Black Diamond released a statement regarding the Feb. 15 Growth Management Hearings Board ruling that remanded back to the city the ordinances approving YarrowBay’s The Villages and Lawson Hills developments.
The release, signed by Mayor Rebecca Olness, stated the city’s was addressing “any misconceptions” concerning the board’s ruling.
The city’s analysis of the ruling is the ordinances approving the two master planned developments continue to be “fully intact and fully in effect.”
The statement noted the petitioners, Toward Responsible Development, “specifically asked the Board to invalidate the MPD Permits, and the Board specifically declined to do so.”
The release stated from the city’s perspective, “the effect of the Board’s order is only that the Planning Commission should consider the already-approved MPD Permit ordinances in a legislative public hearing, rather than in a quasi-judicial public hearing, and then forward its recommendations to the City Council for action.”
The city’s position outlined in the release is the process outlined by the board will be followed, “unless the Board’s decision is reversed on appeal.”
Director of legal affairs for YarrowBay, Megan Nelson, wrote in a release dated Feb. 16 the Kirkland developer will be filing an appeal of the board’s decision in superior court.
The board ruled there should have been a hearing before the Planning Commission to receive public comment, followed by a recommendation from the commission sent to the City Council.
In the board’s decision, because those legislative steps were missing the ordinances were sent back to the city for compliance with the Growth Management Act.
