Tag Archives: Town Center

Sammamish and “the vision thing”

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In 1987, Vice President George H. W. Bush was gearing up to run for president. The Vice President was well known for mangling his syntax (like father, like son, as it turned out) and often had difficulty articulating his thoughts (as we said…).

This inability led to his famous characterization of “the vision thing.”

Sammamish has a Vision Thing problem.

First, it must be acknowledged that governments in general typically lack vision. Out of necessity, days are consumed with simply running things and fixing day-to-day problems. But Sammamish, since its inception, has had trouble with “vision.”

I’ll concede that the City has looked into the future and taken some steps on this or that. But action often becomes years in the making and vision, if it is recognized at all, often becomes inaction.

The greatest example is the Community Center. Consider:

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Staff recommends more time on Ace, to January

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The Sammamish staff will recommend to the City Council tonight that action on the Ace Hardware development plan be deferred to January.

In the Council packet in advance of tonight’s meeting, Staff writes,

“Continue to work with the applicant team and report back to the City Council in January, 2013 with options to consider the request.”

With respect to the Docket Request by landowners for the SE Quadrant, the Staff recommends to the Council:

“Address the items included in the proponent’s submittal in the upcoming Economic Development Strategic Plan process which will develop specific steps to catalyze implementation of the Town Center Plan. These steps may include programmatic efforts, infrastructure plans, and amendments to the Town Center Plan and associated development regulations.”

I’m unclear if this is adequate or whether the Planning Commission needs to be involved. We’ll have to wait and see what Staff says at the Council meeting tonight.

 

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.

Ace is slipping away

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The clock is running out on Ace Hardware’s effort to find a place to build and stay in Sammamish.

The lease expires at the end of August 2013. So far, every effort to work with the City of Sammamish to find a new location and clear the path to build has failed. It’s not for not trying.

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Now, on to the election and hopefully the issues

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With the primary behind us, it’s now on to the general election and the issues facing Sammamish.

Here are the issues that are already apparent for the candidates to address in the general election, in no particular order:

  1. Kick-starting the Town Center. The capital markets still remain very tight for development. How can the city help kick-start the Town Center in the continued challenging economic climate?
  2. The Community Center. The city is proposing a concept that I’ve already labeled the Taj Mahal. I previously compared the proposal to city hall: 2 1/2 times the size at seven times the cost. I got some pushback on the price comparison from one of the council members, who questioned the figure I used for the cost of city hall. Even granting his figure–which I don’t–there is a mismatch. In the most recent newsletter, the city cleverly separated the infrastructure price (some $20 million) from the cost of the building ($44 million), saying the infrastructure (improvements to 228th and a parking garage) would also serve the Town Center. But don’t be fooled: the infrastructure isn’t triggered without the community center, and taxpayers will be asked to foot the bill in a bond vote. But is this the best solution? I’m not sure it is. The YMCA has tried for years to partner with the city to build a community center. This would shave millions of dollars off the cost (and the Y already owns the land, by the way) to taxpayers for a similar concept. I don’t think this option has received due consideration. This ought to be a big topic of debate for the candidates. Continue reading →