Category Archives: Development & Planning

Details of the Ace Development Plan and the initial Staff Response rejecting the plan

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Here are the details of the proposal by Ace and a land-owner to develop property immediately south of the Starbucks at NE 4th St. The plan involves a land-swap between the City and the property owner.

The key issue is that both parcels are highly constrained by wetlands, George Davis Creek, and buffers. The property owned by the developer is considered unbuildable due to wetlands. The City property has some buildable land but officials consider it too small for the Ace project. It’s also currently used for two storm water retention ponds.

The Ace proposal calls for swapping the ownership, with Ace rebuilding the ponds on the swapped property. The full, five page proposal is here: AcePlan120412.

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Treat land owners the same, Galvin asks–and he’s right; give him his Docket Request hearing

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At the very end of the Council meeting last night (which eventually will be on the City’s website), John Galvin commented that while he favors action to keep Ace Hardware in business, the expedited approach and focus on Ace raised concerns over fairness and treatment of his Southeast Town Center project, and the Docket Request for increased density.

Staff recommended denial of his Docket Request, and it recommended denial of the Ace Hardware docket request. (More on this in an upcoming post.)

Setting aside for the moment that the community turned out in droves in support of Ace and nobody other than the landowners in the SE quadrant has turned out in support of Galvin, and that Ace owner Tim Koch is respectful and Galvin is a poster child for anger management requirements, this time Galvin is right. (See his appearance during the two hour public comment section of the same Council meeting.)

The Council should override the Staff recommendation and send the Docket Request to the Planning Commission for consideration.

In 2009, Galvin and his fellow landowners submitted a Docket Request to upsize the commercial allocation from 90,000 to “up to” 300,000 sf, plus some density increase, in the SE Quadrant of the Town Center. The Council rejected the application and in my view properly so. The Town Center plan hadn’t even been completed in September 2009, when Galvin submitted the Docket Request and regulations hadn’t been adopted when the Council rejected the request.

This is three years later. Galvin and his colleagues have asked for reconsideration of the 2009 Docket Request, along with a host of changes to regulations.

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City Council on Ace: We got the message; action, next meeting Dec. 11

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Mayor Tom Odell said the Sammamish City Council “got the message” from two hours of public comment in support of Ace Hardware at the Dec. 4 council meeting.

The Council will consider the proposal by Ace at its Dec. 11 meeting for a land swap immediately south of the Starbucks at NE 4th St. Tim Koch, owner of Ace, hopes to enter into a Development Agreement that will streamline the review and application process with a goal of beginning construction in February or March, in time for his lease expiration on August 28.

The Council asked Kamuron Gural, the Community Development Director, to produce a matrix that identifies Problems and Solutions involved with the land swap and the parcels, which are highly constrained by sensitive areas and buffers.

At the very end of the City Council meeting, Odell–speaking to the few people remaining in the audience and those watching on Comcast 21, that the Council received the message in support of Ace. Deputy Mayor John James said that he would like to see one last effort to accommodate the proposal than see it die without trying. City staff recommended against a Docket Request submitted by Ace. The attorney for Ace called the Request a “placeholder” required due to timing and Ace really wasn’t interested in the request, preferring a Developer Agreement instead.

Some kind of action is planned for the Dec. 11 Council meeting.

Civilized Nature is next locally owned store to leave Sammamish

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Civilized Nature, the local pet store in the Sammamish Highlands shopping center, is the next locally owned store that will be leaving the City.

I confirmed today (Dec. 4) that the pet store will move because it won’t be able to compete with mega-chain Petco, which will move into the former Hollywood Video that has been vacant for a couple of years, and the Rancho Grande and Sushi restaurants whose leases weren’t renewed to make way for Petco.

Ace Hardware’s lease expires August 28, 2013. Petco is said to start construction in January and to open several months later. Civilized Nature did not tell me where it will move to, but since there is no commercial space in Sammamish that is available, Civilized is all but certain to move out of the city.

At the City Council meeting tonight, which was standing room only, I presented recommendations to rezone more land commercial to serve local businesses. I’ll be posting my remarks later.

The City is about to undertake a Comprehensive Plan Amendment process. Astounding as it seems, the City Administration did not put commercial rezoning on the agenda for the Council, even after the lack of commercial zoning outside the Town Center became clear and may be a death knell for Ace. In fact, the Staff report recommended against a rezone for Ace Hardware, for a number of complex reasons.

In more posts this week, I’ll publish various documents concerning the Ace situation.

A message from Ace Hardware

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From: Tim Koch, Ace Hardware
Date: Mon, Dec 3, 2012 at 9:44 AM
Subject: Save Sammamish Ace Hardware!

Dear Valued Ace Customer,
We appreciate your interest in supporting our efforts to stay in business on the plateau! This is how you can help! Come to the next City Council meeting, Tuesday, December 4th at 6:30 pm and share with the Council why you need Sammamish Ace Hardware to stay on the plateau.
We sincerely appreciate all of our customers and hope to continue to serve you! We have attached a short document with Frequently Asked Questions and Topics of Discussion. We hope to see you at the City Council meeting, this Tuesday at 6:30 pm!
Sincerely,
Sammamish Ace Hardware

Save Sammamish Ace Hardware

Thank you for participating in our efforts to: Save Sammamish Ace Hardware

We hope you attend the next City Council Meeting:

Date: Tuesday, December 4th
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Where: City Hall at Sammamish Commons – Council Chambers
801 228th Avenue SE

Your presence at the meeting is valuable. By sitting together and supporting our cause, you are sending a signal to the City Council that this issue is important to the people they serve.

At the beginning of each City Council meeting, the Council provides an opportunity for members of the public to address the Council on issues of concern. It is during this time that we ask you to provide your opinion to the City Council on the proposal currently before them with regards to relocating the Ace Hardware.

At the meeting, you are encouraged to participate enthusiastically. If you are inspired to applaud or offer some other observation, fantastic! Just please remember to keep within the bounds of common sense, courtesy and respect. Remember, we are trying to win the support of the City Council!

We’ve attached a page of FAQs and Topics of Discussion that support our cause. You are welcome to use these if you decide to speak at the meeting. However, your own personal observations are the most important thing to offer. If you cannot attend the meeting, then consider sending an email of support to the City Council at:

citycouncil@ci.sammamish.wa.us

You may also call City Hall to leave a message for the Council at 425-295-0550 or you can send each Council member an e-mail to provide your thoughts. To obtain individual contact information go to the City webpage and select City Council on the left.

Working together, we will make a difference.

Thank you for standing up to: Save Sammamish Ace Hardware

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: What do we want the City Council to do on December 4th?

A: Ask the City Council to direct staff to fast-track the Development and Property Exchange Agreement.

Explanation: The City Council does not have the project in front of it for approval yet. We need the Council to direct staff to fast-track the project which requires Council approval of a Development and Property Exchange Agreement and to bring it back to the City Council for deliberation and decision.

Q: What will the Development and Property Exchange Agreement do?

A: The Agreement will approve a land swap between the City and a private land owner, and approve the new Ace Hardware on 228th Avenue NE just south of NE 4th Street.

Explanation: To make it work, the City is being asked to swap land with a private property owner and approve the project. The private property owner is ready to create replacement storm ponds for the City and to build the new Ace Hardware.

Q: How does this save Ace Hardware?

A: Ace Hardware would get a new long-term lease and a new store.

Explanation: The new store cannot be built unless the City approves the land swap and the project. If approved by the City Council, then the property owner can move forward to build the new store and enter a long-term lease with Ace Hardware.

Q: Why can’t Ace Hardware lease different space?

A: There is no location within the City of Sammamish that has the space and proper zoning to take Ace Hardware.

Explanation: The City is not large and it was quickly determined that there is no other developed location that can Ace Hardware could relocate to.

Topics of Discussion

Issue: Why does the City need to fast-track the project?

Discussion: Ace Hardware’s lease expires on August 28, 2013. The new store must be fully constructed before then so that Ace Hardware can move to the new location prior to the expiration of its lease. Construction needs to start in February. Normal city approval timelines are 4-6 months or more. Without a fast-tracked approval by the City Council, the new store cannot be built in time and Ace Hardware will close.

Issue: Traffic Reduction—Project Reduces Vehicle Trips off the Plateau

Discussion: Without Ace Hardware, every car trip that went to Ace Hardware will need to drive off the plateau to find a hardware store. That will make traffic worse and will require more vehicle miles and hence more energy usage. Because Ace Hardware does a great job of stocking special products, many of those vehicle trips will need to go further such as to Woodinville or Renton to find the same products making the problem that much worse.

Issue: Economic Development—Save Jobs

Discussion: The loss of Ace Hardware will mean the loss of 25 jobs. These are good jobs and many are full time key employee family wage jobs. Many Ace employees have worked there for years and Ace has provided jobs to many of our youth over the years. These employees cannot easily transfer to other similar jobs since new demand with likely be spread to many stores, some far away, making it inconvenient for employees living in Sammamish. Plus, there is a different culture in big box stores.

Issue: Economic Development—Save Tax Revenues

Discussion: The loss of Ace Hardware will mean the loss of sales tax revenue that will now go to Redmond, Issaquah, and other cities. Saving Ace Hardware means keeping the residents’ tax money here at home, rather than sending it to other cities.

Issue: Valuable Community Resource

Discussion: Ace Hardware is more than a hardware store. It is a community gathering place for residents to mingle and exchange information. Plus, Sammamish residents go to Ace Hardware to learn how to accomplish Do-It-Yourself projects that improve their homes and neighborhoods. Ace Hardware supports the greater Sammamish community in a way that big box stores in other cities cannot do.