City Council queasy about Quadrant plans for forest

Published 12:23 pm Thursday, December 11, 2008

By Brian Beckley

The Courier-Herald

Members of the Bonney Lake City Council are considering voting against any rezoning of the Washington State University Demonstration Forest until Quadrant presents the city with plans for the land that they say better meets the city's needs.

"They have to demonstrate that their plan meets the city's needs and goals for that piece of property," Deputy Mayor Dan Swatman said.

"Until they do that … I have not heard any one of the council members in favor of the plan we've seen," he said.

"I don't feel compelled to do anything," agreed Councilman Neil Johnson. "Unless they have a buy-in from the people, it will be no."

Quadrant submitted plans April 27 and a comprehensive plan amendment for the rezoning of the 147-acre forest. The Quadrant plan calls for 30 acres of commercial land along state Route 410 and 30 acres of city park land surrounding 87 acres of single-family residential housing.

Swatman said the maps he has seen do not show the same parks Quadrant showed him earlier this year and said he was not willing to re-zone the land unless the company provides a larger benefit for the city.

Swatman and Johnson said they want Quadrant to build a field complex to be deeded to the city with the land. The proposal states the land will "provide an opportunity for the city to construct a complex" of play fields.

"Unless the citizens of the city want that to be done in that area, the city is not going to side with a developer," Swatman said. "We didn't plan for it to be used for commercial and residential uses."

The forest is presently zoned public facilities, allowing for uses like government buildings, meeting halls, utilities, schools, child care facilities, churches and parks.

Councilman Dave King said he expects a process of negotiation with Quadrant over use and zoning of the forest, though he said there are "flaws" in the plan as initially presented.

"Their 30 acres of passive and active park land, I don't think, is what the council envisions," King said.

King said he had not yet had a chance to fully study the proposal. He also said not rezoning, what he called a "zoning Damocles," is an option the city could use, but it was not yet "timely" to do so this early in the process.

Planning Consultant Susan Enger of the Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington said the city council has the authority - and direction under the state's Growth Management Act - to make decisions about the city land use as a whole.

"It is not the case that any one given property would be entitled to have the land zoned commercially," Enger said.

However, Enger also said it is "pretty clear in case law" that the owner must be left with some reasonable use of the land, otherwise it may be considered a taking.

Quadrant Senior Vice President Wally Costello said it would be premature to discuss any possible reaction to a council decision not to rezone the land. Costello said an information session with city officials and citizens is being scheduled and the company is yet to begin talking with the council about the project.

"We're just starting," he said.

Brian Beckley can be reached at bbeckley@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald.