County acquires title to new 1,250 acre Grand Ridge Park near Issaquah

On behalf of the people of King County, King County Executive Ron Sims today formally received title to 1,250 acres of open space north of Issaquah for use by the public as Grand Ridge Park. Sims was joined at a ceremony in his office by King County Councilmembers, Issaquah Mayor Rowan Hinds, and Port Blakely Communities President Judd Kirk.

"Through this innovative agreement, the public gets two square miles of open space in a way that reduces urban sprawl and helps us manage growth," said Sims. "Grand Ridge Park is a tremendous addition to our excellent park system. With this new acquisition, we can protect crucial wildlife habitat and water quality, and provide a critical link in our regional trail system."

"This agreement is an example of a new approach to urban planning, and a new public private partnership to benefit not just our community, but the whole region," said Issaquah Mayor Rowan Hinds.

"We're extremely happy that this successful partnership with King County and Issaquah has allowed Issaquah Highlands to help meet regional housing needs while at the same time preserving open space," said Port Blakely Communities President Judd Kirk.

Port Blakely Communities is donating more than 1,500 acres to King County and the City of Issaquah under an innovative development agreement for the Issaquah Highlands (formerly Grand Ridge) project. Port Blakely is also donating more than 275 acres to Issaquah--including 102 acres for active recreational uses.

The donations are part of an innovative development agreement that allows Port Blakely to develop one acre of land as urban for every four acres donated as open space. This project is the model for King County's innovative "4 to 1 Program." Grand Ridge Park will provide an important regional trail connection, linking the Issaquah Plateau with the Mountains to Sound Greenway. At 1,250 acres, Grand Ridge Park becomes the fourth largest park in the King County Park System, twice as large as the popular Marymoor Park in Redmond.

"Neighborhoods need access to open space for walking, biking and playing," said King County Councilmember Larry Phillips. "At King County we are continuing a tradition of linking open space acquisition with residential development. Grand Ridge is one of the largest examples to date."

"With this Grand Ridge acquisition, a large area of critical wildlife habitat and Issaquah Creek watershed will be permanently protected," said King County Councilmember Brian Derdowski.

The King County Department of Parks and Recreation will begin developing a site management plan for Grand Ridge Park in January. Potential uses of the park include trails for hikers, bicyclists and equestrians, and a variety of natural interpretive opportunities. Future improvements may include trailheads, and a small parking lot for trail users.

Grand Ridge Park already contains a number of well-established trails. King County Parks staff will soon begin working with user groups like the Issaquah Alps Trails Club, the King County Executive Horse Council and the Backcountry Bicycle Trails Club to map the existing trails with sophisticated satellite tracking technology.

Under the agreement between King County, Issaquah and the Grand Ridge Partnership:

• King County is given 1,250 acres of open space;
• Issaquah receives 275 acres in the urban area of the development--102 acres for active recreational uses;
• Grand Ridge Partnership is allowed to develop a mixed-use urban village on 352 acres;
• Nearly one-third (30 percent) of the units will be affordable housing;
• Rural development (one home per five acres) is allowed on an additional 185 acres;
• Stringent environmental protections are in place for surface water and ground water.