Your locally owned newspaper serving North Bend and Snoqualmie Mount Si girls scorch another foe Page 7
Friday, April 1, 2016
Council eyes rezoning downtown for development By Dylan Chaffin dchaffin@snovalleystar.com Railroad Avenue in Snoqualmie could soon become home to new commercial and residential development if city council votes to approve an ordinance introduced by the planning
commission March 28. As proposed, the ordinance “removes barriers from one zone while adding a barrier for another,” said Associate Planner Nicole Sanders during the meeting. She referred to an updated version of the city’s zoning map, where a new form-based, mixed-use
zone would be formed to implement new approved land use areas. The ordinance would change the zoning of other parcels closer to residential areas east of State Route 202 from permitted to conditional use, which would require a third party hearing examiner
for development and also allow affected residents to testify before the council, noted Councilman Charles Peterson. The zone will be the combination of the city’s mixeduse district — an area that includes land west of SR 202 from Southeast King Street to Southeast River Street, for a
half-block of Olmstead Place and between Doone and Silva Avenue Southeast — and the city’s commercial district, from Southeast Newton Street to Southeast Delta Street and extending one block east to Euclid Avenue. See REZONE, Page 3
SVT expands bus services in North Bend By Dylan Chaffin dchaffin@snovalleystar.com After weeks of consideration and gathering input from community members during public meetings held earlier this month, Snoqualmie Valley Transportation will be restructuring their routes to include new service areas in North Bend.
The rerouting will allow for expanded services in the Wilderness Rim and Riverbend neighborhoods, as well as create a service that will pick up passengers from the Mt. Si Senior Center to stops in downtown North Bend and points near Cedar Village before picking up passenSee BUS, Page 3
City to hire consulting firms for ballot research By Dylan Chaffin dchaffin@snovalleystar.com
Dylan Chaffin / dchaffin@snovalleystar.com
Beaming smiles with the Bunny
Liam Grobler, 4, poses for a picture next to the Easter Bunny after the Easter egg hunt at Centennial Fields in Snoqualmie March 26. View more photos from the event online at snovalleystar.com.
The Snoqualmie City Council voted March 14 to allow Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson to hire two consulting firms that will gather public input on a potential ballot measure in November. According to council documents, council and staff are considering methods for long-term funding, namely a potential levy-lid lift, for the purpose of hiring more public safety personnel, mainly in the police department, said Joan Pliego, the city’s public
information officer. “We’re still in the research phase,” said Pliego. “It doesn’t mean anything will be on the ballot in November.” The firm, Seattle-based CBE Strategic, was hired based on its experience on researching community needs related to See HIRED, Page 3 Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Kent, WA Permit No. 71 POSTAL CUSTOMER