I am grateful the City Council for Maple Valley did have a public hearing tonight (Monday) regarding the Donut Hole also known as Summit Place. It allowed citizens to ask for greater library services in the south end of town and it allowed for me to go to the microphone with the following cautionary comments as citizen advocate.

Regarding transportation impacts, delivery of an adequate police force to provide public safety and whether the amenities requested like parks and recreation locations, ball fields and trails will ever actually be delivered. We truly do not know!

The rapid pace of this three way deal has left us knowing one thing for sure and that is we are adding population and the issues density brings without a lot of assurances. The time frames are moving forward at a dizzying pace and there will be public comment and hearings but in the meantime we might not have too many choices in the matters mentioned.

I cautioned council that in the haste to comply with a tight time frame that they not jump over data, or even worse the will of the people… you the citizens of Maple Valley.

I asked for cost projections and assessment of data regarding cost to be delivered out to you as well as a better understanding of two phrases that are tossed around without definition. These two phrases are affordable housing and work-force housing. The density is mind numbing, but only one council member stood firm on his objection of the density levels and that was Dave Pilgrim. History and hindsight is always 20/20. I do believe in the long run Dave Pilgrim is going to be proven wise in times of tight time frames. Is it enough for us to just sit back and agree as citizens? We just don’t know? We don’t know the costs and we don’t know who is paying for what?

Stanette Marie Rose

Maple Valley