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Ballinger apartment plan protested jRepresentatives from several community groups showed up at a hearing last week to fight a proposed 514-unit apartment complex.The development, called the Ballinger Commons, would go up just across the King-Snohomish county line from Lake Ballinger.Lincoln Property Co. of Bellevue wants to build 30 apartment buildings, most of them two stories tall, on the 75-acre parcel along State Route 104 between First Avenue Northeast and Meridian Avenue North.Speaking before King County Hearing Examiner Stan Titus last week, opponents of the project voiced concerns about increased flooding and sewage problems, while the developers reinforced their commitment to working with residents on those issues.Despite assurances from Lincoln Property’s attorney and architect that the project would be “harmonious” with the surrounding neighborhood, opponents remained skeptical, particularly those who live at two neighboring lakes — Ballinger in South County and Echo in north King County.“We do not feel any additional storm water should go into the lake,” said Dennis Russell, president of the Lake Ballinger Community Club. The club represents some 400 homes in Edmonds and Mountlake Terrace.He suggested that the runoff from the project should flow into McAleer Creek instead of the lake. He also said drainage from Aurora Village should be tied to this proposed drain system.Russell, however, said he had not studied an agreement Lincoln has made with Mountlake Terrace to bring water from the surrounding area into one of six sedimentation ponds it proposes to build on the apartment site. Under this plan, all the water would be filtered before entering the lake.Bob Boye told the hearing examiner that he was concerned about sewage from Ballinger Commons being dumped into Lake Ballinger in case of a pump failure. He said the sewage system serving the apartments has no outflow pipe and if the pump stops working the effluent will go into the lake.Boye is the chaii man of SKRAM (Snohomish-King Residents Against Metro), an organization that formed to oppose Metro when it was attempting to build a bus base on the site.Rob Tripple, president of the Echo Lake Community Club, testified that he was concerned about increased traffic, crime and demands on parking in his neighborhood should the complex be built.Dennis McLerran, an attorneyfor SKRAM, added that neighborhoods south of the apartment project would certainly be flooded by additional cars when * the new occupants seek to avoid % the congestion on State Route 104. I* He also told the hearing ex-£ aminer that allowing apartments |* on the tract would be inconsistent with the Shoreline Community Plan Building single-family #j houses would be acceptable, heSj said. SThe hearing examiner con-$ tinued to take comments on the*| proposed apartment development*; at a second hearing Friday. It will be up to Titus to develop a report with a recommendation to thej^ King County Council following the s public hearing process. *After issuance of the report, which is approximately two weeks 1 from the last hearing, the recom-*| mendation on whether to accept orjj reject the project can be appealed. The appeal period is two weeks from the date the report goes out.If no one appeals the hearing examiner’s recommendation, it goes to the King County Council the following Monday for their consideration.A spokeswoman from the hearing examiner’s office last' week commented that the entire pro-' cess will likely take longer in this? case, “since it is so controversial and there are so many issues involved.” ^
Newspaper Details
Edmonds Enterprise
Edmonds, Washington, US
Wed, Apr 16, 1986
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Everett P.
OR, USA 16 Nov 2024
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Edmonds Enterprise
