HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-09-10-minutes-blackhorse-update-09/10/2019 MINUTES 1
COMMISSIONERS' MINUTES
KITTITAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON
COMMISSIONERS CONFERENCE ROOM (MOVED TO AUDITORIUM)
SPECIAL MEETING
TUESDAY 1:00 P.M. SEPTEMBER 10, 2019
Board members present: Chairman Cory Wright; Vice-Chairman Brett
Wachsmith and Commissioner Laura Osiadacz.
Others: Mandy Buchholz, Deputy Clerk of the Board II; Mark Cook,
Public Works Director/Interim County Engineer; Jennifer Reiner, PE
Senior Land Acquisition Project Manager and 9 members of the public.
SPECIAL MEETING BLACKHORSE DEVELOPMENT UPDATE COMMISSIONERS
At 1:00 p.m. Chairman Wright opened a Special Meeting to receive an
update from the Blackhorse Development Project Manager and County
Staff.
Chairman Wright disclosed that if the Board will allow it he would
like to listen in on today’s meeting as it’s only a briefing with no
action. He stated as things move forward he will recuse himself from
any future meetings where action is being requested on the topic.
Mark Cook, Public Works Director/Interim County Engineer stated that
today’s meeting will only be an update and that no action is being
sought. He gave the Board a brief history on the Black Horse project
at Whiskey Creek flooding/stormwater. He explained that for the past
several years Public Works has been working with DR Horton, private
land owners and the WSDFW as well as the Ellensburg Water Company to
identify a flood solution resulting from pending installation of an
eighteen foot box culvert under Bender Road replacing the existing
48 metal culverts. He stated that the Flood Control Zone Dist., has
spent the past two years developing a two-dimensional flow model
that is in the final stage of FEMA acceptance for regulatory
remapping area floodplain and the flow model has been used to text
various flood alleviation alternatives at Black Horse. The most
recent attempt at restoring area conveyance centers on the creation
of a new flood channel parallel to Bender Road along the easterly
edge of the plat and for the past several years, DR Horton has been
working to remedy failed onsite stormwater facilities; high
groundwater and leaky stormwater conveyance systems are the most
likely contributing agents. He stated that DR Horton recognizing the
long term impact of seasonally high groundwater, and they are
electing to redesign the onsite stormwater ponds to “evaporation”
ponds. He stated that the decision requires more land for open water
storage and the bottoms of existing ponds are being raised to gain
separation from water table elevation. He stated that they are
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anticipating seeing revised calculations and pond configurations in
the next several months.
The Board concluded the meeting without taking any public comment.
They indicated they would need to get Legal review to see what is
allowed at this point in the project and would regroup once they had
obtained a legal opinion.
The meeting was adjourned 1:44 p.m.
KITTITAS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
DEPUTY CLERK OF THE BOARD KITTITAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Mandy Buchholz Cory Wright, Chairman