The Summit Place puzzle pieces are in motion following a flurry of activity at the King County Council Monday and Tuesday.

The latest information is the city of Maple Valley, YarrowBay and King County will return to the negotiating table concerning the property.

The plan is for both residential and commercial development on the 156-acre site, located near 228th Avenue Southeast and Southeast 272nd Street, known as the donut hole.

The purchase and sale agreement between King County and YarrowBay, the memorandum of agreement involving the three parties and the interlocal agreement between the city and King County will be back on the table.

The Maple Valley City Council approved a resolution June 22 authorizing City Manager David Johnston to sign a joint plan for Summit Place.

The Council passed the resolution on a 6-1 vote with Councilman David Pilgrim dissenting.

The agreement was to go before the King County Council prior to the August recess, and if it passed, annexation of the site would have been completed by the end of the year.

The interlocal agreement for a joint plan was to go before the King County Council Committee as a Whole. The measure was pulled from the committee agenda prior to the Tuesday meeting, throwing the city annexation schedule of the site by the end of the year out the window.

YarrowBay signed a purchase agreement with the King County to purchase the property for $51 million.

A series of fiery letters between YarrowBay Managing Partner Brian Ross dated June 30 and a response letter from Mayor Laure Iddings prompted question about the annexation of the site by Maple Valley and if the project would go forward or if YarrowBay would walk away.

As the three parties came to the edge and looked over, it was decided it was time to lower the blood pressure and reassess.

Idding said the city is committed to the project and working through the issues.

Ross said he met with the mayor and city staff and “had a great meeting.”

He said the plan is to meet over the next couple of weeks to get the details worked out. He said YarrowBay is “happy with the joint plan” the problem is with “the timing. The goal is to reduce tension and give us time to do this right for Maple Valley and YarrowBay.”