Resolution 10090006.900000
JZL/WSS
9/4/01
RESOLUTION NO. 1009
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
EDMONDS, WASHINGTON, OPPOSING THE CONTINUED
INVESTIGATION OF THE EDMONDS UNOCAL PROPERTY
BY KING COUNTY AS A CANDIDATE SITE FOR THE
BRIGHTWATER TREATMENT FACILITY.
WHEREAS, King County intends to develop a new wastewater treatment plant to
be known as the "Brightwater Wastewater Treatment Plant," and has designated said plant as an
Essential Public Facility; and,
WHEREAS, King County has identified the Edmonds Unocal property, located
within the municipal boundaries of the City of Edmonds, as one of six candidate sites for the
Brightwater facility; and
WHEREAS, King County is currently conducting a feasibility analysis of the six
candidate sites to determine which, if any, should proceed through the Environmental Impact
Statement process in preparation for development of the Brightwater facility; and
WHEREAS, the King County Executive is scheduled to recommend designation
of two to five "final candidate" sites to the King County Council during the week of September
10, 2001; and
WHEREAS, the Edmonds City Council has received testimony from residents,
neighbors, City staff, and other groups and individuals regarding the potential siting of the
Brightwater facility on the Edmonds Unocal property; and
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WHEREAS, multiple large scale Essential Public Facilities already exist within or
immediately adjacent to the City of Edmonds, including two wastewater treatment facilities, high
volume ferry terminal facilities and an adjacent railroad depot; and
WHEREAS, the Edmonds Wastewater Treatment Plant located at 200 Dayton
Street within the City of Edmonds is a regional secondary wastewater treatment facility currently
treating approximately 11.8 million gallons of wastewater per day, including wastewater flows
from Edmonds, King County, Mt. Lake Terrace, Woodway, Lynnwood, and Olympic View
Water & Sewer District; and
WHEREAS, the City of Lynnwood Wastewater Treatment Plant located
immediately adjacent to the Meadowdale neighborhood within the City of Edmonds is a regional
secondary wastewater treatment facility currently treating approximately 7.4 million gallons of
wastewater per day, including wastewater flows from Lynnwood and Edmonds; and
WHEREAS, -the City of Edmonds has since 1993 worked with the Washington
State Department of Transportation to plan for the eventual relocation of the Edmonds Ferry
Terminal to the Unocal property site, and has planned for the relocated ferry terminal to be
developed as part of a new regional, multi -modal transportation facility designated as "Edmonds
Crossing"; and
WHEREAS, siting the Brightwater facility on the Edmonds Unocal property
could severely jeopardize the successful development of the Edmonds Crossing project; and
WHEREAS, due to the location, size and topography of the Edmonds Unocal
property, development of the proposed Brightwater treatment facility thereon could leave an
insufficient buffer area between the treatment plant and neighboring residential areas and impair
the ability to mitigate environmental impacts from the Edmonds Crossing Project; and
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WHEREAS, the City of Edmonds has very limited developable land within its
City limits; and
WHEREAS, the addition of the Brightwater Sewer facility could impact existing
public development of the site for the Edmonds Crossing Multi -modal Facility as well as impair
the long term, ongoing efforts of the City to correct an existing transportation snarl of bus, train,
car and ferry traffic that limits public access to the natural features and public facilities
previously described; and
WHEREAS, the Unocal site is unique due to its beautiful setting, its proximity to
commercial areas and to a. range of public recreational facilities and natural habitat areas,
including but not limited to Deer Creek Hatchery, Union Oil Marsh, the Port of Edmonds,
numerous public beaches, tidelands and an underwater dive park; and
WHEREAS, King County has been unable to demonstrate that the Edmonds
Crossing Project and the Brightwater Treatment Facility could effectively co -exist on the Unocal
property; and
WHEREAS, the City of Edmonds routinely receives complaints from citizens
residing near the Lynnwood Wastewater Treatment Plant regarding odors emanating therefrom;
and
WHEREAS, the language contained in King County Resolution 13680 regarding
potential mitigation measures, proposes to mitigate environmental impacts only to a limit of ten
percent (10%) of plant costs or Ten Million Dollars, whichever is greater; and
WHEREAS, the City has expended approximately $3.5 million in federal and
state grant monies planning for the Multi -modal Facility; and
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WHEREAS, if the City prematurely terminates the Multi -modal Project, the City
could be obligated to repay said grants, creating a severe economic impact on the City; and
WHEREAS, repayment of such grant monies is a socio-economic impact that
King County does not appear willing to assume due to the limited scope of its mitigation
resolution; NOW, THEREFORE,
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EDMONDS, WASHINGTON,
HEREBY RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The Edmonds City Council finds that the Edmonds Unocal property is
an inappropriate site for King County's proposed Brightwater treatment facility because:
A. It would impair the City's ability to maximize the potential of the site for
the benefit of the citizens of Edmonds;
B. Would impose upon the City an unfair share of the region's sewage
treatment facilities; and
C. Would impair the City's ongoing efforts to coordinate a variety of public
transportation and recreational uses as well as a preservation of natural features, open space and
scenic views, on or near the Unocal site.
Section 2. The Edmonds City Council finds that the continued investigation of
the Edmonds Unocal property as a candidate site for the potential location of the proposed
Brightwater treatment facility would represent a waste of public resources and would create a
costly and unnecessary intergovernmental conflict.
Section 3. The Edmonds City Council urges the King County Executive to
exclude the Edmonds Unocal property from the list of Final Candidates that will be submitted to
the King County Council in September 2001.
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Section 4. It shall be the policy of the City of Edmonds to oppose the continued
investigation and potential selection of the Edmonds Unocal property as a candidate site for the
King County Brightwater treatment facility.
Executive.
Section 5. The Mayor is requested to convey this resolution to the King County
RESOLVED this 4th day of September, 2001.
APPROVED:
MAYO , GAROHAAKENSON
ATTEST/AUTHENTICATED :
I wee
CITY CLERK, SANDRA S. CHASE
FILED WITH THE CITY CLERK: 09/04/2001
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL: 09/04/2001
RESOLUTION NO. 1009
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