|
|
|
|
|
|
Dec. 15, 2003
King County works with neighborhood alliance to save Juanita woodland from development
King County Executive Ron Sims’ proposed measure to keep a 36-acre parcel of land near Kirkland a
permanent woodland was adopted by the King County Council today. Under the Sims’ measure, a partnership between King County,
the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Denny Creek Neighborhood Alliance (DCNA) will ensure the open
space remains safe from development and available as passive recreation for all residents to enjoy.
“The Juanita woodland is critical open space highly threatened by residential development and this unique partnership
represents the only viable alternative to that outcome,” Sims said.
“This acquisition will help King County reduce the pressure for residential development in rural areas,” Sims said.
“By identifying community assets like this around the County that we are able to preserve makes adjacent cities even more livable.”
The measure authorizes $5.5 million in Conservation Futures tax dollars and bonds for the Juanita Woodlands Open
Space Acquisition Project. The Denny Creek Neighborhood Alliance has raised $100,000 of a commitment of $500,000 that would be
granted to King County to help offset the costs of acquiring the state DNR property, which is located in unincorporated King County
west of the City of Kirkland along Juanita Drive.
Sims praised the Denny Creek Neighborhood Alliance for its strong support of the Juanita Woodlands Open
Space preservation and for creative efforts to bring additional financial resources to the project to help ensure its success.
“We are so pleased about the opportunity to work with the Juanita community to save this wonderful open space,”
said Sims. “It provides critical urban wildlife habitat and is uniquely situated to provide passive recreational access for the community.”
“We are delighted that the Juanita Woodlands are being saved,” said Cheryl Meyers, president of
the Denny Creek Neighborhood Alliance (DCNA). “This undertaking has truly been a team effort — the passion and commitment
of the grassroots efforts of the community combined with the conservation leadership shown by our Councilmember, Jane Hague, and
by County Executive Ron Sims and his dedicated staff. This beautiful urban forest will be a lasting tribute to the great things
that can be accomplished when community and government work together.”
According to Meyers, the large parcel of woodland habitat is a crucial link in the wildlife corridor along
Lake Washington, connecting Juanita Bay Park with OO Denny Park, Big Finn Hill Park and St. Edward's Park. A community-wide
Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary program initiated by DCNA will help to fill in the remaining gaps in the corridor, thus providing
a continuous, 5-mile-long, 600-plus acre, wildlife habitat "string of pearls," along the north end of Lake Washington.
Sims said that such a large open space in an urban-designated portion of King County is now a rarity
and the conversion of this site to residential development would be an irretrievable loss of such a unique urban open space.
King County has worked with state DNR to purchase the property for $7 million. Sims said the intent is to
finance the Juanita Woodlands Open Space acquisition project through the issuance of bonds, to be sold in Fall 2006,
backed by the Conservation Futures Tax levy. About $2 million in Conservation Futures Tax levy and Real Estate Excise Tax revenues have already been appropriated for this acquisition.
Updated: Dec. 15, 2003
Executive's news Executive's site map | E-mail the Executive By visiting this and other King County web pages, you expressly agree to be bound by terms and conditions of the site. The details. |
|