Washington Newspaper Publishers Association Comprehensive Coverage Sammamish Review Historic farmhouse becomes casualty of the recession In a city that wasn’t yet 10 years old, the imminent death of a 114-year-old farmhouse pulled at the heartstrings of Sammamish Review readers in 2009. “I hope it’s not too late for us to realize that there is a need to remember our roots, and to save what little remains of the history of our city,” one reader wrote in July. The Freed House is a relic of what Sammamish used to be; the farmland that was there before suburban subdivisions, strip malls and Friday night high school football games. The Review’s coverage offered context to the debate and rounded out the dialogue between those who clung tightly to their pocket books, those who romanticized a symbol of the area’s rural past, and the elected officials caught in between. The Review tracked the ill-fated Freed House as it underwent a political meat grinder: Were old things valuable merely because they’re old? Should hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars fund the rescue of a building in deep disrepair? Who would really use the facility? Who would pay to operate it and maintain it? So far, the Sammamish City Council, in a position that mirrors one taken by the Review’s editorial page, has opted to not pour money into saving the structure. Pressure from local activists prompted the city to set aside funds for an historical society, which is now holding regular meetings about future efforts to honor the area’s history. Between April 2009 and March 2010, the Review covered every council discussion on the Freed House, from regular meetings to an informal discussion at a retreat 75 miles away from town. We coupled our print coverage with a Web video. We ran numerous letters to the editor from people who wanted to either save or tear down the building. We ran a two-part white paper from a local historian on the inhabitants of the Freed House and how the building came to be vacant and unused today. And we offered our own opinion that the City Council shouldn’t spend a dime on saving the building until it re-examines the logic behind funding the project.
June 17, 2009 Locally owned Founded 1992 50 cents
Cheap roads may lead to teen center By J.B. Wogan
Photo by J.B. Wogan
Virginia Kuhn says the Freed House can be saved and put to good use.
Heritage society stands up for saving the Freed House By J.B. Wogan
Virginia Kuhn looked longingly at the old growth timber building, bolstered by cement blocks, surrounded by a bent metal fence, the paint chipping more every year. She said she remembered seeing it for the first time in 1985, when she and her husband were driving into the city. The house was on the Freed farmstead, its kitchen and porch still intact at that time – both were lopped off when it moved to its present location on 212th Avenue near Southeast 20th Street. A barn and 4,000 square-foot chicken coop were also on the farmstead, and were subsequently discarded. What struck Kuhn, founder of the Sammamish Heritage Society, immediately about the
house was its elegance, she said. “It caught my attention. I’ve always had an interest in old buildings and history,” Kuhn said. The 114-year-old building is stuck in limbo, with some City Council members saying they
“We should save this. It’s important.” – Virginia Kuhn, Sammamish Heritage Society – fear that relocating and renovating it would create a “black hole” of city tax dollar spending. On the other side is a slate of defenders including Kuhn, the Sammamish Chamber of Commerce, and City Councilwoman Michele Pettiti,
Eighth Grade Author community page 16
who have been vocal in their support of preserving the house. “We should save this. It’s important,” Kuhn said. Kuhn recalled visiting her great grandmother’s home as a 2-year-old girl in Alliance, Ohio, a two-story house on a two-acre property. “That began a long-time love affair with old buildings,” she said. The Freed House evokes a sense of nostalgia for Kuhn, who says the building has value to all members of the community as a marker of the area’s identity and history. In an effort to save the Freed House from being sold or torn down, Kuhn founded the Sammamish Heritage Society in 1999. The building is the reason See FREED, Page 2
It’s a top issue for the City Council, the one element of last year’s failed parks bond that even the critics said they supported. And now, with an estimated $10 million saved through lowerthan-expected construction projects, the city might have the funds to pay for a teen recreation center. “I feel a little bit of a relief valve,” City Manager Ben Yazici said, referring to roughly $10 million saved from various construction projects in the first half of 2009. The bids on East Lake Sammamish Parkway and 244th Avenue, plus a $2.2 million unexpected state grant, plus $3.5 million in unexpected federal stimulus funds, have generated a new
twist on city finance discussions: Is there enough to get a teen recreation center? Yazici did not suggest to the City Council how to use the unexpected funds and did not mention a teen recreation center in his June 9 report. He said that any use would be up to the council’s discretion. “It’s a good problem to solve,” Yazici said. Yazici did warn that the money was one-time funding, not something that could sustain the year-to-year operating and maintenance expenses of a new building. The parks bond that failed in November 2008 included funding to buy the current Sammamish See TEEN, Page 2
EFR asks for a boat By J.B. Wogan
At the start of the Eastside Fire & Rescue presentation, Fire Chief Lee Soptich put out a disclaimer: “We are not here tonight to sell you on a boat.” Yet, in a way, that’s exactly what the fire organization did. Firefighter Dana Shutter said he acknowledged that resources were becoming more finite and there might not be room in the budget for buying a boat. Nonetheless, Lee Soptich there are some good arguments for having one, he said. Every winter there is at least
High School Graduations Eastlake page 14 Skyline page 15
one storm that causes severe flooding. “Our only capabilities at this time is for techs to wade, swim or use a boogie board,” Shutter said. In other words, EFR rescue teams have to enter the water, raising the level of risk, he explained. And when it comes to rescuing victims, “The best that we can give them at this point is a helmet and a life vest and move them as fast as we can.” Both the rescuer and the victim are vulnerable to hypothermia under those circumstances, Shutter said. In January, when the last slate of flooding hit, EFR borrowed a boat from a community member, Shutter said. A boat would allow for the EFR’s special swiftwater team to remove victims from the water
Calendar...........20 Classifieds........26 Community.......16 Editorial.............4 Police...............12 Sports..............22
See BOAT, Page 5
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June 17, 2009
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Sammamish has a historical society, she said. Her goal had been to salvage the entire Freed farmstead, which did not happen, but at least the building was saved – or so she thought. At the June 9 meeting, City Councilwomen Kathy Huckabay and Nancy Whitten voiced strong reluctance to vote in favor of moving the house unless other parties step forward and commit non-taxpayer funding to “The future is the proleaner each ject.City year. I want Councilto make sure man Mark Cross that we’re called into question headed spending toward a teen money on the Freed center.” House – Mark Cross, relocation City Council – as early as April, saying his priority was to find funding for establishing a teen recreation center in the city. In spite of pleas from Kuhn and others, Cross has not backed away from his original line of reasoning. “This would take a lot of energy,” Cross said at the June 9 City Council meeting. He added that the council should not make a decision about the Freed
SAMMAMISH REVIEW
um, an exhibition space for local artists, a small café or bakery, a professional office space or a venue for special City Councilwoman Kathy celebrations such as weddings. Huckabay has repeatedly quesBaxter said the building tioned the rationale of saving could also be an educational the historic Freed House if the space for local school children city does not know who would to take field trips and learn use the building and how. about the history of their city. But some individuals have She pointed out that both answered Huckabay’s call, saythe Sammamish Heritage ing they would commit their Society and the Sammamish time and money to saving the Chamber of Commerce have building. told the council they would use Joe McConnell, a former the building. member of the Arts Huckabay addressed the Commission, sent the City issue again at the June 9 City Council a Council meet“I’m not interested in letter offering, saying ing to lead a she wanted a moving it unless we group of voldefinite have some pledges first.” more unteers to commitment clean up from funding – Kathy Huckabay, and restore sources other Councilwoman – the Freed than the city. House. Huckabay City Councilwoman Nancy said private residents or nonWhitten said she would donate profits would need to raise a year’s worth of her City hundreds of thousands of dolCouncil salary — $10,200 – to lars, something close to the the fundraising effort. Parks $238,000 the city is scheduled and Recreation Commissioner to commit as part of the Hank Klein also said he would Sammamish Commons Park donate to the cause, too. improvements this summer. As for potential uses, Helen “I’m not interested in movBaxter, co-president of the ing it unless we have some Sammamish Heritage Society, pledges first,” she said. “Until addressed the City Council we see some sort of a plan, June 2, proposing a variety of along with some real financial options. She suggested turning pledges from the community, I the house into a small musecan’t vote in favor of moving it.”
Future uses of the Freed House
House in isolation – it should consider how funding the house would impact other projects. “The future is leaner each year. I want to make sure that we’re headed toward a teen center,” Cross said. The City Council voted on the Freed House and the rest of
the lower Sammamish Commons Park project at 6:30 p.m. June 16 at City Hall. Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com. To comment on this story, visit www.SammamishReview.com.
Teen
civic/teen center in the Town Center Commons area,” Huckabay said in an interview Continued from Page 1 with the Sammamish Review. She said she was concerned that Public Library from the King other scheduled projects were County Library System and turn expenses that would take funding it into a teen recreation center. In away from a recreation center. “I that scenario, the city would don’t think we’re going to have a have partnered with the lot of opportunity to do this Sammamish Boys and Girls Club, twice.” which had agreed to occupy and Huckabay has requested that run the facility. The overall bond Finance Director Lyman Howard did receive a 56.5 percent majori- report to the council with an ty vote, but not enough (60 perupdate about city finances and cent or higher) to pass a bond. how the saved funds have affectSeven months later, City ed the city’s long-term budget Councilman Mark Cross said he outlook. thinks some portion of the saved Howard gave a short presentafunds should be directed toward tion to the council June 15, getting a teen recreation center. though it did not include a “I’m very pleased that we’ve detailed analysis of how this been able to year’s revenues get grants and expenses “I don’t think we’re from different would affect the going to have a lot of directions that budget five or help us save six years into opportunity to do this our local tax the future. twice.” dollars,” Cross Howard has said. “I don’t told the council – Kathy Huckabay, want to spend in past Finance Councilwoman – it all, but I do Department want to spend quarterly some portion of it to pay for a reports that the city budget is due local teen center.” to run into a problem by 2015 — Cross said he was not wedded spending would outstrip income to a specific plan of how to bring at that point, he said. a teen center to the city – it could Howard’s term for that budget be by buying the current library problem is the “crossover point.” building or it could be by buildHe told the Sammamish Review ing a new structure altogether. that he expected investing in a “It could be either one, but we new building — like a recreation need to have some focus and we center — would likely hasten the need to have some staff energy crossover point, unless someone around it,” Cross said. “It just other than the city assumed the seems to slide from year to year cost of paying to operate and to year.” maintain the building. City Councilwoman Kathy Huckabay said she is also interReporter J.B. Wogan can be ested in how the saved money reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or could impact plans to build a jbwogan@isspress.com. To comteen recreation center. ment on this story, visit “My goal is that we have a www.SammamishReview.com.
June 24, 2009 Locally owned Founded 1992 50 cents
Freed House rejected
Officials oppose new fire authority
The one that didn’t get away
By J.B. Wogan
City Councilwoman Michele Petitti made one last effort to convince her fellow council members to fund the 114-year-old Freed house’s relocation. “You’ve essentially pulled the rug out from any fundraising plan that could have gone forward,” she said. “If it doesn’t go forward, this is the end of the Freed House.” But neither Petitti, nor roughly $6,000 in community-pledged donations, nor impassioned pleas from the Sammamish Heritage Society was enough to acquire the decisive fourth vote. The City Council voted 4-3 against funding to move the Freed House to the lower Sammamish Commons. The house, owned by the city, was moved from its original location and has been sitting at the intersection of 212th Avenue and Southeast 20th Street. The June 16 decision has left the farmhouse in limbo. City Councilman Jack Barry and Mayor Don Gerend voted with Petitti to move the house, with the ultimate hope that a combination of private and public donations would help restore the building once it had a foundation, new roof, and gutters. Barry said he had spoken with about a dozen community members in the last week who said they would volunteer either time or money to the project. “You know where I stand. It’s not easy, but I think it will become easy if it becomes a collective effort,” Barry said.
By J.B. Wogan
Contributed
Jeffrey Martin, 12, snagged a six-pound smallmouth bass from a boat on Pine Lake June 14.
Sammamish bus routes in peril By J.B. Wogan
Stephanie Murphy wouldn’t be too worried if King County Metro cuts the 216 bus route. She said she often uses the 218 commuter route, which runs from the Issaquah Highlands to downtown Seattle, and that route would be her backup plan if the 216 stopped running. “I ride the 216 once in a while, but I normally ride the 218. Even if it’s a little farther away it’s worth it to drive the four miles,” she said. Murphy and other riders might need to make those
Higher taxes, less direct contact with the governing body and less say in how the body operates — those were some of the issues that caused residents in Sammamish to form its own city 10 years ago. And yet, fire protection advocates are now pushing for a regional fire protection agency model that might result in everything Sammamish residents sought to avoid. Two partners of Eastside Fire & Rescue, which includes Sammamish, are exploring the option of forming a regional fire authority with an independent taxing authority. The city is outside the borders of those partners — Fire Districts 10 and 38. Sammamish officials say they want no part of such an entity. “We haven’t seen any information that it’s going to improve the quality of service for our residents,” Sammamish City Councilman Jack Barry said. Barry sits on the Eastside Fire & Rescue board of directors as one of two Sammamish representatives. “The only thing we hear, at best, is that bigger is better. We don’t necessarily subscribe to that,” Barry said. “The argument that they use is that they can be more efficient and that they can share resources better,” Sammamish City Councilman Lee Fellinge said. Fellinge is Sammamish’s other
Photo by Lauren McLaughlin
See FREED, Page 3
See BUS, Page 2
Some officials fear the 216 bus route may be cut.
art from recycled materials
Local Lacrosse Wins
community page 10
Sports page 18
See AUTHORITY, Page 3
Calendar...........16 Classifieds........22 Community.......10 Editorial.............4 Police................8 Schools............14 Sports..............18
SAMMAMISH REVIEW
Freed Continued from Page 1
Gerend also spoke with an air of reluctance, prefacing his statement by saying that he had “come over to the dark side.” In the past, Gerend had voted against relocating the Freed House, a project that has appeared in city budgets since 2006.
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representative on EFR’s board of directors. “You can accomplish the same thing through cooperative agreements.” Fellinge added that he is leery of potential conflict-of-interest situations in a regional fire authority. “The quality of the governance tends not to be as good. What you get as a governing body is firefighters. There’s nothing wrong with firefighters, but there’s a conflict of interest,” Fellinge said, adding that firefighters in governing roles would have the dubious responsibility of approving salaries for themselves and their peers. “It wouldn’t matter if you were setting that up for fire or any other service that you can imagine,” Fellinge said. At the June 9 board of direc-
Correction The June 17 story “Sammamish Historic Society stands up for the Freed House” lists an inaccurate amount for City Councilwoman Nancy Whitten’s proposed donation. Whitten offered to contribute one month’s salary, or $850, to a pool of donations that would help save the Freed House.
www.plateaujewelers.com
Take a peek... I-90 traffic cameras
June 24, 2009 •
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The relocation would cost $330,000, with an estimated additional $400,000 or more to renovate it, according to Parks Director Jessi Richardson. Gerend said comments from the public had convinced him that the building was worth restoring. “There really is a history to it, even though it may not be by a famous architect or have an astounding design,” Gerend said. “I think as a council, I think we
made that commitment and I think I’m ready to stand by it now.” Mark Cross, Lee Fellinge, Kathy Huckabay and Nancy Whitten voted against the relocation. “I think this really is one of the most difficult decisions that we’ve had to make,” Huckabay said. Fellinge said he wasn’t comfortable voting to relocate the building without knowing exactly
how the city or public would pay for its restoration. “I have not been able to discern a real clear plan of what the building would be used for,” he said. “My experience of doing restoration of old buildings and old structures – my experience is that whatever you think the cost will be, the cost will be higher.” Virginia Kuhn, co-president of the Sammamish Heritage Society, said she was discouraged by the council’s deci-
sion. “We do not know where we will go from here,” she wrote in an e-mail. But Kuhn added that she had received several phone calls encouraging her not to give up on the house.
tors meeting, Fellinge reiterated to his fellow board members that Sammamish is not interested in becoming part of a regional fire authority or any other kind of expanded fire agency. Formal partnerships and the formation of a regional fire authority are different from mutual aid agreements, which EFR currently has in place with surrounding fire agencies such as the Fall City and Snoqualmie Pass fire departments. EFR Fire Chief Lee Soptich reported to the board of directors June 9 that he is also pursuing an equipmentsharing arrangement with Mercer Island City Fire Department. “Sammamish taxpayers would see a significant increase in cost of fire service without an added benefit in coverage,” Fellinge said. “It would be unfair to our taxpayers.” Regardless of Sammamish’s position, the idea of a regional fire authority is picking up traction in nearby areas.
Elected members of fire commissions in Fire Districts 10 and 38 have voted to form a planning committee July 15 that will develop a proposed fire authority, with the possible inclusion of Snoqualmie Pass, Issaquah, Woodinville and other local fire districts not associated with cities. Supporters say regional fire authorities are supposed to enable multiple fire departments in adjoining areas to make joint decisions that cut costs while providing equal or better service for the overall area, according to EFR Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Griffin. Eric Robertson said the theory works. Robertson is the administrator of the Valley Regional Fire Authority, which combined the Auburn, Algona and Pacific fire departments with the Fire District 31 in January 2007. “The first two years of our existence, it has provided a reliable, flexible funding source to meet our demands. Across the
board, the average taxpayer saw just a very slight increase,” Robertson said. Rick Gaines, who used to sit on the EFR board of directors and is the chair of the District 10 Fire Commission, said forming a regional fire authority would help build new fire stations. A regional fire authority could spread the cost across a wider taxpayer base, he said. Under the EFR structure, individual partners must go to their individual taxpayers to pay for major capital expenses like a new fire station. So, while service might be borderless, funding is cordoned off to individual taxpayer bases. A recent example was the November bond passed by Issaquah voters for a new fire station. While the fire station might have had benefits to all of EFR’s partners, Issaquah residents had to pay for it. Issaquah City Councilman Dave Kappler, one of Issaquah’s representatives on the EFR Board
of Directors, said he liked the concept of a regional fire authority enough to explore the option, but he has some reservations about how it will work in practice. “I’ve been skeptical about them, mostly on the funding model,” Kappler said. Meanwhile EFR administrative staff is trying to appear neutral on the issue. EFR staff might attend meetings about forming a regional fire authority, but the administration has no official position on regional fire authorities, Deputy Griffin said. If partners like Sammamish wanted to join a regional fire authority, the individual city council or fire commission would have to take a formal vote to participate.
Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com. To comment on this story, visit www.SammamishReview.com.
Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com. To comment on this story, visit www.SammamishReview.com.
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February 3, 2010
SAMMAMISH REVIEW
Council nearing decision to tear down Freed House By J.B. Wogan
The Freed House will likely be used for spare parts after a discussion by the City Council during its Jan. 21-23 retreat in Cle Elum. The council did not take a formal vote about the house, but city employees are investigating ways of tearing down the house and salvaging materials. “We were going to look more into it,” Deputy Mayor Nancy Whitten said. “Eventually something would have to be done with it.” Whitten said the Freed House decision wasn’t set in stone — if someone came to the council with a proposal to move the building and had the money to do so, the council would entertain the idea. But at least four council members and multiple members of city staff involved in the issue indicated that the council was running out of options.
Kellman Continued from Page 1
is 9.37 acres and the mansion and other smaller structures total 10,200 square feet. City Manager Ben Yazici said his staff had received suggestions from the community to use the mansion as a storage facility, a teen recreation center or the headquarters for the Sammamish Heritage Society. He was hoping to get some direction on what to
“There isn’t any appetite to spend any money on it,” Councilman Tom Odell said. Councilman Mark Cross said that the public will have an opportunity to weigh in on the Freed House’s fate before the council makes a decision. “I don’t think anybody’s going to do anything with the Freed House without having some more public comment first,” he said. City Council told staff to come back with a tear-down proposal with cost estimates, according to Councilman John James. “The inclination expressed was to deconstruct it, save some of the valuable wood, and use it in a respectful way – perhaps for a bench featuring a plaque that would explain the origins of the wood,” Communications Director Tim Larson wrote in an e-mail. Larson added that staff’s interpretation was that specific uses of See FREED, Page 6
Photo by J.B. Wogan
The Freed House sits on an empty lot as the council debates its future.
building, especially when it do with it. The council’s decision was to might be torn down during Town do nothing right now, although at Center development, Petitti explained. She least one counthe value cilwoman “We need to think what noted acknowledged isn’t in the the land is going to be building anyit’s not an ideal solution. way. used for.” “Nobody “It’s the land – Michele Petitti, likes to see and we need to something sit think what the Councilwoman – land is going to useless,” Councilwoman be used for,” Petitti said. Michele Petitti admitted. While Kellman sits empty, a In the short term, the council didn’t want to spend money on proposed clock will remain only repairing or remodeling the a model.
The city’s Arts Commission had invited artists to submit designs for a proposed town clock. However, the $100,000 price tag in a tight economy, and a lack of consensus on where to put the 14-foot tall clock stalled the process. The City Council is now officially leaving the clock off of their work plan for the near future. Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com.
Corrections ◆ The Jan. 27 article “City gets $1 million for 20th Street” misstated where the sidewalk will be. The sidewalk will be on the north side of Southeast 20th Street. ◆ The Jan. 27 article “Citizen activists plan to ramp up efforts in 2010” mischaracterized Tom Odell’s involvement with Citizens for Sammamish. He used to be a member, but has not been since spring 2009.
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February 3, 2010
SAMMAMISH REVIEW
Sammamish dogs to compete in Westminster dog show By J.B. Wogan
Last year was a special one for Sammamish dog handler and groomer Vali Eberhardt. In January 2009, after years of lobbying, the American Kennel Club officially sanctioned her dogs’ breed, the Norwegian buhund. In December her female, Sophie, won best of breed at the club’s Eukanuba National Championship in Long Beach, Calif. At the same competition, Sophie’s brother Kaare, won best of winners — meaning he was the top male Norwegian buhund there. Because Sophie won best in breed in Long Beach, she was filmed competing with other herding dogs and is scheduled to appear on Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel at 8 p.m. Feb. 6. “Winning best of breed at any show is a fabulous honor,” said Lisa Peterson, a spokeswoman for the American Kennel Club. She noted that 2009 was the 125th year anniversary of the
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the house and its building materials were to be announced. Helen Baxter, co-president of the Sammamish Heritage Society, wasn’t pleased to hear about the building’s likely fate.
club’s existence, adding to the show’s historical significance. Both Sophie and Kaare performed so well at a Mt. Vernon show last June that they qualified for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Feb. 15-16 in New York. The show is considered the most prestigious in the nation. They were two of four Norwegian buhunds to qualify for this year’s
“I don’t predict going back to Westminster. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.” – Vali Eberhardt, Dog owner – show. Eberhardt is trying to keep realistic expectations about the upcoming competition or her dogs’ continued success in conformation competitions. She pointed out that 2009 was the Norwegian buhunds’ first year as a sanctioned breed in conforma“Once it’s gone, it’s gone … You can’t get it back,” she said, calling it a short-sighted view. Moving forward, Baxter said she hopes the city salvages as much of the building as possible. The 115-year old house has been sitting in limbo while the council deliberates what to do with it. The city took the house over
tion and is likely to become more competitive in future years. “I don’t predict going back to Westminster. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” she said. In conformation, dogs must jog around a ring and pass a series of alertness and obedience tests. Dogs are judged on a variety of aesthetic standards — gait, teeth, color of the eyes, length of tail and length of legs. Eberhardt said the judge at the Long Beach competition pulled her aside and explained that Sophie won over Kaare because her eyes were darker and her tail was a little more set. “It’s almost 50-50. Sometimes the judges pick the boy, sometimes they pick her,” she said. Norwegian buhunds are gentle in disposition, friendly among children and family, Eberhardt said. They are pack animals, too. Eberhardt said she’s noticed that they’re friendlier to one another than shiba inus, a similar-looking See DOGS, Page 8
and placed it on blocks at its current location on 212th Avenue Southeast, just north of Southeast 20th Street. The City Council had initially planned to move the house to the lower Sammamish Commons area to be folded into Town Center. The relocation was funded and scheduled for summer 2009. However, there were no con-
Contributed
Vali Eberhardt’s two Norwegian buhunds, Sophie and Kaare, earned honors at the American Kennel Club’s National Championship in December. crete plans for what to do after the house was moved. The Sammamish Historical Society and the Sammamish Chamber of Commerce both expressed interest in taking the site over, but no one proposed a viable funding model for operating and maintaining the building. In 2009 Councilwoman Michele Petitti, a supporter of the Sammamish Heritage Society, advocated in favor of funding the relocation and repair of the Freed House to the Town Center area. The cost was more than some members of the council could swallow, an estimated $700,000,
if not more. The council voted 43 against the relocation and repair last summer. Petitti said that during the retreat, it became clear that the council was leery of expenses involved in preserving the house. “There wasn’t any will to spend any money to move it anywhere and the likelihood of creating a lot where it sits wasn’t possible,” Petitti said. Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com. To comment on this story, visit www.SammamishReview.com.
4 • April 15, 2009
Review editorial Freed House may be economic casualty Councilman Mark Cross is onto something. In discussions surrounding the Freed House and its planned move to the Sammamish Commons, Cross asked that most important question: Why? Why would the city spend a quarter-million dollars to move a dilapidated structure to the Sammamish Commons? Who would renovate it? Who would use it? Would enough people use it to justify the cost? We’ll add one more question: when is an old house deemed historic, when is it just old? The initial plans to move the house were made years ago. The city had some interest from outside parties in refurbishing the house, but no formal request. It’s worth going back to those groups to see if they still want to take on the renovation and occupancy. While there is some historic value in the structure, it’s in really bad shape. At a bare minimum, it will need new windows, a roof, doors and a coat or two of paint, and that’s just on the outside. Certainly a group could try to raise the money, but the city would need an assurance (like a bond) that if the building is moved, it will be fixed up. If there is no one to renovate the building, moving it creates an eyesore at the end of what is designed to be a gateway to the Town Center’s green spine. Which brings up more concerns. Council member Nancy Whitten suggests it is worth revisiting the Sammamish Commons project. The plan for the Commons was completed when Town Center was little more than a glimmer in the City Council’s eye. While the Commons will serve well as part of the green spine portion of Town Center, it wasn’t designed specifically for that purpose. It is worth another look, especially with a decision pending on the future of the Freed House. Given the economics and these uncertain times, it may be that the Freed House is best relegated to a warm memory of early-day Sammamish, best preserved in a history book.
OPINION
SAMMAMISH REVIEW
Sammamish Forum The tribe answers In response to Michael T. Barr’s March 30 letter, “Why does the Tribe care?” The tribe is interested in the 244th Avenue bridge project for several reasons. The Snoqualmie Tribe Environmental and Natural Resources staff feels that the proposed design inadequately provides for wildlife passage and will not retain the full ecosystem functions of the wetland. Furthermore, the tribe is concerned about potential cultural resources in the project area, which falls solidly within its Usual and Accustomed boundaries. These interests alone are our sole motivations for action in this case. Matt Baerwalde Snoqualmie Tribe Environmental and Natural Resources Department
Time for a new council My husband and I have lived on Pine Lake since 1974. When we and others here on the plateau got fed up with the way King County was spending our tax dollars and not listening to their voters up here, we became active with a group to try to be annexed to the city of Issaquah. That did not work out, so we worked, again, with this same group to form our own city, Sammamish. Everyone felt we would have a City Council that would listen to its citizens. Well, I feel we have just what we did not like with King County. Our tax dollars are being spent on frivolous things (a clock). Maybe it is time we citizens, who pay all the bills, should elect some new council members who will listen and work with the people that elect them, instead of following their own agenda. Maybe this is a good time to stop, look and listen, like the railroad crossing sign warns. Betty L. Miller Sammamish
Poll of the week
Parkway not stimulating
What do you think about the Obamas' new dog? A) They should have picked a rescue shelter dog. B) It looks nice, but what's with the name Bo? C) I'm just glad they're donating to the Humane Society. D) Who cares about the president's pet? To vote, visit www.SammamishReview.com.
The Sammamish City Council accepted funding from the federal stimulus package for expansion of the East Lake Sammamish Parkway project beyond Phase 1A. This decision is a huge disap-
pointment to those of us who had thought, mistakenly, that the council had finally accepted that the majority of the citizens in Sammamish do not want or need this project when it voted earlier in the year to only fund a small portion that would focus on improving the safety at the Inglewood Hill intersection. With the exception of the safety features planned for the Inglewood Hill intersection, the rest of this project does not provide any value in exchange for the cost. Perhaps the council believes that because the stimulus funds do not come out of its own city budget, that they have found a way to pay for this part of the project that the citizens do not want by announcing the tab is being picked up by the federal government. But there is no mistaking that the full cost of this project is being paid by us all. Whether it be the taxes we pay for living in Sammamish, or the taxes we pay at the federal level we are still going to foot the bill for an expensive project that does not provide value, and that we do not need. Is this how government is supposed to work? I know that this is not what President Obama had in mind in making the stimulus money available. When he announced the package, Obama asked that citizens at the local level to watch carefully how the funds are spent–and if we see waste, we should “call it out.” Well, I for one, plan to call this out. Shame on the city for taking the stimulus money and wasting it on this project. There are many other needs within our city that could have used the funding and provided jobs and value to our citizens. This, unfortunately, is a waste. Sherie Valderrama Sammamish
Be wary of card theft Not too long ago, someone wrote in with comments about the trivial crimes reported on the police blotter wasting our police officers’ time. I gave it little thought but had noticed the same. I find the need to support the
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opinion of that Sammamish resident now. In the April 8 edition of police blotter, someone had reported an odd sound while driving and it was discovered that some perpetrator had put duct tape on the road and it stuck to the tires of the victim’s car. This may have normally just caused me to laugh it off at the silliness of it, but I had also been a victim of a crime that same month. A young man stole my debit card that I accidentally left in the ATM machine at the Sammamish Bank of America. He used it at a Safeway, not once but twice on the same day within an hour to the tune of $360.95. He used my debit card as a credit card and the clerk did not ask for an ID on either transaction. My debit card does not have a signature. It says “See ID.” I am a middle-aged women with a name not commonly used and the young man using my card was under 18. A warning to all, having a debit card and a pin number does not make you safer. The next time a clerk takes the time to ask for ID, instead of being annoyed with them for making you take the time to get it out, you should say “thank you” for keeping your identity safe. This crime never made it into the Sammamish Review Police Blotter but duct tape on the street did. Claudia Haunreiter Sammamish
Letters Sammamish Review welcomes letters to the editor on any subject, although priority will be given to letters that address local issues. We reserve the right to edit letters for length, clarity or inappropriate content. Letters should be typed and no more than 350 words. Include your phone number (for verification purposes only). Deadline for letters is noon Friday prior to the next issue. Address letters to: Sammamish Review Letters Box 1328, Issaquah, WA 98027 fax: 391-1541 e-mail: samrev@isspress.com
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