Drafter
Clerk 08/26/2010
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AN ORDINANCE authorizing the King County executive to execute an amendment to the Grand Ridge Joint Agreement among the city of Issaquah, King County, and Grand-Glacier LLC.
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BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings.
A. In 1996, the city of Issaquah, King County, the Grand Ridge Limited Partnership and Glacier Ridge Limited Partnership (which latter two entities are succeeded by Grand-Glacier LLC) executed the Grand Ridge Joint Agreement ("joint agreement") authorized by King County Ordinance 12302, dated May 28, 1996, which, among other provisions, authorized three thousand two hundred fifty new residential units, two million nine hundred fifty thousand square feet of new commercial space and four hundred twenty-five thousand square feet of new retail space in the city of Issaquah in exchange for fee title or conservation easements to the county and city for approximately one thousand five hundred twenty acres of open space, compliance with development standards and mitigation and cost sharing for selected transportation and other improvements.
B. King County Ordinance 13690 (December 1999) authorized the executive to sign an amendment to the Grand Ridge Joint Agreement ("first amendment to the joint agreement") to increase the commercial or retail square footage and to preserve three hundred thirteen acres of rural land in council district twelve by transferring development credits to urban development areas covered by the agreement in the city of Issaquah.
C. The joint agreement and the first amendment to the joint agreement promote growth management and planning objectives by: facilitating the provision of reasonably priced housing, innovative and sensitive land development with clustering, sensitive area preservation and extensive areas of contiguous natural open space, assuring implementation of efficient major infrastructure improvements and appropriate impact mitigation; establishing creative solutions for housing, water conservation, and traffic demand management; and allowing for a creative mix of residential and commercial uses that further sustain area-wide economic vitality of the community.
D. The Second Amendment to Grand Ridge Joint Agreement [3-Party Agreement for Issaquah Highlands] and Master Transportation Financing Agreement (second amendment to the joint agreement), among other provisions, authorized modifications to the city and county open space provisions in the joint agreement by adding forty acres to the county's open space area and making corresponding adjustments to city open space; amended phasing limitations associated with Grand Ridge development in the city of Issaquah in order to accommodate related adjustments to the timing of associated road construction; refined clearing and impervious surface limitations and related mitigation measures for the southeast rural development area of the Grand Ridge site in a manner that meets or exceeds applicable development standards; and provided that road segments crossing county open space be included within the city corporate boundary.
E. The Third Amendment to Grand Ridge Joint Agreement [3-Party Agreement for Issaquah Highlands] (third amendment to the joint agreement), Attachment A to this ordinance: approves an increase of 550 residential units within the existing Issaquah Highlands project; and uses a 4:1 open space/urban concept to expand the city's Urban Growth Area by 35 acres adjacent to Issaquah Highlands through the dedication of at least 144 acres of park and open space and the transfer of development rights of 410 units to the 35-acre expanded Urban Growth Area.
SECTION 2. The King County council hereby authorizes the King County executive to execute, the Third Amendment to the Grand Ridge Joint Agreement [3-Party
Agreement for Issaquah Highlands], in substantially the form of Attachment A to this ordinance.