Citizens, engineers talk traffic at open houses
September 23, 2008
Get involved
Intelligent Transportation System open house
46 p.m. Oct. 2, Council Chambers City Hall South, 4135 E. Sunset Way.
A series of open houses about the city’s Intelligent Transportation System has succeeded in attracting citizens who want to know more about it or suggest improvements, including possible traffic snapshots from Web cameras.
Mountain dwellers Squak for transit bus service
September 23, 2008
Squak Mountain residents who long for bus service, take heart. The city is exploring options for exactly that.
At a Sept. 11 meeting of the Council Transportation Committee, Transportation Manager Gary Costa outlined some ideas. These include adding to the Route 200 circulator bus; adding to the Metro Route 927 bus, which now runs from Sammamish to downtown Issaquah; starting a dial-a-ride service; starting a ride-share van service; and establishing a “good neighbor” carpooling organization.
Each option has its good and bad points, and none has been analyzed in detail. But at first glance, certain issues were obvious.
City to build Newport Way hiking, biking trail
September 23, 2008
With a simple switcheroo of funds, the city has found money to build a “missing link” section of
Press Editorial
September 23, 2008
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.
Letters To The Editor
September 23, 2008
Gary Moore
Issaquah High coach’s legacy deserves changing name of football stadium
After reading Gary Moore’s obit last week and news articles, I believe Gary’s attributes as an Issaquah High School coach and teacher are worthy of a stadium name change. While Read more
Public Meetings
September 23, 2008
Sept. 24
Parks & Recreation
Public meeting about the 2008 Aquatic Feasibility Study
7 to 8:30 p.m.
Tibbetts Creek Manor
750 17th Ave. N.W.
Human Services Commission
7 to 9 p.m.
City Hall, Coho Room
130 E. Sunset Way
Cascade Water Alliance
Board of Directors
3:30 p.m.
Bellevue City Hall, Room 1E-108
450 110th Ave. N.E.
Bellevue
Issaquah School District
Board of Directors
7:30 p.m.
Administration Building
565 N.W. Holly Street
Sept. 25
Cable TV Commission
6:30 to 9 p.m.
City Hall, Coho Room
130 E. Sunset Way
Planning Policy Commission
Agenda: Land Use Code amendments: transportation concurrency
6:30 to 9 p.m.
City Hall South, Council Chambers
135 E. Sunset Way
Oct. 1
Council Transportation Committee
5 to 7 p.m.
City Hall Northwest, Pickering Room
1775 12th Ave. N.W.
Development Commission
7 to 9 p.m.
City Hall South, Council Chambers
135 E. Sunset Way
Eastside Fire & Rescue
Board of Directors
3:30 p.m.
Headquarters Station
175 Newport Way N.W.
