Growth at heart of Duvall City Council race

Like most cities in far East King County, Duvall's most critical issue is growth. Software engineers, attorneys and other young professionals are settling into subdivisions east of downtown and have transformed the sleepy rural town into a bedroom community.

The city of 5,800 people is about to annex 109 acres south of the city that will bring hundreds more homes, commercial development and a Lake Washington Technical College satellite campus. City officials say Duvall's population will hit 10,000 in the next five years. The three candidates for the only City Council race in the Aug. 21 primary have differing views on how the city should handle the influx of people.

Former City Councilmember Gary Rutledge, Planning Commissioner Anne Laughlin and retired engineer Walt Anderson are vying to replace outgoing Councilmember Heather Page. The top two vote-getters will advance to the Nov. 6 general election.

Laughlin and Rutledge both say they support growth but it can't come at the expense of current residents. They mentioned the crammed intersection of Northeast Big Rock Road and Highway 203 as an example of infrastructure that wasn't designed to serve a growing population.

Rutledge was raised in the Snoqualmie Valley and has run a chiropractic practice in Duvall for about 30 years. He said his campaign is focused on preserving the city's Old Town, a collection of older buildings around Main Street. Some of the neighborhood's streets need to be improved, he said, and a supply yard for the city's public-works department could be used instead for community events or as parking for nearby stores.

Old Town is a "diamond in the rough" that's "been largely forgotten" by city officials, Rutledge said.

Laughlin, a former staffer for U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert, opposed the upcoming annexation as a member of the city Planning Commission. She said that the city has failed to consider adequate transit, parking and roads for the annexation area and that apartment buildings would be built too close to homes.

"Duvall is taking a very dangerous track ... They're not looking far enough down the road," she said.

Laughlin said the council must improve its communication with residents, particularly over growth issues, and create a network of trails, parks and safe sidewalks "so you don't have to get in your car to go to a park."

Rutledge said he hopes the city took a hard look at "infrastructure objectives" for the new development.

The city needs to expand roads, parks and utilities to serve new residents, and communicate with other neighboring cities to ensure their growth doesn't hurt Duvall, he said.

"I believe in growth," he said, "but it's got to be the kind of growth that doesn't diminish our lifestyle."

Anderson has had some recent medical problems and wasn't available for an interview.

In his voters-pamphlet statement, he wrote that his experience operating a small business allowed him to understand "the need to blend fiscal responsibility with operational vision, while always considering the greatest good for our people."

Anderson said the city's rapid growth required "careful project planning based on full, accurate information."

Ashley Bach: 206-464-2567 or abach@seattletimes.com