The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe wants additional protections in Renton’s Shoreline Master Plan

Written by Randy Corman 18 Comments


Coulon Park over-water trail; the Muckleshoot Tribe has sent a letter saying they would like Renton to reduce these

In the audience comment section of tonight’s council meeting we heard from several speakers with property on Lake Washington. The three speakers, and an attorney representing others, all spoke to their concerns that the Shoreline Master Plan is too restrictive. This was similar to inputs we received at earlier council meetings, as I described here.

On the other side of this issue, we heard today from the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, which feels our Shoreline Master Plan allows docks which are too large, does not do enough to restore the shoreline and vegetation around the lake, and comes up short in other areas.

You can read their letter by clicking here . This letter is an important one, because old treaties and recent case law give the Muckleshoot Tribe a co-trustee role when managing our fish and waterways.

The controversy is really brewing on this topic. The Muckleshoot Letter arrived the same day that we received a hand-delivered letter from David Halinen Law Offices, who is representing AnMarCo, the owner of the old Stoneway Concrete and Gravel site on Cedar River (Next to the Henry Moses Pool). Mr. Halinen expressed concern that the Shoreline Master Plan could force his client to remove the concrete Cedar River bulkhead on this site, opening the door to river erosion and loss of some –or even most– of the old Stoneway property.

Mr. Halinen also attached a copy of a five-page listing of concerns from a group called the “Renton Shoreline Coalition,” dated May 11. This list captured many of the concerns we had heard in chambers from citizens attending our council meetings.

In many areas of this plan, I feel a little like a referee. The city of Renton is trying to find some common ground between the interests of State Department of Ecology and the Muckleshoots on the one hand, versus Renton property owners on the other. And note that property owners are not all private; property owners include all of us, the Renton public, as we own Coulon Park, Kennydale Beach Park, the Airport, and much property along the Cedar River.

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A privately-owned, publicly accessible waterfront trail graces the entire frontage of Southport, from Coulon Park to the Boeing factory. Here, Renton residents are queued for a Waterways Cruise, which departs from Southport’s dock.

While normally we referee, I found myself feeling disagreement with both the Muckleshoot Tribe and the Renton Shoreline Coalition on one point this evening. The Muckleshoot Tribe says in their letter that we need to work to reduce our over-water trails (like we have at Coulon Park). But these trails are used by tens of thousands of residents each year to get their best views and enjoyment of the lake. Trail users include members of the community who often don’t have access to boats or private docks, and yet deserve access to Lake Washington. Some visitors also have mobility issues, making our ADA accessible water walks extremely valuable for ensuring all members of society can enjoy the lake. Meanwhile, the Renton Shoreline Coalition has taken issue with the Shoreline Master Plan giving priority to lakefront development projects which create more public access (like Southport did). In their issue paper they state “the shoreline Guidelines in WAC 173-26-221(4) do not require that new private shoreline development provide physical and/or visual public access for the general public.” So, on this point it feels like both the Muckleshoots and the Renton Shoreline Coalition are unreasonably lowering the importance of public access. And I disagree with both their positions on this. And while they have property rights (in the case of private property owners) and treaties (in the case of the Muckleshoots) dating back to the nineteenth century on their side, we in the general public have something dating back to the Magna Carta on our side– the Public Trust Doctrine.

In short, the Public Trust Doctrine comes from ancient English law, and dictates that certain resources (including waterways) belong to all the people. Every state in our nation recognizes the Public Trust Doctrine, and courts across the county have been increasing public access under it’s provisions. I’ll discuss it in greater detail in another blog. But in the meantime, suffice it to say that I understand the right of the inhabitants of our region to have good access to Lake Washington is of greater importance and is more-strongly rooted in older laws than any private property rights bestowed by our state, or any treaties between the federal government and the Muckleshoot Tribe.

Keep checking back for more blogs about the Shoreline Master Plan.

Beavers help keep Renton crews busy

Written by Randy Corman 1 Comment

The Renton Reporter recently ran this interesting story about a beaver knocking out electrical power at the Landing.

I have not seen any photos of the Landing incident, but it reminded me of this previous close call on the east airport access road in 2008. In this earlier case, a power line and a road were both in jeopardy.


Beaver damage to a Cottonwood tree near the Renton Airport in February 2008

Man who murdered Renton Police Specialist and her mother sentenced to life without parole

Written by Randy Corman 0 Comments

Last week, the man who murdered our police specialist Bretta Hawkins was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The killer was sentenced to a second life term for killing Ms. Hawkins mother, Barbara Nettlebeck, a King County corrections officer. Both women were loved by their colleagues and their communities.


Bretta and her mother Barbara
An estimated 700 people turned out fourteen months ago to tearfully celebrate the lives of the two women who were taken from us. I described the service here.

Last week, the killer was handed two life sentences by the Pierce County Court. Here is the full story in the Seattle Times.

With the trial over, it’s time to try to forget the killer and focus on remembering the two lovely women who worked so hard for Renton and King County.

Here are some comments I saved from an online guest book a year ago:

Continue reading →

Boeing and Renton reach new FORTY YEAR lease agreement! (20-years, plus two ten-year options)

Written by Randy Corman 3 Comments

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Boeing 737 Airplanes line Renton’s Clayton Scott Field as they are readied for final test flights and delivery to customers all over the world

Renton City Hall was abuzz tonight as Renton City Council put it’s formal approval on a new airport lease agreement with the Boeing Company.

The agreement covers a new 20 year lease term, followed by two ten-year options. The agreement comes after Boeing and Renton real-estate experts have been finalizing details for many months. Per the agreement, The Boeing Company will pay a market-based lease-rate plus a through-the-fence airport access fee for Boeing-owned property. The lease payments will increase through the term of the lease following the consumer price index, adjusted with market appraisals every 6 years.

The more complex lease terms revolved around the buildings that Boeing currently owns on the property. The buildings will convert to Renton City Ownership, per a turnback agreement in the old lease, similar to buildings owned by other leaseholders at the Renton airport. The maintenance and future upgrades of these buildings is the subject of additional lease language.

Like all lease money collected at the airport, all the funds will be used by Renton to operate and improve the airport.

Residents of Renton and our region should celebrate this commitment by the Boeing Company to the Renton facility. The company annually delivers many billions of dollars of airplanes out of it’s factory here in Renton. Our community gets thousands of high-value jobs from Boeing’s presence, along with tax revenues and generous contributions to local charities. The 737 is astoundingly popular– we’ve recently been told that the 737 airplanes on order today would stretch about 47 miles if they were parked nose-to-tail.

General aviation users have an additional reason to celebrate. Boeing’s presence at the airport ensures the airport’s long-term viability, and gives the FAA plenty of reason to keep investing in it.

This is on top of today’s national news that Boeing is increasing it’s 737 production rate in Renton starting in 2012. Today’s picture looks bright for Renton’s aerospace sector.

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This agreement helps assure general aviation users that Renton’s airport is viable long-term
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Boeing has several buildings on Renton airport property, including a state-of-the-art aircraft paint hanger. The new lease ensures these building will continue to function to their highest and best use.

Renton’s draft Shoreline Master Program continues to generate comments and controversy

Written by Randy Corman 2 Comments

A couple months ago I wrote about the complex and controversial process of developing a significant update to Renton’s Shoreline Master Program.

As this plan makes it’s way through Planning Commission, Planning and Development Committee, and eventually the Renton City Council (which has received one briefing so far), it seems that the controversy has not abated… at least, not if I judge by the correspondence and comments I have been receiving.

Far and away the most correspondence has come from lakefront property owners concerned about possible losses of use and value to their property, non-conformance of currently conforming docks and bulkheads, increased set-back requirements, and other issues.

At the council briefing on this topic a couple weeks ago, I had asked for further clarification about how Renton’s proposed rules compare to nearby cities. I made the comment at that meeting that it would seem to me that our approach should be compared to Mercer Island’s, since we are sitting on opposite sides of a common channel. Note: After writing this, I received a comment that the Mercer Island plan was rejected by the State Department of Ecology. (see comments below)

The council received the following memo two days ago on this topic from our staff. Click on each image to enlarge it… and then you may have to click it again to read it in your browser.



Memo page 1

Memo page 2


Comparison Table


Comparison Table Notes

 

For those of you interested in this subject, you can find city documents and meeting schedules here.

I look forward to further discussion on this topic. Meanwhile, our Renton City Council Planning and Development Committee is working hard to process your comments and inputs.

New Facebook group forms to combat prostitution in Renton

Written by Randy Corman 6 Comments

A new Facebook group has recently sprung up, called “City of Renton; Behind the Curve on Prostitution” Here is a link.

The new group is sharing information about suspected locations of prostitution activities, and pushing for increased resources to combat them.

We do take prostitution crimes very seriously at city hall. While some may mistakenly believe that this is mostly a victimless crime, there is actually a great deal of sexual/physical abuse and human trafficking associated with it. In addition, violators run down neighborhoods and set-back economic development efforts.

I’ve addressed this in previous journal entries, such as this one here

The city has been addressing prostitution in a number of ways. Our police have been raiding locations where the crime occurs, and arresting prostitutes, their pimps, and their customers. More recently we’ve been testing some new tactics such as contacting all the parties with financial interest in real property where this crime occurs, such as mortgage holders (banks), to let them know when their properties have become sites for prostitution and subject to police actions, code enforcement actions, or other litigation; we are working with these stakeholders to get repeat-offenders evicted from their locations and from our city.

We are open to any other ideas on how to combat this problem, and perhaps some will come from the new Facebook group.

Backlog of blogs I want to post; some birthday activities delayed me a few days

Written by Randy Corman 1 Comment

I’m in the midst of posting several new articles. I got delayed by some fun birthday activities and a few other obligations. Here is one birthday photo that is a little scary.

There are not even 48 candles, and it still looks like it could burn the house down

As a reminder, I am exactly the same age as the Space Needle. Here is the cover of LIFE Magazine from two days before my May 6, 1962 birth:

Our city, region, and our state have dodged a bullet with the Howard Hanson Dam

Written by Randy Corman 5 Comments

By now, most people in the area are familiar with the GREAT news that the risk of flooding from the Howard Hanson Dam has been diminishing. As a reminder, the abutment of the dam was leaking; I described it in detail in the photo-journal entry here .

The Renton Reporter covers the most recent development in this story here . Thanks to hard work from many, many people, Senator Murray was recently able to secure 44 million dollars to install a temporary fix to the dam to prevent flooding in the near term. Meanwhile, the Army Corps of Engineers is working on designing a permanent fix that will cost about half a billion dollars.

These developments are enormous for the security of our region, as a flood in this area could have done many billions in damage and immense human misery.

Our own Mayor Denis Law represented us expertly to help obtain this money. He was back in Washington DC a couple weeks ago meeting with numerous federal agencies, elected representatives, and White House staff to help obtain money for the interim fix. Public officials from all levels in our region were there with him, and their solidarity and good planning helped us get this funding and avoid catastrophe.


Senator Murray speaks at a recent news conference announcing the procurement of 44 million dollars for the interim repair of Howard Hanson Dam. (Renton’s Mayor Law is standing on her right side.)

Thanks for all the birthday wishes!

Written by Randy Corman 5 Comments

I’m enjoying my birthday today, and I think all of you that have sent me birthday greetings.

I have to admit, I was a little worried today when the stock market almost seemed to turn my birthday into an infamous day on Wall Street. As it turned out, the unprecedented sharp drop followed by an equally unprecedented sharp rise only succeeded in letting a little helium out (and left investors a little dizzy), but May 6 has come out okay.

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I’m staying in the stock market, but I’m not sure if TD Ameritrade pitchman Sam Waterston is making me feel any more confident with his new banner:

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Is it just me?…

Anyway, I have plenty of great birthday plans left. I’m soon headed down to emcee a talent show, and then drinks with friends. I’ve got more city stuff to write about, and I’ll try to get some stories posted this weekend.

Three generations of Guthries entertain at Kent’s Showare Center

Written by Randy Corman 2 Comments

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Arlo Guthrie’s concert in Kent last night was an inspiring celebration of family just as much as a wonderful celebration of folk music. Here he performs with his children, their spouses, and his grandkids.

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Arlo Guthrie sings with his three daughters, all accomplished musicians carrying the flame from their legendary grandfather Woody Guthrie.

Forty-one years after Arlo Guthrie’s performance at Woodstock, the American folk-singer is as vital and relevant as ever. Last night Arlo, his children, and his grandchildren put on a beautiful sing-along performance at Kent’s Showare Center.

Arlo Guthrie’s son Abe covered the Keyboard through the show, and his three daughters played major performance roles on guitar, ukulele and auto-harp. His grandchildren, ranging from adult to as young as two, played many other instruments from bass to tambourine. In-laws rounded out the band and added additional music styles. And of course, everybody sang.

Arlo explained that this Kent performance was their third-to-last stop on a special family tour that begun last October. The family was looking forward to being home, but was also going to miss the time they have spent together as an extended family on the road. It was obvious that they are a big, loving family, and it was simply heart-warming and uplifting to see the three generations perform together. There were times in the show when it seemed like Arlo was entertaining his kids and grandkids just as much as he was entertaining the audience. Arlo Guthrie still tells funny, funny stories, recites poems, and makes up crazy song verses like his famous father Woody Guthrie did. Arlo’s story-telling is arguably what propelled him to fame with Alice’s Restaurant.

After their next two stops, Arlo Gurthrie will be returning to his home in rural Massachusetts, where he performs and socializes regularly at the church where Alice once lived during the Alice’s Restaurant days. His children are all accomplished musicians in their own right, and they have been producing albums on their own. His youngest daughter Sarah and her family just released Go Waggaloo, an album of kids music, and Cathy and I picked up a copy after they performed some of their tracks from it.

The family ended the show on a very high note with the family singing Woody Guthrie’s best known song ever “This Land is Your Land, ” Arlo stopped the song mid-way to explain that his mother once heard this song performed in China, by children, back in the 70s. The family has since heard it sung all over the world, with some countries, like Canada, changing the words to reflect their own geography “from the Arctic, to the great lakes”. When Arlo hears another nation sing it without changing the words, he figures they are referring to the LONG way around the world when they sing:

“From California, to the New York Island
From the redwood forest, to the gulf stream waters
This land was made for you and me”

After a standing ovation, the family offered an encore with “My Peace”, another beautiful and spiritual song that uses lyrics written by his father Woody, put to music by Arlo.

They will be performing in Bellingham tonight, and then hopefully Arlo will be back this way on tour again in a couple more years.

I last saw Arlo Guthrie perform a year ago in Wichita Kansas, when I was on a business trip and his band stayed in the same hotel. Here is a link to my journal entry about that.

For those who want to see more photos, click below.

Click here to see more photos

Honey Creek trail almost fluoresces light green in its spring foliage

Written by Randy Corman 3 Comments


My wife Cathy on a recent ride on Honey Creek trail (photo by Katie Jones)

Any time of year, Renton’s Honey Creek trail looks like it could be in the Hoh Rain Forest. This time of year is especially bright green and heavy with fresh foliage.

The trail can be reached by walking or riding a non-motorized vehicle down Devils Elbow road, from either the Renton side (NE 27th Street) or the King County side (SE 95th way). The Renton side of Devils Elbow road takes off from Kennydale Memorial Hall.