Plateau projects survive

Published 12:25 pm Thursday, December 11, 2008

State budget has loan for Enumclaw treatment plant

By Kevin Hanson

The Courier-Herald

A healthy number of Plateau projects were included in the multi-billion dollar capital construction budget adopted over the weekend by members of the state Legislature.

Hitting closest to home was a $9.75 million, low-interest loan earmarked for the city of Enumclaw, to help with needed improvements to the municipal wastewater treatment plant. Growth in the community is at a standstill until upgrades can be made to the plant, and the city expects to begin construction later this year.

The state loan - through the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development - could ease the financial burden a bit on city ratepayers.

"Although we didn't get all of the projects we requested, we did make some significant progress toward securing funding for some of the most important projects within the district," said Rep. Dan Roach, a Bonney Lake Republican.

Other projects that were included in state budget included:

€ Rainier School - $4.6 million for wastewater treatment plant construction.

€ Flaming Geyser State Park - $660,000 for a comfort station and $185,000 for bridge construction and stream improvements.

€ Kanaskat-Palmer State Park - $1.4 million for campground expansion.

€ Buckley Foothills Trail extension - $123,442.

€ Green River Gorge land acquisition - $1.5 million.

€ Green River Community College - almost $29 million for construction of a science building and other projects.

Kevin Hanson can be reached at khanson@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald.