Heritage Neighborhood Association

2003-May Meeting Minutes

Combined Neighborhood Meeting on May 1st, 2003

DATE: May 1, 2003
TIME: 7:00 pm
LOCATION: Frontier Middle School
Steve Hamilton opened the combined meeting of the Sifton, Heritage, North Image and Burnt Bridge Creek Neighborhood Associations was called to order. The attending Neighborhood Presidents were introduced. A thank you to Biscuits Caf?© for the coffee and tea. Thank you to Safeway’s for the water and to Godfathers for the cinnamon pizzas.



A short overview for the proposed project and crime stats from other similar projects was presented by Lamont Shandlin.



Jim Edwards from the Birtcher Business Center gave an over view of the project. Representatives from Washington State DOT, City of Vancouver, Birtcher Business Center, JD White, Alexandria Investment Company and the Clark County Sheriff’s Office were present to answer questions from the neighborhoods.



The Keller family has 32 members. The Keller Family approached Alexandria Investment Company about developing the property. Retail can pay more for the property than light industrial. A member of the Keller family is currently living on the property. To annex the property from county to city the person living in the trailer will be the voting member.



Question: Why build big box retail when there is two large empty big box retail directly to the west?

Answer: Birtcher looked for property where there is a lack of commercial stores. This is where retails sees voids and looks at the picture. No big box stores already in am area. Will this be feasible? Look for areas with rooftops. The houses are already built. What you see is what we are proposing. What can be done? Nothing has been approved. There will be 28 intersections effected by traffic from Birtcher Business Park.



Question: Did you take into consideration Kaiser is going to be built right down the street?

Answer: Yes, we did. We tried to look at the next ten years.



Question: Will all the stoplights on 4th plain be coordinated?

Answer: Two months ago, a fiber optic cable went in and will coordinate all the lights together.



Question: 137 and 164 cannot handle traffic now. How long until they will be improved?

Answer: Birtcher Business Park will add improvements for the area around the business park. Any new housing that goes in will be required to make the same improvements.



Question: Will the project increase our taxes?

Answer: The City has a traffic improvement plan for the next six years. Approvals to the project will look at what can be achieved by the budget. Some will be handled by impact fees to the developer.



Question: A lot of development concerns are about affecting the lack of green space allotted. What about a park?

Answer: It will take 10 to 15 years to build all of the development. We understand a need for parks. The proposal has an open space element. This is a green area with a trail. There is no requirement for contractors to put in parks only housing. Birtcher Business Park has agreed to plant trees on some property the City has obtained for a park between 49th and 52nd south of the Birtcher Business Park. The parks department does not have the money to develop the land. Not only will they plant trees but they will also put in sidewalks to the open land.



Comment: There is no green space in light industrial.

Answer: City has a tree requirement that the county does not have.



Question: What about the water quality? What type of filtration system? Isn’t this located on a flood plain?

Answer: The flood plain is on the south side of the property. Strom water will run off on the south side. We have tree standards over the county code. There will be a berm from the sidewalk this will look more like a path.



Question: There have been a lot questions about how the property is being annexed into the City without a vote from the surrounding neighbors. Would you please explain the process to us?

Answer: There are a number of ways a piece of property can be annexed into the city. The method chosen this time is the election method. This requires a vote. By the residents of the property.



Comment: Isn’t this skirting the law? Taking advantage of a loophole?

Answer: The law was adopted from a state law. It only needs to have the approval of the property owners and /or the residents.



Comment: The city tried this in the past and it was voted down. Isn’t this a loophole? I find this deplorable.

Answer: This could still happen without annexation. The property is zoned light industrial.



Comment: The property was rezoned from agricultural to light industrial when the vote to be annexed into the city failed.



Comment: I live on 152 and I did not get a notice.

Answer: Everyone living within 500 feet of the property was to receive a written notice. We also notified the neighborhood associations.



Question: Are there plans for the boarding houses to become annexed into the city?

Answer: No at this time. Only the property owned by the Keller Family.



Question: How will this affect my taxes?

Answer: Birtcher Business Center will pay extra taxes. The taxation and finical is worked out. That is a separate entity.



Question: Who will pay for the increased crime in our area that will be produced by the city? Our deputies are undermanned already.

Answer: There is a cross over agreement with the county, city and state agencies. All three agencies agreed to this. The investigating officer will be the one from which the crime occurred in.



Comment: How the property be rezoned without a vote or input from the compressive growth plan?

Answer: State law says that rezoning at the same time as annexation is recommended. City Planning will be meeting on May 27th at 7:00 pm in the City Hall about rezoning. On June 2nd the City Council will decide weather to take this on. A Public hearing will be on July 7th. Public comments will be taken on May 27 and July 7.



Comment: The environmental impact study has errors in it. The study states that there will be no impact on any wildlife. There are eagles and hawks living on the property.

Answer: The department of ecology and the Sate fish and wildlife has said there will not be an impact. I have to believe the state agencies.



Question: What will happen if an archeological item is found? The archeological study states that 66% of the property is on the high probably of archeological finds.

Answer: Have to stop construction until the city and state determine that the development can continue.



Question: Once rezoned any type of retail can happen. Is this going to be Wal-Mart?

Answer: No formal agreement with any tenant has been made. We cannot say under confidentiality laws what is being proposed at this time.





Question: Will 59th St. go all the way through prior to building?

Answer: 152nd is consider a collector street. This means a low traffic volume.



Question: Will 59th St. be completed all the way from 137th to 162nd and will 147th to 59th St. be completed prior to completion of the commercial complex?

Answer: Yes.



Question: Will there be a signal light on 4th Plain at 143rd?

Answer: The Washington State DOT says no. It is to close to Ward Rd. The state is in the business of moving traffic.



Question: Will the speed limit be lowered on 4th Plain?

Answer: Not at this time. When an increase in traffic shows the need, we will look at lower the speed. Left turns from 143rd will not be allowed. There will be a medium in the center for traffic safety. There will not be a crosswalk or pedestrian overpass at 143rd and 4th Plain.



Question: What is plan B?

No comment.



Comment from Birtcher Business Center. I would suggest you set up a separate meeting with Washington State DOT. We have asked for the same thing.



Question: How far will the improvements go on 137?

Answer: Nothing past the development. The city will begin addressing the bottlenecks on collector streets when the need arises. At that time, the city will discuss the funding.



Question: Will there be a light on 137 and 59?

Answer: Yes. When traffic increases and the need arises depending on funding. This is high on the priority list.



Question: Will C-Tran Bus be running in the Birtcher Center?

Answer: No one has come forward in the application. No formal comments at this time. C-Tran will wait for building projects. That is how they normally get involved.



Question: With unemployment being as high as it is in Clark County will you be using local contractors to build the project? Will be going to a contractor from Seattle or Portland vs. Vancouver?

Answer: The contract will go to the lowest bidder.



Question: Where is Hillsboro is the project you completed?

Answer: 194th turn south on 85th . West on Cornell 2 blocks. East of Orenco Station.



Question: The plan states that restaurants will be part of the commercial site. Will these be fast food, family style or top rated with a bar?

Answer: Not the type with a bar. We are looking at fast food and family style like Elmers.



Question: If the property is rezoned will this have a domino effect on the neighboring properties?

Answer: We have already received calls from property owners who are interested. There are no plans at this time to annex or rezone neighboring properties.



Question: With the increase in traffic on 4th Plain will the wall that is on Ward Rd. be continued down 4th Plain as a noise buffer?

Answer: This is not part of the application. All highways in the county exceed the noise decibel.



Comment: A wall from Ward Rd to 4th Plain would help detour crime, reduce traffic noise and improve the ascetics.

Response: I would encourage you to look at Amber Glen.



Question: Has the county been involved in any of the proposal?

Answer: The city and county were brought in from the start.



Question: Who would be responsible for build a wall on 4th Plain?

Answer: The State DOT. They do not have any money. We encourage you to work with the developer.



Question: Will additional streetlights be added on 4th Plain? If so what is going to keep the light for the streetlights and business lights out of the neighboring houses?

Answer: Yes, there will be additional streetlights. Nothing we can do about keeping the light from entering the homes.



Question: Will the road be widened and a right turn lane added?

Answer: The funding for widening the road would be based on the number of accidents in the intersection. At this time no.



Comment: The wildlife survey is wrong. I live on the property bordering the proposed business center. I have owls, a coyote, raccoons and deer on my property. There is a family of five deer. This is because of all the building going on around us that these animals have nowhere else to go.



Response: The Birtcher Business Center people looked at each other and did not respond.



Question: The homes that are south of 4th Plain, how close to the property line will the roads and buildings be?

Answer: 50 feet.



Question: At the development you are encouraging us to look at in Hillsboro, is there a Wal-Mart?

Answer: No. There is no retail. This project is only office buildings. The lot holds about 8000 cars.



Comment: Wal-Mart is a minimum wage with no benefits employer. That is not what this area needs.

Response: This area needs jobs of all wage scales per our study.



Comment: If Wal-mart goes in I will be out there holding a picket every weekend. We need to keep in prospective. Fred Meyers pays above minimum wage and offers benefits to its employees. Your study did not ask the people who live in this area what they thought they needed.

Response: There will be time later for site specifics. This is for the overall view.



Question: From the day you break ground to completion, how long will the project take?

Answer: The roads take 5 – 6 months. Buildings usually take 12 months to complete. If we begin in 2004, it should be finished in 2015.



Question: What about the dust and noise during the construction phases?

Answer: Every big contractor has a public relations person. They will try as best they can to manage this.



Question: When will the building start?

Answer: The earliest would be spring of 2004.



Question: Will the Birtcher Business Center be managed by you or are you going to sale the property?

Answer: That varies. Some of the property will be sold and some leased. There will be a written set of codes and covenants/restrictions that will be in place for the next 100 years.



Everyone was encouraged to come to the Public open house to answer questions and get input in an informal setting will be on May 8, 2003 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. The open house will be held at the Clark County Fire District 5 NW Regional Training Center, in the Adams Room, located at 11606 NE 166th St., Suite 103. (West side of 117th kiddy corner from Taco Bell) and to the Public Hearing, the Planning Commission will be deciding whether to recommend to the City Council that the 46 acres be rezoned to allow commercial development. Community members and interested parties can provide verbal and written comments. May 27, 2003 7:00 pm in the City Hall Council Chambers, located at 210 East 13th St. in downtown Vancouver.



Meeting adjourned.

Links

Sifton Neighborhood Association
Birtcher Developer
Alexandria Investment Company, Inc