The Greater Maple Valley Unincorporated Area Council held its regular monthly meeting Nov. 1. The major topic discussed was King County Storm Water Management.
King County Surface Water Management
Joanna Richey, assistant director of the Water and Land Resources Division (WLRD) of King County’s Department of Natural Resources and Parks discussed Storm Water Management throughout the County. WLRD works in partnerships to: sustain healthy watersheds; protect wastewater systems; minimize flood hazards; protect public health and water quality; preserve open space, working farms, and forests; ensure adequate water. WLRD also manages the county-wide Flood Control District.
Storm water discharges are generated by runoff from land and impervious areas such as paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops during rainfall and snow events. Such discharges often contain pollutants in quantities that could adversely affect water quality and, thus, public safety. The many impervious surfaces we have in our built environment tend to concentrate storm water flow and can cause flooding.
Storm water is managed by the state, but each jurisdiction provides local services through its State storm water discharge permits. For all of the unincorporated area, King County provides such services which include regulations based on adherence to the Western Washington Storm Water Design Manual; best management practices to protect the public; capital projects to repair storm and flooding damage and prepare for future events and engineering studies and monitoring to prioritize problems and take a pro-active approach to solving them.
The state Department of Ecology regulates storm water under Federal Clean Water Act permit authority. The current DOE permit ends in 2011. A new five-year permit, 2012-2016, will be in review in 2011 with similar requirements to the current permit. The permit allows discharge of storm water in national systems such as lakes and rivers. Local storm water management deals with tributaries, not the major rivers (e.g., Cedar, Green, etc.), which are under the purview of the Flood Control District.
Local jurisdictions levy surface water management (SWM) fees through the property tax. SWM fees are uniform for all single-family residential properties within a jurisdiction, such as unincorporated King County. For commercial properties, SWM fees are variable based on amount of impervious surface and, thus, contribution to storm water collection and concentration. Property owners can receive discounts.
In 2010 about $19 million was collected in SWM fees for all of unincorporated King County. For 2011, due to annexations, SWM fee collections are expected to drop to about $17 million. The King County Council is now considering an increase in SWM fees for 2011 to cover the backlog of capital projects. For single-family residential properties in unincorporated King County the SWM fee increase under consideration is $32 per parcel. The council voted to submit a letter to the King County Council requesting such an increase be opposed for 2011.
More detailed information on King County storm water services can be found at www.kingcounty.gov/environment/waterandland/stormwater.aspx.
Yarrow Bay Master Planned Developments
Draft development agreements for the two Yarrow Bay-proposed master planned developments (MPDs) in Black Diamond were submitted to city staff on Sept. 21 and made available for public review. The Draft agreements provide details on the proposed phasing, plans, designs and road changes.
A comprehensive review of the draft agreements is being conducted by citizens, who will submit their questions/comments to city staff by the Nov. 5 deadline set by the city. City staff will then work with Yarrow Bay to finalize the agreements. It is expected that open record hearings on those finalized agreements, in which any member of the public can participate, will commence shortly after the first of the year before the hearing examiner.
• 13th annual model train show
The 13th annual Maple Valley Operating Model Train Show held at the Gracie Hansen Community Center in Ravensdale on Saturday, Oct. 16, and Sunday, Oct. 17 was a success. More than 500 members of the greater Maple Valley community enjoyed the a wide variety of exhibits, model train layouts and prizes.
Peter Rimbos,
Corresponding secretary
Greater Maple Valley Area Council</strong?
