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The following letter and signed petitions
were sent to the Snohomish County Council and Governor Gregoire:
Dear Snohomish County Council Members:
This letter is to
serve as an introduction to the concerns, beliefs and desires to retain a way
of life for the persons signing this Petition.
The foothills of the mountains are an important part of life in Western Washington.These
areas play host to a variety of wildlife. To see a black bear fishing for salmon
along our creeks is not unusual. The eagles have now returned to many areas.
A small pack of coyote, a cougar or a bobcat may come to visit from time to
time.
Persons residing in the rural areas of Snohomish County do so because it is
a way of life. Areas that were zoned rural residential 5 acres (R5) are now
becoming large housing developments under Rural Cluster Housing. A Bulletin
published by Snohomish County shows that a single 5 acre parcel can now be
divided into 2 lots with approximately half of the parcel remaining as Open
Space or Native Growth Protection.
The Legislature passed Growth Management with the understanding that no one
was allowed to challenge the law. Snohomish County continues to challenge the
law every time it accepts another application for Rural Cluster Housing. This
same Rural Cluster Housing Ordinance is allowing a 40 acre parcel to become
wall to wall houses and utilize another seperate 20 acre parcel for the required
open space / native growth protection area.
Our salmon
are starting to return to many creeks and rivers. Both the Federal
and State governments continue to spend our tax dollars to clean
up Puget Sound while Surface Water Management for Snohomish
County is working with property owners to clean up creek banks
and plant more trees. Then developers create large poorly designed
retention/detention ponds that slowly leach all the run-off
from motorized vehicles, fertilizers & pesticides into the
soil and eventually into our streams.
Large housing developments belong in areas where the infrastructure does include
storm and sanitation sewers.
If you are concerned about over development in our rural areas
please contact the officials listed below and let them know that we need to repeal
Chapter 30.41C SCC -- Rural Cluster Housing Ordinance
CONTACT COUNTY COUNCIL
Councilman DAVE SOMERS
Councilman BRIAN SULLIVAN
Councilman MIKE COOPER
Councilman JOHN KOSTER
Councilman DAVE GOSSETT
County Executive AARON REARDON
Senator 39th District VAL STEVENS
Representative 39th District DAN KRISTIANSEN
Representative 39th District KIRK PEARSON
Representative 44th District HANS DUNSHEE
Here's some more useful links:
WRITE LETTERS TO THE DAILY HERALD
WRITE LETTERS TO THE STANWOOD/CAMANO NEWS
WRITE LETTERS TO THE MARYSVILLE GLOBE
WRITE LETTERS TO THE MONROE MONITOR
And some more:
http://7-lakes.org/
http://www.futurewise.org/
http://www.cascadeland.org/
THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!
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