Please read this letter which includes some very revealing information. Dont believe all the misinformation being spread. We are here to truly help you!!! I have attended city council meetings for selfish reasons when my neighborhood’s property was up for re-zoning and new CAO (Critical Areas Ordinances). It was at this time, I realized what the City was going through to develop a growth management plan that was acceptable to King County. I have dealt with King County codes that pertain to development during my career in the geotechnical field, and I know that these codes are among the strictest with regard to protecting the environment. I was impressed how the Council hashed out all of the code changes and created a new development plan that even King County was happy with. It was during these Council meetings, when city planning discussions occurred. Ample time was provided for citizens to weigh in about how our City should be developed in a way that was acceptable to the city as a whole. Many drawings were drawn up, critiqued, changed, tweaked and agreed upon prior to allowing the developer to make semi-final plans for development. I am prompted to write this letter based on a conversation with Black Diamond City Council Candidate Erika Morgan, who paid me a visit Sunday, while I was watching the Seahawk game. She asked me about my viewpoint and we got into a discussion about the proposed development for Black Diamond. She said that the land for the proposed development had not been studied adequately and that she knew the ground was unsuitable for construction. She referenced an old report from the state written about a possible sewage treatment facility that was proposed for my neighbor’s back yard. Apparently the report indicated that the ground was unsuitable for construction. This particular property is located near Rock Creek and was later rezoned with wetland buffers according to the new Black Diamond CAO ordinances. I became angry in the fact that she will take a State report of a particular wetland and extrapolate it to encompass the entire development area and deem it “unsuitable for development“in order to sway our city’s vote in her direction. When I rebutted her argument, that the state’s study for the sewer treatment plan had been directed toward a wetland that was off limits to any new construction, she claimed that no studies had been conducted on the proposed development property. I knew this statement was false. I know that all of the necessary studies have been conducted on the proposed development land. There have been wetland specialist, surveyors, geotechnical reports and civil engineers working to make sure that any possible obstacles are dealt with on a professional level. I feel a person running for office should be honest and educated. Erika tried to sway me by saying that the ground for the proposed development was unsuitable for building on, when in fact that soil has been mined to provide suitable fill for other construction projects. She told me that her fear was that the developer would start the project, realize the ground wouldn’t support the project, then abandon the project for us tax payers to clean up. I’m not sure if there are people out there that would fall for this, but I can’t believe that a city council candidate would go door to door giving misinformation. Please know the facts before you vote. On the other hand, my wife and I have had the opportunity to talk to other candidates running for city council and Ive found they have a much better understanding of the development coming to Black Diamond and arent spreading misinformation to voters. Because of this Bill Roth, Patrick Nelson, Shawn Oglesbee and Mayor Rebecca Olness are getting our votes. Steve Scharf (and wife, Jenni Scharf) WA State Licensed Geologist (#2695) and 11 year Black Diamond Resident
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 17:31:04 +0000