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Letter: Wellington Hills Park

The Woodinville community deserves to hear the truth about the plans for Wellington Hills Park.

The Woodinville community deserves to hear the truth about the plans for Wellington Hills Park. The County’s plan to replace the park with an oversize regional sports complex is NOT FINAL. This plan has yet to pass State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review, be approved by the County Council or survive a legal challenge.

This park is to be paid for using funds set aside by the Brightwater Settlement Agreement. These funds were intended to mitigate the negative impacts to the community surrounding Brightwater. But now Snohomish County is attempting to build a regional sports complex with destructive effects on the community that far outweigh those brought by the sewage plant. 

After viewing the County’s proposed plan—including 7 soccer fields (4 artificial turf), stadium lighting, large commercial buildings, and parking for 700+ cars—it is obvious that the County gave little consideration to the impact of a huge regional sports complex on its neighbors, the very people who were supposed to benefit from the mitigation agreement.  Consider the effects of traffic congestion from an annual 7-10+ regional, national and international tournaments, the destruction of natural landscape and habitat, deals made with private interest groups and costs well exceeding budget.  These would critically reduce the quality of life we now enjoy in rural Woodinville.

But it’s not too late to design a park that fits and serves the community. Neighbors to Save Wellington Park invites you to attend a community meeting and hear the facts about the park. Learn what you can do to effect change, protect your quality of life, and support a legal challenge to the proposed regional sports complex.

Wellingto Park Community Meeting:

Monday, Feb. 25, 2013
7-9 p.m.

Woodinville Church of Christ
22502 – 75th Avenue SE
Woodinville, WA 98072 

Together, we can be sure our community remains a wonderful place to live.

Janet Littlefield

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Nancy Cunningham February 18, 2013 at 10:32 pm
A few neighborhood residents are not going to strong arm Snohomish council members into walking away from one of the best uses of the old golf course that we could ask for.
With all due respect, King County should never have paid "Bribes" to Snohomish County in the first place. The Brightwater project serves the entire area with the cleanest, most modern award winning sewage treatment facility this country has ever seen. Mitigation? What mitigation? Brightwater serves to eliminate waste products from a huge area, which allows for higher urban density which protects the environment in the rural area of Wellington. It's the sue-happy Wellington big shots that are adding costs to the park, and citizens should be up in arms to shut this citizen group down.
Sharon Peterson February 21, 2013 at 06:27 pm
Thanks to the Snohomish County Council for slowing down the Snoho Parks Department so that the Council can evaluate: 1) The "need" for a Regional Sports Park in this corner of the county when the Master Parks Plan calls for it to be further North where it can serve the best use and where adequate infrastructure exists, 2) If the county can fund the necessary road improvements that an enormous, 700-space parking lot alone would require, and 3) Whether the required studies and financial plans have been completed. The Parks Department has PUSHED this on the community without proper legal process and while ignoring the outpour of comments by the community. Thank Heaven the county seems to be now willing to go thru due process of budget, traffic studies, SEPA, etc.
Let people play February 28, 2013 at 12:39 pm
I am excited about this park coming to my neighborhood. I welcome Snohomish Counties well thought out plan for enhancing public opportunities for health and recreation at this park. I welcome people from all across King and Snohomish Counties to come play in our neighborhood. I believe it is the best possible use of mitigation funds and serves as a way to unite people and provide for healthy opportunities for all. I’m concerned that 700 parking spaces isn’t enough and think they should allow for expansion of the parking lot. There is nothing worse than driving to a destination park only to circle the neighborhood looking for parking, usually ending up parking in someone’s front lawn and walking several blocks with your little kids where there are no sidewalks. It’s totally irresponsible of the park planners to limit parking, I say expand it more. In my view there should be ample real estate to add a few more multipurpose ball fields to the plan. And maybe some hoops with sport court lights? I encourage Snohomish County to make a great park for all to enjoy and please do not buckle to the handful of residents who have a track history of fighting against every development in their immediate neighborhood. They don’t represent the majority of us, they just have the time and financial resources to discredit every good development that comes along. Let the people play!
Edwin February 28, 2013 at 01:10 pm
What is worse than trying to find a parking spot is sitting in bumper to bumper traffic because of some special event and the County not mitigating roads to handle the capacity.
Exactly how many cars per 15 or 30 minute interval should both 156th Ave NE / 75 Ave SE (Bostain Road), and the golf course road NEED to handle for large events? Does the County understand thisand show evidence of traffic mitigation? Will there be bike lanes and pedestrian sidewalks from the A/M/PM and COSTCO? Is there data to suggest need for such fields? or is there enough capacity locally in Bothell and Woodinville? The downtown Woodinville fields are not fully used and I cannot speak for Bothells. Or is this a typical "PORK" project? It is tax dollars that are getting passed around, meaning METRO gave tax dollars to Snohomish County to get Brightwater built. Snohomish County buys the property with the same tax dollars from the University of WA. Why not just give that money to the UW and have a citizens forum on how to mitigate Brightwater? Now the citizens of Snohomish County have to be able to sustain a very large high maintenance park. Is there a business plan to support such a grand venture. Just think of all the other needs that could be satisfied with that money? I think the COunty is running before they have learned to walk in this case.
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Margaret Coombs Hughes June 18, 2013 at 12:08 pm
Nicely written Angela! Nicely written.
Margaret Coombs Hughes June 18, 2013 at 12:16 pm
Hello Mr. Francois and NSD School Board, I have been keeping an open mind about the choice ofRead More Wednesday as the early release day. I kept an open mind, but not so open that my brains fell out. I voted for Friday for a reason. Not to take my child out of school early or in hopes that teachers would see it as a day off, but because it made the most sense for my family. Wednesday wasn't a horrible day and was my 2nd choice. Personally, now, after reviewing others input, your input and doing some thinking on my own, I believe you made the wrong choice. Your parents have brains, we are educated and we gave you our opinion and trusted that you would actually use the poll data wisely. You failed us, therefore you failed our children. It is okay so say you made a mistake, that is what we teach our children. Please tell your parents you made a mistake and make Friday early release day for the new school year. Positively hopeful! Margaret Hughes Woodinville, WA
Atammayatarama Buddhist Monastery June 17, 2013 at 01:15 pm
Please note this is not a religious activity. YOUR GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO OBSERVE THOUGHTS, FEELINGS,Read More SENSATIONS, AND EMOTIONS IN SILENT MEDITATION, AND WITH MINDFULNESS THROUGH-OUT THE DAY.
auran June 13, 2013 at 09:14 am
We did not see the cougar recently, but interestingly saw one in the same location several monthsRead More ago.
Gail June 12, 2013 at 06:15 pm
No-brainer, switch to someone else. And tell everyone else to do so too. Like you already are here.
DebbieKat June 12, 2013 at 07:10 pm
I've been using BECU for 13 years and they are awesome. I also have an account with Alaska FederalRead More Credit Union. They're decent too.
Photo credit:  Scott Garside
Torrey June 10, 2013 at 07:49 am
We saw one land in Wilmot Gateway Park on Saturday morning.
Lisa Baumann (Editor) June 10, 2013 at 08:52 am
Cool Torrey. Thanks for sharing!
Don Means June 10, 2013 at 03:01 pm
I have lived in Woodinville for over18 years. For around 5 years after we moved there on any warmRead More summer night you could look up and see at least 3 balloons and many times 4,5,6 or 7 of them but that all stopped abruptly one year. The explanation we got was that the balloonist were following the French historical practice of awarding a bottle of champagne to any land owner who's land they happened to land on. Well, the state couldn't allow that since the balloonist had no liquor license. Don't you just love government?