Major Development Committee discusses land use

The Issaquah City Council Major Development committee met again on Monday with numerous city staff and Port Blakely staff, including Port Blakely Communities President Judd Kirk.

The Issaquah City Council Major Development committee met again on Monday with numerous city staff and Port Blakely staff, including Port Blakely Communities President Judd Kirk.

Council President Maureen McCarry and councilman John Traeger were in attendance, and councilman David Kappler filled in for Fred Butler, who was unable to attend.

The committee meeting focused on development, looking at the land and what could be done in both the 101 acres in the Park Pointe area as well as the 78 acres in the Issaquah Highlands.

Still undecided is exactly what will be built on the Highlands parcel and where items such as a retention pond, hiking trails and playing fields would go. The city and Port Blakely began talks last Friday about where a human services campus might be located.

The committee is also looking at what the impact fees might be. In the proposed agreement, Port Blakely would put in $5 million in transportation mitigation and $3 million in parks improvement, as well as donating $15 million in land to the city. In exchange the city could potentially cut many of the impact fees for development in the Highlands. The impact fees would total $7.8 million, while the proposal would give the city an estimated $23 million in transportation and park improvements.

The committee will continue to have staff look into the suggestions as they talk with Port Blakely.

The next meeting will be at 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 27 in the Pickering Room in City Hall Northwest.