Community Council Discusses Town Plan at Next Meeting

On Monday, Nov. 21, the Vashon Maury Island Community Council will host three speakers: Sergeant John Hall of the King County Sheriff’s Department, who will discuss the drug, crime and safety issues on the island; real estate agent Jean Bosch, who will explain house sales and foreclosure statistics; and Paul Reitenbach, King County Councilman, who will take comments and answer questions about the draft of the King County Comprehensive Plan. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at McMurray School.

Sargeant Hall will address concerns of Vashon residents about the methamphetaminea and other drugs on the island and how residents should respond and contact the police when they see criminal activity.

Bosch, a Realtor with John L. Scott Realty Company, will show past years’ sales and prices and compare the trends and what the numbers may indicate about the future.

Reitenbach will address how the Vashon Town Plan proposals fit into the Comprehensive Plan and take comments and suggestions for the plan.

Every four years, King County undertakes a major review of its comprehensive plan. The 2012 plan, currently out for review and comment, constitutes a major review. Through this four-year review, substantive amendments to policies and changes to the Urban Growth Area can be considered. The three documents that shape the plan are the King County Strategic Plan, VISION 2040, and the 2011 King County Countywide Planning Policies. VISION 2040, which was adopted by the General Assembly of the Puget Sound Regional Council in April, 2008, is a regional strategy to accommodate the population and job growth expected by 2040 in the four-county Puget Sound region.

Major changes are in the following areas. The Environment Chapter has been restructured to reflect the role of the new Puget Sound Partnership in coordinating restoration of Puget Sound.

The Transportation Chapter has been updated to reflect the county’s continuing transition from being both an urban and rural service provider for roads to becoming primarily a rural road service provider as the urban unincorporated area is annexed into neighboring cities. The Chapter also addresses the challenges of providing transportation services and infrastructure in a time of growing need and severely constrained financial resources.

The Facilities and Services Chapter has been updated to ensure consistency with specific operational plans, such as the Flood District Plan and the Energy Plan. Further, the water planning policies have been streamlined and revised to provide clarity on the county’s role in water planning in the region. The Economic Development Chapter has been revised to reflect changes that have occurred in on-going regional, county, and local economic development programs and partnerships over the last few years.

Land Use Highlights on Vashon are the Vashon Town Plan Updates which address support for bicycles and alternative modes of transportation, rural town design guidelines, water conversation and other issues identified by the community.

The public review draft of these proposed amendments are available for review at:

www.kingcounty.gov/property/permits/codes/growth/CompPlan.aspx

The deadline for submitting comments is December 23, 2011