logistics and materials — has been vital to our 2014 work in extending the CrossTown Trail Southeast from Newcastle Vista.

Mark accelerated trail construction and improvement by making effective use of city staff and outside agencies (like the Washington Conservation Corps) and working closely with Newcastle Trails and other trail supporters (including the Boy Scouts and Weed Warriors). He provided material support to volunteer work parties, and applied his engineering skills to construction problems on the May Creek Trail and elsewhere.

Mark is a great communicator, sometimes beyond any reasonable expectation. An email sent to him at 6 p.m. on a Friday might well get a clear, detailed reply a short time later. And be followed up by action. He was proactive: If something of interest to Newcastle Trails reached him, he’d send a message right away, with relevant documents attached.

Mark is a nice guy who finishes first, with a great work ethic and exceptional gifts in people skills, management ability and engineering expertise. We wish him well in his new job. The city hit a home run when they hired him: We hope our heavy hitters can score again with his successor.

Garry Kampen

President, Newcastle Trails

Other Energy Eastside options need to be studied independently

Puget Sound Energy’s Energize Eastside Community Advisory Group process is deeply flawed and does not represent the preferences of the neighborhoods. It is now well-acknowledged that the data collected is statistically invalid, as even PSE’s own CAG representative said it is “meaningless to the process of scoring neighborhood values for the purposes of determining a preferred route.”

PSE unilaterally eliminated several viable alternative solutions to support growth on the Eastside before it began the CAG process.

The neighborhood members of the CAG respectfully ask all five cities to formally notify PSE that the CAG process does not represent the will of the neighborhoods, that this project would significantly violate neighborhood character, and to either stop wasting time on it or restart it with other options for the CAG to consider.

There are too many non-neighborhood stakeholders on the CAG and not enough of the affected neighborhoods are represented, thus PSE stacked the deck against the neighborhoods. PSE and its consultant Enviroissues have purposely manipulated a process that is not fair, accurate, thorough or transparent.

The neighborhoods need the city of Bellevue (the lead agency) to have several other options independently studied prior to the Environmental Impact Statement and State Environmental Policy Act review process commencing.

The PSE Community Advisory Group Members and/or Alternates signed below:

Steve O’Donnell, Somerset, Ruth Marsh, Somerset, John Merrill, Somerset, Norm Hansen, Bridle Trails, Warren Halverson, Bridle Trails, Lindy Bruce, Sunset Hills, Dick Morris, Sunset Hills, David T. Edmonds, Olympus, Sean McNamara, Olympus, Larry Johnson, Olympus, Jeff Dubois, Greenwich Crest, Scott Kaseburg, Lake Lanes, Donald Miller, Lake Lanes, Sally McCray, Lake Lanes, Dr. Richard Kaner, Lake Lanes, Darius Richards, Kennydale, Mark Hancock, Kennydale

Puget Sound Energy plans to more than double the power lines in height and in voltage will not only increase the potential ills effects on our health in Olympus, but will destroy the natural beauty of our area.

Our skyline will be blocked by these ugly structures, and the property values will impact not only the homes by the power lines, but for the entire area. Keep in mind that property values are not isolated, but reflect the demand for housing and the prices that future homeowners will be willing to pay.

PSE’s unattractive power lines will deter many from buying homes in our area, so it behooves us all to get involved and fight their intrusion in our lives.

Carmen Cieslar

Olympus, Newcastle

Power-line project is just all-wrong for Olympus

In the 27 years I have lived in Olympus, I’ve known seven people with cancer — and five lived along the 115kV power lines we have currently — my own electromagnetic fields study. We have paid property taxes since 1929 on their easements without compensation. HUD and some will not loan or provide mortgages to homes with high-voltage power poles nearby that could fall over and hit them. Ninety-five-foot to 125-foot poles will hit a home in Olympus if they fall.

Crazy that they design to wind and ice conditions and not as concerned with earthquake damage — especially along a gas pipeline and along a major earthquake fault line. Of course, PSE says it will be around for years — does it matter to any of us when dead if PSE is around? They will spread the cost of any catastrophic compensation they have to pay to all their ratepayers — because they can.

People have no voice. PSE is like running into a brick wall. If you aren’t a bird, fish or tree — you don’t count. PSE holds all the cards — they can do what they want and will — and we have to all pay the price for their profit. They never compensate — unless they condemn your property — which they keep reminding us!

They are almighty, can do no wrong, they are a large business and get a free pass. People can’t oppose them; the cities won’t stand up to them or the state. They are a privately owned Australian company profiting from us.

If they don’t condemn my house for this project — I should just feel blessed to stay in my home that I have spent 27 years making it me. They could never pay enough for my upgrades — roofing, siding, deck, kitchen, bathroom remodeling, carpeting, yard, natural habitat and beautiful view of Mount Rainier, and all the wonderful neighbors I have had over the years. It makes safety, health, views, quality of life seem insignificant just to be able to continue to live here. So, is this where PSE wants us to get in the process? The wearing down of human beings.

Sue Stronk

Newcastle

Puget Sound Energy’s proposal to replace the current 115 kV overhead power line with 230 kV lines on taller poles does not consider the negative impact on our community. Overhead power lines do not belong in residential areas for the following reasons:

•  Exposure to electromagnetic fields has been linked to increased rates of certain cancers, such as leukemia in children and cancers of the lymph and diseases of central nervous systems in adults.
• Inhaling charged particles/pollutants around power lines has been linked to an increase in free radicals and many adverse health effects, such as cancer.
•  interference with implanted pacemakers and defibrillators.
•  power line noise.
•  aesthetics.
•  impact on views.
•  All of the above contribute to significantly reduced residential property values.

Overhead power line supporters say studies of electromagnetic fields on health have been inconclusive. Studies of tobacco smoke were also inconclusive for decades before undeniable links to cancers and other serious health conditions were identified.

The EPA and the EU have developed recommendations and regulations for limiting exposure to EMF, as have 29 forward-looking nations and several states in the US. They would not do that unless EMF was of serious concern.

Power line “M” runs in the same easement as 50-year-old fuel pipelines to SeaTac. This easement goes through dense residential developments. An accident when replacing the current H-poles with the proposed taller steel monopoles would be catastrophic.

The average dollar/square-foot home value in Newcastle is higher because people paid more for homes with views of the Cascades and Mount Rainier. The proposed taller monopoles and wires will destroy these views for more homes, which will drive down the values of those homes and also affect the average dollar/square foot. Declining home values are the beginning of community decline.

Assuming PSE’s demand forecast for this area is realistic and not driven by other motives, I request the increased capacity be met with community-friendly solutions rather than the 230kV (and even higher voltage later) overhead line, which will destroy the quality of life and property values of Newcastle residents.

A. Roosme

Olympus neighborhood

Community made Big Book Sale a big success

The Friends of the Newcastle Library wish to thank everyone in our community, and the surrounding areas of Bellevue and Renton, who helped to make our second Big Book Sale a resounding success.

The donors who gave thousands of books and the buyers who were happy to find and purchase them each contributed greatly. A small but dedicated group of volunteers made the connection between donors and buyers possible.

Over the three and a half days of the sale, we were able to raise almost half of our annual budget. Every cent that we raise is dedicated to support programs at the Newcastle Library.

Our second annual meeting is coming up May 28. We will celebrate a year of solid accomplishments, topped by having received our official nonprofit 501(c)3 status from the IRS. Please join us in the meeting room at the Newcastle Library, starting at 7 p.m.

Again, a big thank you to the reading and learning community that we serve!

Julia Hunter, president

Friends of the

Newcastle Library