Snoqualmie City Council approves deal for YMCA-run community center
March 23, 2010
By Dan Catchpole
NEW — 5:06 p.m. March 23, 2010
Snoqualmie City Council approved a deal for the YMCA to run a city-owned community center on Snoqualmie Ridge. The decision followed several years of negotiations.
The agreement is not binding, but rather lays out what the YMCA of Greater Seattle would be responsible for in running a community center.
Opponents to the YMCA agreement said they felt ignored by the city.
“It goes legal,” Snoqualmie Ridge resident George Isaacs said after the meeting.
He and other residents and business owners have voiced concerns with the city’s plans at several public meetings over the past two months. Their concerns have covered a broad range of issues, including the plan’s costs, the size of the proposed site, parking and traffic.
However, City Council members felt confident about moving forward with the agreement and passed it 7-0.
The center would be 9,500-13,000 square feet after its first phase, which is expected to cost about $4 million and include a meeting room, half-sized gymnasium, fitness facility and youth room. A second phase, estimated to cost $10 million, would include a pool.
The city’s plan is to have the YMCA build the facility, which Snoqualmie would then buy from the group and lease back to it. The YMCA would then operate the community center. The Seattle YMCA is ready to sign the agreement with the city.
A tentative agreement has been reached between the city and the YMCA that would reduce monthly user fees by 15 percent and the joining cost by 50 percent for Snoqualmie residents.
There was a sense of urgency to moving forward with the project among some council members.
“This is the time financially if we go out to bid that we get the best bang for our buck,” Councilman Charlie Peterson said.
Snoqualmie’s demographics, the Y’s interest in partnering with the city and financial timing were all reasons to move ahead, said Councilman Bryan Holloway.
Despite the growing opposition in recent months, most of the residents who spoke at the council’s meeting supported a YMCA-run center.
“I don’t know how my kids are going to turn out, but I know that if we’ve got a Y in the area, they’ve got a better shot,” Snoqualmie Ridge resident Alex Gonzalez said.
The Y would have “a powerful impact” on nearly 900 children living within a mile of the center’s future site, said Bob Gilbertson, chief executive officer for the YMCA of Greater Seattle.
Opponents question how positive that impact will be, especially for traffic and parking, and said they could pursue legal action.
Gilbertson said the effect of increased traffic could be reduced by scheduling events at different times.
The city has said that any traffic issues were already addressed in an environmental impact study done for an earlier proposed community center.
However, a recent traffic study conducted by the city said that future phases could increase traffic more than originally expected.
Retail developer Mark McDonald presented a letter from his attorney stating that the city couldn’t use the older study given this revelation.
The city’s attorney, Pat Anderson said that it is not an issue for the smaller first phase.
Dan Catchpole: 392-6434, ext. 246, or editor@snovalleystar.com.
Comments
2 Responses to “Snoqualmie City Council approves deal for YMCA-run community center”
Got something to say?
Before you comment, please note:
- These comments are moderated.
- Comments should be relevant to the topic at hand and contribute to its discussion.
- Personal attacks and/or excessive profanity will not be tolerated and such comments will not be approved.
- This is not your personal chat room or forum, so please stay on topic.
This is just another example of the government railroading the people for finacial gain. The property that the Y plans to take over is used by those same kids for football games and other creative and free ways to get exercise. The reason the city council was so adement about getting it ramrodded through was because they didnt want to miss out on all of the pocket padding before thier terms are over. Thanks guys, we are the ones left with the mess. Our kids will no longer be safe walking around the neighborhood. One, because of the increased traffic, and two, for the type of folks that frequent the Y will now be invited into our neighborhood. Way to think about the kids that live here. Might be time to move!
I would be interested in how the city council can move forward with Phase 1 if they do not fully know the impacts of future phases or even if they can build a future phase. It seems like a very short-sided plan.