Residents blast rural restrictions

By Ashley Bach
Seattle Times Eastside bureau

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Rural property owners in King County had their last chance yesterday to speak against tough new restrictions that would limit how they can develop their land. And the residents took advantage, speaking to the Metropolitan King County Council for five hours straight about what they see as a land grab by urban politicians.

The meeting capped a series of contentious public hearings on the restrictions going back to last year, and the landowners' arguments did not cover much new ground. But they spoke for the first time to the entire council, which is expected to approve the "critical areas" ordinances Monday.

"[The council members] need to hear us," said Rodney McFarland, president of the Citizens' Alliance for Property Rights. "It's today or nothing."

The three ordinances, covering sensitive areas, stormwater, and clearing and grading, are designed to protect streams and salmon from flooding and drought caused by low-density development, say County Executive Ron Sims and council Democrats.

Under the current version of the plan, rural residents with lots larger than 7 acres would have to leave 65 percent of their land in native vegetation when they develop. Buffers around some rural streams and wetlands would see large increases.

About 90 people spoke about the plan yesterday, and most of them opposed it. They began arriving in the morning and soon filled council chambers and a balcony and conference room two floors above.

Their comments were often heated, and the passion seemed to spread to the council members, whose opinions on the ordinances appear to be split down party lines.

"If you want my property so bad, why don't you pay for it?" said Julie Smith, who lives in the Kent area. "... I've seen some low blows by politicians, but this by far takes the cake."

The critical-areas plan isn't the first land-use decision to affect a group of people, said Councilwoman Julia Patterson, D-SeaTac. Rural residents and other opponents weren't sympathetic when south King County residents unsuccessfully opposed a third runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Patterson said. "None of you came forward to speak on behalf of my people ... " she said. "None of my Republican friends joined me."

Joe Ryan, president of the Washington Environmental Council, said salmon numbers are dwindling, and they need help. "This ordinance is critical for salmon recovery in our region."
 
The Democrat-controlled council probably won't make radical changes to the ordinances when they come up Monday, but 27 amendments were proposed yesterday. These range from grammatical fixes to an increase in urban wetland buffers and a smaller increase to rural wetland buffers.

Rural landowners said the fight won't be over even if the ordinances become law. Residents are already being asked to contribute to a legal fund that would challenge the new plan in court, McFarland said.

"Voluntary compliance? Forget it," Carnation-area resident Preston Drew told the council. "Lawsuits? You bet."

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