Teanaway's future

By MC
(4 votes) (report abuse)
The afternoon sun lights up the Teanaway river along Teanaway Road east of Cle Elum earlier this fall. (Brian Myrick / Daily Record)

Looks like things are getting hairy already.

Thoughts? Let's hear 'em....

Kittitas County......an easy mark. bylordoflys10 months ago (5 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
I truly feel that the large, development companies see this county as an easy target for basically doing what they want. In other words, they see the people of Kittitas County as rural bumpkins with limited intelligence. A little splash and dash and they ultimately get what they want....The CC's can now look forward to flush jobs if Bowen is any indication.

By the way, great photo.
RE: Kittitas County......an easy mark. byMC10 months ago (4 votes) (report abuse)
I think some kind soul at the paper added that pic. I have a few, just didn't have time to sift through them. :)
Teanaway byfishmonger10 months ago (4 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
The land use designations in this county are the reason why these types of developments far from urban areas will continue in the years to come. Until they're modified, the best that folks who disapprove of this type of cluster f*** development can do is force them to shrink this project down to 25% cluster, 75% perpetual open space. The Yakama Nation, Fish/Wildlife, Ecology, Bureau of Reclamation and lower county water rights owners will have something to say about all this, you can bank that. David Bowie...I mean...Bowen cracks me up with his white knight BS. They'll threaten to clear cut it as a last resort like all corporations do, you wait and see.
RE: Teanaway byAureliux10 months ago (3 votes) (report abuse)
Well, my first thought is? If they 'threaten' to clear-cut that area? I'd be fairly certain that they'd do it even if allowed to build this mini mess up there BECAUSE I don't think they are going to get the sales and occupancy that they are planning.

So either way, may as well count the hostage trees a casualty.

Another thing that really spiked my consciousness and I was wondering if it got to anyone else? WHERE is this "other road" going to come from to take the traffic off the only way in and out? What would it attach to? Think about it, and possible easements. There are no clear choices that are real apparent to me... I drive up around and through that area at least once a week and when the campers scamper and RV around up there it gets scary enough already.

"I" am not brave enough to ride a bicycle up there on the road.

A.
planning process suspended bytnway10 months ago (2 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us/press/20091104-County-suspends-

So what was in the binders? Does anyone know?
RE: planning process suspended byMC10 months ago (2 votes) (report abuse)
I dunno, but I'm sure waiting for the next installment!
Missing Binders byClem10 months ago (2 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
I dont know if it was the Record or the Tribune but I had read that a binder disappeared after the last meeting. I cant imagine anything in them but their current work.

A, the short cut road to Cle Elum which cuts 7 miles off each way has mostly been built. Its got some up and down but it crosses Cle Elum ridge at the 3000 foot level and would come down Columbia. Two small dozers and an excavator have been working on the Cle Elum side for at least 6 weeks putting a gravel road in. I think a D9 Cat could have done the work in a couple of weeks. On the Teanaway side its been graveled part way up but it would still need a lot of work. I have been over that way a few times and seen a couple of bears. Someone told me a cougar lives on the Teanaway side of the ridge along the road.
Tell y'all what.... byMC10 months ago (3 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
First we have 'mystery investors' in the solar project, and now we have 'mystery binders' in the hands of local law enforcement causing some sort of impromptu undergarment cluster...

Always thought it was funny how you can smell a skunk from a long ways off even with the windows shut.

Anyone giving odds on how much we'll know when the most current dust cloud is settled?
planning process suspended bytnway10 months ago (2 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
I was at the Teanaway mtg and my "recollection" was Catherine Clerf (Name/Spelling?) said that they disappeared and contained details regarding AFLC's last effort at rezoning (2006?). I thought she said something about it containing a proposal for 10,000 homes but am not sure... (I dismissed that as absurd but who knows given this development?) It sounds like some interesting material to look at in light of the presentation and AFLC wanting to set aside some 6k+ acres for development. What are these guys really thinking and what do they want to do? None of it makes sense including their ineptitude and unbalanced proposal ideas. (Steep timberland for prime river frontage? Who's kidding whom?) Wayne Schwandt has to date been the best opponent anyone opposed to the effort could ask for! He makes no sense and they lose credibility every time he speaks or waves his hands.

Pls someone -- post the real details!
Rezone Rumors byClem10 months ago (3 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
There were lots of rumors going around about a development the size of Suncadia with a golf course 2-3 years ago. I noticed last night channel 40 taped the last meeting. I saw Mr. Schwandt for a couple of minutes before changing the channel. As far as development in the Teanaway in 1990-91 a developer carved up quite a few lots in the West Fork Area and I dont think anyone complained at all. In the Cle Elum area of course Sapphire Skies did pretty much what they wanted. At one point 2-3 years ago though a group I think called "Cle Elum Ridge" tried to stop some of the rezoning on the ridge.

This county has done quite well over the years living off dreams of west side people "owning their own lot". We are in the process of becoming the "Ocean Shores" of the Cascades with hundreds if not thousands of lots for sale. In Ocean Shores the real estate market collapsed and prices stagnated for maybe 25 years or more. Thanks partly to the BOCC and lack of planning real estate prices could slide for some time to come.

AFLC is really trying to keep their options open. I think their first option is to sell as much of the land as possible to either the FS, or a land conservancy. I have questions whether they really want to develop anything.
RE: Rezone Rumors byAureliux10 months ago (1 votes) (report abuse)
Speaking of the golf course issue, I haven't seen any new news on the big bait and switch escapade from "The Resort" when they pulled that 3rd course, decided on only two, and miffed a LOT of owners that bought up the lots around that 3rd course than never happened.

AND there hasn't been anything lately on them canning all the good members of the 24 hour security patrol and gate guards that aren't there any more...

So I could see how some kind of resort plan would want to sneak out there with a golf course for people that want to live around the 9th hole... I don't remember seeing anything published about it in our news, seems it all came out in one of the big heavy west side of the state papers.

A.
The problem bycountrygirl1110 months ago (1 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
During the early years of the Great Kittitas County Land Scam (2005-2007) 75 to 85% of the rezone requests and cluster plat aplications put before the BOCC by the planning dept. recommended the requests be denied. The BOCC overturned their planning dept. and approved the requests and applications. They have since gutted the planning dept. and put a hearing examiner in place. More than a few citizens have been concerned, I know of 2 instances where threats were made if one particular developer was opposed. Most of the early stuff did not have many owners within 300 feet of the notification boundary so not until the public notice in the paper did most residents have a clue.
There were 3 binders included with the original application AFLC (then AFR) submitted in 2006-2007. The binders remain the property of the planning dept. even though the application was withdrawn. The former head of the planning dept, the current interium head of the planning dept. AND the BOCC were all aware 2 of the 3 binders were missing. No one did a thing to locate the publics' missing property.
In July 2009 Paul Jewell had a scheduled meeting with a representative from AFLC. Next thing we know there is plan for the largest solar array in the NW and an emergency push for a sub-area plan for the Teanaway.
Transparency? um, I don't think the BOCC understand the concept.
Missing binders and not taking action to locate them bytnway10 months ago (2 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
What are the legal implications of this? And for whom?

Will this simply slow down AFLCs drive to rezone and develop because a sub-plan takes longer to complete?
RE: Missing binders and not taking action to locate them bycountrygirl1110 months ago (3 votes) (report abuse)
The matter of the binders is in the hands of the police and Greg Zempel.
The original application was for an administrative seg - this is done with NO PUBLIC in put. our county government has done administrative segs in the past. I wish I knew if they're legal or how this gets to happen.
There are several points in the process of rezoning that the average citizen opposed to the project can take. It requires an attorney (read money). The county took the path of least resistance, developers have money and lawyers, the little people mostly do not.
The two judges in county know nothing about land use and usually side with the developers, smart folks file their land use actions in Yakima court.
The best the public can do is speak out, make time to go the comp plan meetings, demand accountability from the BOCC.
More BinderGate byMC10 months ago (3 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
The rabbit hole just keeps getting deeper:
"Ellensburg Police Chief Dale Miller has said what was returned appears to be copies of missing documents, not the originals and that it is unclear if everything that was included in the original submissions to CDS is included."

http://www.kvnews.com/articles/2009/11/07/news/doc4af51f6cf3
$ Sixty Million for the Teanaway byClem9 months ago (3 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
I did my own research and US Timber paid $60,000,000 for 56,000 acres back in 1999 which if my math is correct is about $1,100 per acre. It sound like they might have paid too much, of course they and Boise Cascade had already figured in the cost of developing the property. I think they are stuck and might be able to sell out to less than they paid but who would be the buyer? I dont see the Feds or the State stepping forward.
RE: $ Sixty Million for the Teanaway bycountrygirl119 months ago (3 votes) (report abuse)
60m is chump change concidering what the goverment has paid out so far in porkulus funds.
Websites byCleElum19 months ago (1 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cle-Elum-WA/Friends-of-the-Tea

http://www.friendsoftheteanaway.org/
the police report bycountrygirl119 months ago (1 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
The matter has been turned over to the PA. From the story by Mary Swift in the Daily Record 2004 is when Aflc (then AFR) applied for the administrative seg. The whole point was AFLC knew it would piss alot of people off - yeah 34,000 new homes in the Teanaway would do that - and they did not want to show that they never had any intent to do timber, it's been about developement from the start.
Here or water wars discussion... Both! bytnway9 months ago (1 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
I thought that the planning process was suspended but maybe not. Please note the following water rights document that was posted today on the county web site:
http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us/cds/teanaway/comments/20091029-

The old irrigation ditches and fish and wildlife screens in this area were abandoned more than 20 years ago. It was five, maybe seven years ago that AFLC started to dump the water on the ground and the number of white pipes and flow increased dramatically about three years ago. They started experimenting with some grasses and fenced in areas just this year. I really doubt that anyone without some sort of prejudice would find this past behavior to be a “beneficial” use of water.

The document states, “The seven rights also authorize lesser amounts of water use for road watering, stock, fire suppression, and domestic supply.” It’s good that the analysis indicates the real use of the water (road watering/dust control) in the last 20+ years made use of “lesser amounts” than the 575 ac-ft/yr right recognized by DOE. I’m not sure that the stock use is real as there are no fences keeping the cattle out of the river and sucking on the ends of these pipes. Fire suppression is real as they hooked a dipping tank up to the irrigation line to fight the Lick Creek fire in 2005. I’m totally puzzled by the domestic use as there isn’t a single residence in this area – no less one hooked up to their diversion pumps.

Beneficial use -- public interest -- impairment. I can’t imagine any one of these passing muster if they actually request a change of use for the water.
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