PD-17-00001 Marian Meadows Full Record with Index (2)

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Marge Brandsrud October 12, 2017 PO BOX 638 Easton, WA 98925 dmbrandsrud@comcast.net TO: Kittitas County Hearings Examiner 411 N Ruby St., Suite 2 Ellensburg, WA 98926 RE; Marian Meadows Planned Unit Development (PD -17-00001), Conditional Use Permit (CU -17- 00001), Development Agreement (DVI 7-00001) and Long Plat (LP- 17-00001) GPO 2.1 The land use pattern for the County shall protect the natural environment, traditional uses, and rural character by directing future residential development which is not compatible with rural character to urban areas. The proposed development is not compatible with the rural character of the Easton Area as the existing density already exceeds the established R5 zone as demonstrated by attachment A GPO 2.4 Encourage urban growth and development in those areas where public roads and services can support such growth, and where development will cause minimal environmental degradation, reduce the conversion of land for development, and concentrate future growth in established cities and urban growth areas. The proposal does not encourage urban growth and development in an area that will minimize environmental degradation, reduce the conversion for development and does not concentrate future growth in cities and urban growth areas. There is only one public road servicing the proposed development and that road becomes challenging and at times impassable during the winter months due to snow ice and traffic blockages during closures of 190. During such events the Easton area is isolated with no ingress or egress out of the immediate area. During 190 closures the traveling public floods the area road with traffic blocking the entire road. Those blocking incidents endanger the life safety and welfare of Easton residents as well as the traveling public. The local fire department has a very difficult time trying to negotiate travel to any emergency call. I do not believe the volunteer fire department will be able to serve another 200 + residents. The proposal will have a detrimental effect on the Easton School District increasing the need for expansion and additional equipment. GPO 2.7 Kittitas County will maintain a flexible balance of land uses which will protect, preserve, and enhance the rural character, historical forest lands, agricultural industries, mineral lands, and high quality environment. Kittitas County has errored in the past by rezoning the property included in this proposal through several requests from Commercial Forest to Forest and Range and most recently to R5. These errors have allowed the degradation of historical forest land to the point we are now. The proposed development only further degrades the status of historical forest lands and in no way enhances the rural character or high quality of the environment.