Is this what it's really about?

Updated - Google views and the County's Master Plan for Wellington Hills Park

* Update * New 1/28/13 version of master plan located lower on page.


There's something honest about an aerial photograph.  Of course you're looking down on the tops of things ... but unlike the limitations of a drive-by view or the simplicity of a plan drawing, you can actually see familiar landmarks and place them in a meaningful picture.

Looking at the Google Map photos of Wellington Hills Park certain things become obvious:

      • Where the park is in the Woodinville - south Snohomish County area.

      • The location and concentration of forested areas within the park.

      • The location of the ex-golf course green areas.

      • The park’s location relative to roads, homes and businesses.

      • The size of near-by structures and parking lots.

Photo 1.
Wellington Hills Park. 240th St. SE goes through the center of the park (east-west).
Costco is on the left side of the photo and Bostian road (75 Ave. SE) is near the right edge.

Photo 1

Photo 2.
Costco, surrounded by Hwy 522 and Route 9.
240th SE is directly across from the main entrance to Costco.

Note:
Costco's parking lot holds approximately 700 cars.
The County is proposing paved parking spaces in Wellington Hills Park for over 700 cars.

Photo 2

Photo 3.
A closer view of the south side of 240th St. SE

This photo shows where the proposed sports fields (seven of them) and a paved parking lot (for 500 vehicles) would be constructed. (Another parking lot would be on the north side of 240th St.)

Note:
To the right side of the old golf course buildings and parking lot, is a forested area. If the proposed sports complex is approved for construction, the trees in this area will be cut down and the area will be dug out and lowered approximately 10-20 feet in depth.  An earthen berm would be built parallel to 240th St.

Photo 3

Photo 4.
A closer view of the north side of 240th St. SE.
71st. Dr. SE is the north/south street, located at the right side of the photo.
The bright roofs are the Primus buildings.

Note:
The proposed 60,000 sq. ft. mountain bike building would be located at the edge of the grassy area at the edge of the forest, left of center in this photo.

A paved parking lot for 250+ cars would be located parallel to the mountain bike building in the grassy area.

Photo 4

New Master Plan 01/28/13

January 28, 2013 Master Plan

For comparison purposes, the older version of the County's Master Plan.

Oct. 2012 Master Plan

NOTE: THE COUNTY'S PLAN IS NOT A DONE DEAL!

Fence - defined, with consequences

fence  

/fens/

Noun
A barrier, railing, or other upright structure, typically of wood or wire, enclosing an area of ground to mark a boundary, control...

Enclosures composed of any substance that will present an adequate blockade around a field, yard, or other such expanse of land for the purpose of prohibiting intrusions from outside.

...

Before the recent cold fog engulfed the area, I had taken a series of photos of the new post fence which lines both sides of 240th St. SE and some of 71st. Dr. SE.

view from 71st Dr. SE near intersection with 240th St. SE

I understand the value of a fence but fences aren’t just for keeping horses from running away or for keeping a dog from visiting the neighbors. Fences are blockades and are meant to separate the inside from the outside.  There’s good reason why prisons and schools have fences.

Of course a case can be made the new post fence is attractive and useful.  On that I agree, but I bet their current “use” is based on litigation reasons and not because it’s pretty. 

The more important issue is - the new fence defines a space (the Wellington Hills Park) which is being proposed as a (non-essential) make-over of the existing park into a commercial sports complex.  

Wellington Hills Park once felt open and inviting and that’s no longer the case, the park now has a significant perimeter fence making an iconic statement that it is a space with limited access.

Undulating terrain now threatened with tree cutting & earth flattening

A fenced natural area ... Of course, if the County prevails with their loony plan to cut down trees and flatten the ground ... the pretty fence will also come down because of movements of the bulldozers and earth movers.

Metal gate and sign of park rules

It’s curious ... isolate with fences, send in the bulldozers, cut down trees and flatten the ground. Hmmmm, the situation, the tools and results sought by land developers.  I wonder ....

all photos by Bill Stankus
1/13

County Public Works, plans for 240th SE

Brad Stoll has been in contact with Steve Dickson, Special Projects Manager, Snohomish County Public Works for the road plan information. Here is a copy of Steve’s email to Brad:

"We are in the preliminary stages of design for the 240^th Street SE improvements. We will be widening the road from the Snohomish Woodinville Road to the top of the hill at the west side of the park. The project will widen both the existing narrow lanes and will provide a sidewalk on the north side of the road. A new turn lane will be provided on 240^th Street SE at the signalized intersection with Sno-Wood Road. These improvements will connect to the new roundabout to be constructed at the west side of the park to provide park access and to walkways built with the park.

Public Works is also designing traffic calming measures for 240^th Street SE. The plan is to construct a raised speed table at the intersection with 71^st Drive SE and speed humps for traffic calming west of the intersection and east of the intersection. In addition, we will soon be installing vehicle activated speed signs on 240^thStreet SE and 75^th Avenue SE to address concerns we have heard from neighbors about existing operating speeds on these roads.

You can keep up to date as our design project progresses by visiting our website at:

http://www1.co.snohomish.wa.us/Departments/Public_Works/Services/Roads/Projects/240thwellington.htm

As indicated on the website, if you have further questions you can contact Tina Hokanson, our Communications Specialist for this project."

Thanks for your interest.

Steve Dickson

Special Projects Manager

Snohomish County Public Works

Ph 425-388-6442

Notice of Upcoming Public Meeting

We received this postcard in yesterday's mail (01/17/13).

The notice was a mild surprise because we'd been told there were no more public meetings concerning the master plan.

It's important the neighborhood and local community be represented at these public meetings.

Please, come with your questions and bring your neighbors, friends and family. 


Remember - the sports complex plan IS NOT A DONE DEAL!

for additional information email to: jyap@snoco.org

The proposed Master Plan and one tree

I once lived in an area where logging trucks were a common sight.  The locals referred to the passing trucks as, "the horizontal forest".  Dark humor for a serious issue.

I'm including a blow-up of the latest Snohomish Master Plan sketch.  240th St. SE is centered to the drawing.

Included are: the proposed traffic circle, the proposed pedestrian crossing bridge & circular ramp, the proposed mountain bike building (60' x 100' in size), the proposed dog off leash areas, the proposed sports activity building and partials of the proposed parking lots and sports fields.

The following pictures focus on a single tree - a beautiful western red cedar tree.

Driving in either direction of 240th St. SE, at the western most edge of the ex-golf course, on top of a rolling hill, that's where this tree sits in regal splendor.

                         For location and size of the tree, there's a passing car in the photo.

Standing near the tree and looking towards the fence and a southern part of the Wellington Hills Park

                 If I'm reading the Master Plan sketch correctly - this tree will be cut down.

Despite it's presence, despite it's beauty - it will be removed as part of the planned earth leveling process and such things as traffic circles and pedestrian bridges will replace it.


Photos by Bill Stankus
1/16/13

The Olympics as seen from Wellington Hills Park

January 16, 2013 at approximately 2pm

I was standing on 71st Dr. SE when I took this photo.

Bill Stankus

No place for this

As you enter the parking lot of Wellington Hills Park, looking straight ahead (southward) ,at the edge of the graveled area, stands this nice tree.

If Snohomish County's Dept. of Parks and Wrecks gets approval from the Snohomish County Council, this beautiful cedar tree (and others too) will be cut down.

The ground in the vicinity of this tree will then be dug out - the area will be lowered about 10 - 20 feet in depth (depending on the ground slope and master plan location).

Why, you may ask, will they dig and lower this area?

Because this is the intended location of four artificial turf fields, field lights and in-door sports facility.

Alas, this is just one example of destructiveness associated with their proposed non-essential sports complex.

Don't you think you should be making noise about this extravigant waste of tax payer dollars - all for a non-esspectial sports complex business?

Enough already

Standing at the western edge of Wellington Hills Park and looking down at Route 9 ... the photos are what you see.

Why can't the County keep development where it already is?

Wellington Hills Park is already a park.  Why does the County need to spend hard earned tax payer dollars to tear-up Wellington Hills Park so that they can construct a large scale sports complex?

Once again, here's the County's "Master Plan"

About their comic book looking "Master Plan":

• 7 sports fields with 4 of those covered with artificial turf and surrounded with field lights.

• Paved parking for 700+ cars.  That's about the same number of parking slots as at Costco.

• A commercially operated Mountain Bike Facility that's 60,000 sq. feet in size (100 ft. x 60 ft.).

• It's estimated by the County, 90% of the Sports Complex traffic will enter from Route 9 at 240th (across from Costco).

• This IS a cut and fill project. The current hill and dale topology will be dug out and flattened.

• The "Community Activity Center" is vaguely described but it probably will have toilets (sewer line?) and office spaces for various commercial sports organizations.

• Most of the open space on the north side of 240th is for off-leash dogs.

(I like dogs, we have a dog, but these open pee zones are well known for spreading dog diseases hence our dog will never visit this proposed off-leash area.)

••• All in all, their Master Plan is akin to having a huge White Elephant suddenly at your door demanding you knock-down walls in your house and feed it lots of peanuts and let it sleep on Fido or Fluffy's tiny bed.

Be part of the solution

You’ve heard the old expression, “It ain’t over until it’s over”.

Well, that's the truth regarding the conversion of the Wellington Hill Parks into a mega sports complex.

I’ve been asked, “Isn’t the sports complex a done deal?”

And, “Is anything being done to stop the construction of the sports complex?"

The answers are:

 NO, it is not a done deal.

And, YES, things are being done to stop the ludicrous proposal of a sports complex in the Wellington Hills residential neighborhood.


Another question is, “What can I do to help put a stop to the sports complex plan?

That’s easy - please donate to our legal fund account.  

Everything you donate goes to pay attorney fees.

There's a PayPal button for donations in the right-side column. 

If you want to send a check the information for that is also in the right-side column.

FACT:

• NEIGHBORS TO SAVE WELLINGTON PARK (NSWP) meets on a regular basis. We attend various County meetings, we’ve spoken at numerous Snohomish County Council and Woodinville City Council sessions.

• We’ve invited numerous County officials to speak to us about the Wellington Park issue. 

• We’ve hired a successful land-use attorney as our legal representative.

• We were told bulldozers would begin tearing up the existing Wellington Hills Park this past summer.  That hasn't happened.  

• We know we are working for a good cause but we need your assistance.

• Please donate, because IF this sports complex is built - Woodinville, the Wellington Hills area, the Winsor Park region and the entire stretch of 156th Ave. NE including the Woodinville-Duvall Road, Route 9 regions ... all of us will suffer from excessive road use on weekends and evenings.  There will be traffic congestion and excessive noise, field-light pollution and increased crime. 

...  It's a fact, the bad-idea sports complex will negatively change our way of life.

a small taste of winter

I've mostly been showing scenic views of the ex-golf course ... the old trees, the rolling hills, the green spaces ... that is, the natural features which define Wellington Hills Park.

Since it is early January and winter has teased us with a few cold days, I thought I'd show photos of  the seasonal transitions found throughout park.

                           

                       The following were photographed January 3, 2013 about 11am.

                      It was a lovely day and an enjoyable stroll in Wellington Hills Park.

photos by
Bill Stankus

Once again I congratulate Snohomish County

... because you bought the Wellington Hills Park for the Wellington Hills community.

Thank you for the beautiful Wellington Hills Park!

Southeast corner of the Wellington Hills Park

(There's a sick rumor circulating about a maverick County administrator saying this portion of the Park will be bulldozed for artificial turf with tall field lights.)

I know, that makes no sense to anyone!

Really, who in their right mind would spend millions of tax payer dollars to tear-up an existing park in order to make it into a park?

I'm hopeful the Snohomish County Council will follow the spirit of the King Co. - Sno. Co. Brightwater sewage plant mitigation agreement and do the right thing for the citizens who were the reason for that mitigation agreement.

Yes, Snohomish county Council, it's a brilliant idea to have a green buffer zone between the hubbub of Route 9 and Snohomish County citizens living in the vicinity of 75th (Bostain Road) and the King County residents along 156th into Woodinville (and beyond).

Being nature's caretakers of the Wellington Hills Park will allow people of all ages to enjoy the park, now and for generations to come.


date of photo, 01.03.13
by Bill Stankus

Congratulations Snohomish County ...

YOU OWN A BEAUTIFUL PARK!

photo taken January 3, 2013
by Bill Stankus

The Block wall at Rt. 9 and 240th St. SE. Is it safe?

Now in the Woodinville Patch.

How safe is, "The Great Wall of Woodinville?"

http://woodinville.patch.com/blog_posts/how-safe-is-the-block-wall-located-at-rt-9-240th-st-se

View from Costco parking lot

Two mudslide areas covered in plastic

Closer view of plastic sheet on mudslide

Wellington Hills Business Campus sign

Downhill view of wall along 240th St. SE

Uphill view of wall along 240th St. SE

Block wall detail - flaking

Block wall detail - mud seepage