Press Editorial
September 23, 2008
By Staff
Saving Tiger Mountain best part of land deal
The three-way land deal that will save the lower bench of Tiger Mountain, behind Issaquah High School, is a masterpiece in creative thinking. The Park Pointe development that would have brought 356 homes to the flanks of the Tiger Mountain State Forest will remain open space, an additional 102 acres of wildlife and recreational trails for the Issaquah Alps.
Issaquah does have to make room for future growth, however, and those home sites will be relocated to the Issaquah Highlands, under the deal that includes Highlands developer Port Blakely. The city will allow another 550 homes there, along with another 1.1 million square feet of office space, in exchange for 144 acres of open space — 102 on Tiger Mountain and another 42 owned by Port Blakely.
One of the more controversial aspects of the deal will be the need for King County officials to approve moving the urban growth boundary to enlarge the Highlands by 36 acres. We have repeatedly been reluctant to see that line moved other than for a tweak here and there, but this is the exception to the rule.
Gaining 144 acres of open space for 36 acres of urban density adjacent to good infrastructure makes this a win. It’s the kind of deal that allowed the Highlands to be built in the first place, preserving four acres of open space for every acre of urban development. The planned community already has 1,700 acres of dedicated parks and open space.
But Issaquah has more reasons to like this deal. Port Blakely will make $3 million worth of ball field improvements to Central Park in the Highlands. And Port Blakely will sell 3 acres to the city for a needed human services campus, along with affordable or low-income housing that can be built on upper levels.
We understand the deal has a lot of angles to be worked out before it is reality, but the Park Pointe seller and buyer, and the city, have agreed to an end result. We are hopeful we can soon erase the feared image of housing on the slopes of Issaquah’s stately Tiger Mountain.
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