Thursday, March 28, 2024

Hill Street neighbors form LLC to oppose fire department expansion

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Since it was announced last year the Cascade School District would look into selling a parcel of land next to Beaver Valley School, there has been controversy. The Lake Wenatchee Fire and Rescue station next door indicated an interest in purchasing the property for purposes of expanding their fire station.
The nearby Hill Street neighbors came out strongly against this expansion, feeling the larger facility would be incompatible with their residential neighborhood. Neighbors showed up with some emotional testimony at two Cascade School Board meetings.
Subsequently, the school board decided to postpone any decision on Hill Street until June. Since that time, the Hill Street neighbors have formed a Limited Liability Corporation, Friends of Rural Plain, LLC.
Hill Street neighbor Don Bottoms explained their motivation behind forming an LLC.
“Part of it is we need an entity that represents the residents of our immediate Hill Street neighborhood that is a free standing, legal organization that can take whatever legal action we need to take. It’s also for things like pure business purposes, in terms of having a central location for the fire district to communicate with rather than individuals and being able to pay for legal services as an entity as opposed to saying Don Bottoms has a lawyer,” Bottoms said.
Since forming the LLC, Bottoms said they made a public record request from the fire district to determine their intentions, plans and the history behind their intentions for purchasing school district property.
He said they have not asked the school district for any records.
“We’ve merely asked the fire district for them in order to try and clarify as far as we can, what the fire district actual intentions for the use of the property are, since they are not very forthcoming what all the potential uses of the property,” Bottoms said.
Bottoms said they just received the documentation and are looking through it. He said the amount received back is rather limited, but it does confirm the fire district is looking at the idea of a complex there that would support multiple agencies and would involve the construction of facilities that would not be compatible with a residential neighborhood.
It’s more like a small civic center, he said, which could evolve there if the fire district gets their wish list. In terms of the need for enhanced fire and rescue service in the Plain/Lake Wenatchee area, Bottoms said there is not now, but maybe in the future.
“We’re not arguing against that. They are the experts in terms of what they need. Our disagreement with them has nothing to do with the performance of their duties,” Bottoms said. “Our disagreement simply has to do with the fact they wish to put the type of facility they think they need in the middle of a residential area. There are other alternatives.”
Bottoms feels there is the potential for acquiring land from the Forest Service or State Park or some commercial property in Plain or on Highway 207.
“One of our concerns is the fire district seems to have not taken the step at any of these other alternatives in terms of going ahead and choosing the school district property,” Bottoms said. “It’s more like it was low hanging fruit, in the middle of the area, and it would be a government to government type land purchase. It was easy to do. In terms of research, one of things we concluded was that we found little or no evidence any other alternatives were explored.
“Possibly, the fire district has decided this is the property we like, and if they tell us no, then we’ll go look at alternatives. I can’t say that is their philosophy, but it appears that way because they haven’t done anything else.”
The position of the group is the new facility belongs somewhere else. Bottoms said that is their only issue. They feel the fire district could expand on their existing 2.5 acres. He said they would be totally happy to see them build a new fire station on their existing property.
“We’ve also discussed the boundary lines on the Beaver Valley School property that would their fire station to be expanded modestly, which would significantly increase their footprint. They don’t want to do that. They want 5.5 acres of land they won’t tell anyone what they’re going to do anything with,” Bottoms said.
To many, this issue seems like your typical, not-in-my-backyard kind of deal. Bottoms said in some ways, that is a reasonable statement to make. He asked if the folks in Plain would want this kind of facility in their backyard.
He said they are absolutely supportive of the Plain community having these types of things.
“There’s been some suggestions by the fire district that they would use some of their facilities here for a community center building. It would primarily be a fire training building for the fire district, but it could also be used for community meetings. There’s also been discussions in the community about having a community center in downtown Plain. There is a piece of property that used to be the pot farm, which could be a very good place,” Bottoms said. “The other thing they are talking about is a place for the sheriff and EMS and maybe a small jail. It doesn’t belong in the neighborhood. We’re saying to other people, would you like this in your neighborhood?”
As the facility grows, Bottoms said it could change the complexion of the whole community not just the neighborhood.
“I think that is a big issue. I think it’s a whole community issue what happens here. The fire district said maybe they are not going to be putting live fire training on this site. Maybe they will move that to the north shore. There is an example of the fire district having the things they need, but putting them in places that are more appropriate,” he said.
Across Plain and Lake Wenatchee, there is not agreement on this issue, Bottoms acknowledges. He knows there are people supportive of the fire district no matter what.
“Then, there are other people who think sometimes the fire district oversteps their their mission. We have the people in the area totally supportive of whatever the fire district wants, which is absolutely great,” Bottoms said. “Then, we have a significant number of people who don’t think so. The folks that don’t live right around here that we talk to are concerned that fire district would decide to put this type of facility into anyone’s neighborhood.”
People want fire protection, he said, but this isn’t just about fire protection. Hill Street neighbors are concerned about a possible maintenance facility on site as well as a possible command station, which would bring in other agencies during a wildfire.
“This would be a pretty big complex. That’s why we say, aren’t there any other places in this great big wilderness area that you can do this? The answer is yeah, but this is easier to do. There’s a philosophy we believe in ... you should not solve problems that are facing a community by coming up with a solution that harms members of the community,” Bottoms said.
The forming of the LLC, some feel, might simply be paving the way for a lawsuit, but Bottoms said that is not the case.
“The fact is there is very little we can do to prevent the fire district from doing what they want to do after they acquire the land. It’s going to be likely that some of things they want to place on the property may require conditional use permits,” Bottoms said. “If they do, we will scrutinize what they are doing very carefully and take positions with the commissions that approve those permits. We won’t be very successful.”
That is why, he said, they are asking the school district not to go forward with a decision to sell the property to the fire district until the fire district can tell the community what it plans to build on the 5.5 acres.
“The types of things they are talking about would be financed through federal grants. Once those buildings are built, the operations and maintenance costs will be born by this community. Nobody is really talking about that,” Bottoms said. “We’re going to have levies to support whatever they put in. We don’t know. Once they acquire the property, they will build it up piecemeal by conditional use permit by conditional use permit and we’re sunk.”
The Friends of Rural Plain have launched a website to try and relate their concerns, friendsofruralplain.us. There are also circulating a petition to ask the school district to refrain from making a final decision on the sale until the fire district details what they plan to build on the 5.5 acre site.
“We are not asking that Cascade School District never sell that land, just that the citizens of Plain be given the chance to understand what is really happening and be heard before any final decision is made,” he said.
On Feb. 26, the Hill Street neighbors requested, in writing, a meeting with Lake Wenatchee Fire and Rescue Chief Mick Lamar to discuss preliminary plans for the property. On March 7, Lamar responded to the group the fire district was still interested in acquiring the school district land.
Lamar wrote they have discussed ideas for the property with those that have expressed concerns. Detailed plans will only begin if the land is acquired.
“In previous correspondence, we outlined our actions to address significant concerns brought to our attention by you or your neighbors. As indicated in that letter, when weather permits, we will begin that work,” Lemar wrote. “I will speak with the Strategic Plan Coordinator and see when a status check presentation can be readied. However, that will be at a public forum held here at the station to which you and your neighborhood can certainly attend.
“Thank you for the invitation to meet privately at your residence, but it is unlikely that any progress that has been made would warrant a meeting.”
On April 12, Friends of Rural Plain, LLC wrote to Cascade Superintendent Bill Motsenbocker. The group pressed some of the same issues presented in this article, feeling it was incompatible with a rural neighborhood.
Further, they pressed some of the activities might be harmful to students, like live fire training. Motsenbocker wrote on April 16, after the less than positive comments directed at LWFR at the Dec. 11 school board meeting, he felt as though an open public forum may be the best venue for future discussions regarding the Beaver Valley property.
Motsenbocker wrote the school district is very interested in youth recreation on the property, whomever purchases the parcel. He said that would definitely be part of the requirements in the purchase and sale agreement. LWFR has already agreed with this and we see it as a non-issue, Motsenbocker wrote.
“Attractive nuisances, hazardous chemicals and training structures must be fenced and and secure so this does not create a concern for student safety,” Motsenbocker wrote. “Live fire training no longer uses hazardous chemicals or fuels other than wood and propane. Also, we would require live fire training to be exclusive outside of normal school hours.”
The questions surrounding set backs, landscape screening, architectural design, light/noise pollution would be issues for the Hill Street community to negotiate with the buyer, Motsenbocker wrote.
“These aspects do not directly effect the learning environment of the school nor cause adverse conditions for student safety. As a result, the school district does not wish to enter into any negotiations or conditions outside of our mission, vision or future needs,” Motsenbocker wrote. “The philosophy of selling excess property at Beaver Valley is one of stewardship. Public funds are tied up in the land Cascade will not use in the foreseeable future and to keep the property is an inappropriate use of public dollars. We hope to find a buyer that will fit in well with the neighborhood and create an even stronger community.”
Ian Dunn can be reached at 548-5286 or editor@leavenworthecho.com.

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