Commercial Expansion in Maltby Continues

Dear Neighbor, 

The allure of converting residential zoning to commercial zoning to increase property value led many Maltby neighbors to apply for a zoning change with the county last year.  The request was denied but will resurface in the near future.

Residential properties bordering such a change would see a decrease in property value while those receiving a zoning change would likely realize an increase in property value.  This simply results in moving equity from one property to another. Properties bordering new commercial zoning boundaries will feel compelled to make the same request causing a cascade of commercial zoning growth in Maltby.  This scenario is already playing out.

In 2007 there was a proposal to expand the Maltby Urban Growth Area (UGA) by 5 acres.  The request was denied.

In 2008 there was a bolder request to expand the Maltby UGA by over 30 acres.  This would have converted residential zoning land to the west of 87^th Ave SE and to the north of 206^th St SE into commercially zoned lots.  Had this been accepted by the county numerous residential lot owners would have suddenly found themselves sharing a property line with a commercial property, possibly a truck yard guarded by cyclone and razor wire (as Ralph’s Concrete Pumping installed).

Although the 2008 request was denied, it will return with likely even more landowners representing many more acres signing on.  More commercial zoning will of course bring more truck traffic to Maltby. 

Did you know that residential zoning (R-5) like we live on can be converted to a tow yard facility with a simple conditional use permit?  Unbelievably, it is one of the few acceptable uses allowed if a hearing examiner approves it.  It does not matter if it’s in the heart of a neighborhood; an approval is often granted if there is no opposition.  It’s hard to imagine, a tow yard facility with a big security fence as your neighbor.

There is such an application in process right now in Maltby at 20609 86^th Ave SE (on the lot that used to have the house on jacks).   The application includes a request for a “security fence”.  The site is currently posted with orange signs:  “Notice of Application”.  If granted, it’s likely to generate similar applications which will set up an easier conversion to commercial zoning for the 30+ acres applied for in 2008.

Can the residential neighborhoods of Maltby be protected?  Of course, if enough people care to comment on this project.  You can help.

What you can do:  Simply send an email no later than March 9^th requesting to be a “party of record”.  This will give you a “placeholder” and give you the right to submit a comment later when this issue comes before the hearing examiner.

Would you please send an email to:  Roxanne.Pilkenton@co.snohomish.wa.us with the following info:

Subject:  Party of Record Request, 09-100760-000-00-LU
Body:  In the body of the email list your name, address, phone and request to be a party of record to the Hooper Tow Yard file in Maltby.

Each adult in your household can do this.

Please send a blind copy to fred@greenfinancial.com

You will be notified of future comment periods or you can track progress online.  Go to www.snoco.org and search keyword:  PDSNotice orhttp://www.snoco.org/app/pds/postcard/details.aspx

Sincerely,

Fred Green, Neighbor

Dear Neighbor-

In just five days nearly fifty neighbors requested to be a party of record to this issue.  Of those, 17 already submitted comments to the county.  Fifty is a formidable number!  It’s not too late to request to be a party of record.

The contact at the county (Roxanne) just advised me they are far behind schedule and we actually have plenty of time to submit comments or request to be a party of record. 

Her words:  “I am currently working on projects that were due on 12/26/08.  It may be a couple of months before I even look at this project for the first time.  SEPA is not done until I have all approvals from review staff and outside agencies.  I will not set the hearing unless the project can be approved per code and for at least 6 weeks after SEPA has been done.  I will be accepting people’s request to be a party of record and their comments throughout the review process.”

The overall process is as follows:

In a few months the county will “look at project” and determine if it meets code.

Assuming it meets code, a SEPA must be completed.  SEPA is the State Environmental Policy Act.  At the bottom of this link is a flow chart explaining the process.

A public hearing will be set at least six weeks after completion of the SEPA.  Oral comments can be made and written comments can be submitted at the public hearing (written comments can be submitted anytime before the public hearing by party’s of record).

At a future date you will be given more information on how to submit an effective comment as this process moves along.  There are some great tips in the SEPA link above.

You may be aware that the property is for sale.  It’s my guess (I could be wrong) that the property owner does not necessarily want to operate a tow facility but would like to install a security fence (similar to Ralph’s Concrete) and have the permit on the land in order to help push for a rezone from residential to commercial.  You may recall this land was part of the 30 acres in Maltby that attempted to be rezoned last year. There is no doubt there will be a future requests for commercial rezoning of our residential land.  Stopping this conditional use permit is critical to the bigger picture of industrial expansion in Maltby.

Some of you may be aware that Dale Barringer has contacted Snohomish County Councilman Dave Somers and arranged a meeting at the Maltby Community Center to be held on Thursday,  April 2, at 6:00pm.  This meeting is about the future of Maltby.  Click here for the agenda for that Meeting.

Again, thank you for contacting the county.

Sincerely,

Your Maltby Neighbor, Fred Green