The City of Kent announced that it will be holding a Public Hearing at its March 5 City Council meeting to discuss the proposed exchange of property with the KOA Campground.

“The City is considering whether to surplus drainage utility land within the Green River Natural Resources Area (GRNRA), up to a maximum of 66,000 square feet in size, and contiguous to the KOA’s southern property boundary, in exchange for:

  1. land from the KOA, located along its western boundary, that is approximately 33,866 square feet in size, to be owned by the drainage utility, and needed to construct levee improvements along the Green River;
  2. a permanent inspection, maintenance, and utility easement granted to the City over other KOA land that is approximately 5,184 square feet in size and necessary to support the levee improvements and their construction;
  3. the reimbursement by the King County Flood District of the purchase price paid by the City to acquire replacement drainage utility property for the GRNRA, known as the Suh Property, which is approximately 68,560 square feet in size.”

Here’s a map showing the KOA Campground:

Here’s a map of the GRNRA:

PUBLIC HEARING MARCH 5
All interested members of the public are invited to obtain more information about the proposal, and to speak in support or opposition of the property surplus and removal of restrictive covenants, at a PUBLIC HEARING to be held before the Kent City Council at its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, March 5, 2019, beginning at 7:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as business permits, in the Kent City Council Chambers, 220 Fourth Avenue South, Kent, WA 98032.

Members of the public may also submit written comments at the Public Hearing itself, or in advance by regular U.S. Mail to the City Clerk’s Office, 220 Fourth Avenue South, Kent, WA 98032, or by electronic mail to [email protected]. Any written comments sent in advance must be received no later than 4 p.m. on March 5, 2019, in order to be considered. The public notice can be found at the City of Kent’s Website: KentWA.gov.

Here’s the city’s full announcement:

CITY OF KENT
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
KENT CITY COUNCIL MEETING

March 5, 2019

POTENTIAL SURPLUS OF A PORTION OF THE GREEN RIVER NATURAL RESOURCES AREA (“GRNRA”)
IN EXCHANGE FOR COMPARABLE LAND FROM THE KOA CAMPGROUND
TO CONSTRUCT LEVEE IMPROVEMENTS ALONG THE GREEN RIVER

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, in accordance with RCW 35.94.040 and RCW 35A.21.410, the Kent City Council is considering whether to surplus a portion of the GRNRA (the “Property”), owned by the City’s drainage utility, in exchange for: (1) the City’s receipt of land from the KOA Campground, owned by Recreational Adventures Co. (“KOA”), necessary to construct levee improvements (the “KOA Property”), (2) the City’s receipt of a permanent easement over other KOA land in support of the levee improvements, and (3) the reimbursement of all acquisition costs paid by the City to acquire additional land contiguous to the GRNRA and known as the “Suh Property.” The Kent City Council will also consider whether to remove any covenants that restrict the Property’s use to allow for its construction and use by KOA as a campground.

Surplus. The City is considering whether to surplus drainage utility land within the GRNRA, up to a maximum of 66,000 square feet in size, and contiguous to the KOA’s southern property boundary, in exchange for: (1) land from the KOA, located along its western boundary, that is approximately 33,866 square feet in size, to be owned by the drainage utility, and needed to construct levee improvements along the Green River; (2) a permanent inspection, maintenance, and utility easement granted to the City over other KOA land that is approximately 5,184 square feet in size and necessary to support the levee improvements and their construction; and (3) the reimbursement by the King County Flood District of the purchase price paid by the City to acquire replacement drainage utility property for the GRNRA, known as the Suh Property, which is approximately 68,560 square feet in size.

If approved, the surplus would involve the transfer of up to a maximum of 66,000 square feet of the GRNRA property from the drainage utility to the KOA. However, due to other land the drainage utility will receive in return from the KOA and the City’s acquisition of the Suh Property, the City, its drainage utility, and the GRNRA will be made whole as the combined transactions will result in a net increase of land conveyed to the City.

Removal of Restrictive Covenants. In addition to transferring the Property to KOA, the transaction also requires removal of open space restrictions placed on the Property due to it being acquired with grant funds through King County’s 1993 Regional Conservation Futures Acquisition Program and King County’s Department of Metropolitan Services Regional Shoreline Fund. If surplus is approved, the City will negotiate with King County to convert, purchase, or develop such replacement property as is necessary for the project to proceed, and which the City will maintain as open space or such other compatible use in accordance with King County requirements. The City currently anticipates that the KOA Property and/or the Suh Property will satisfy all conversion requirements King County may impose.

All interested members of the public are invited to obtain more information about the proposal, and to speak in support or opposition of the property surplus and removal of restrictive covenants, at a PUBLIC HEARING to be held before the Kent City Council at its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, March 5, 2019, beginning at 7:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as business permits, in the Kent City Council Chambers, 220 Fourth Avenue South, Kent, WA 98032.

Members of the public may also submit written comments at the Public Hearing itself, or in advance by regular U.S. Mail to the City Clerk’s Office, 220 Fourth Avenue South, Kent, WA 98032, or by electronic mail to [email protected]. Any written comments sent in advance must be received no later than 4 p.m. on March 5, 2019, in order to be considered. The public notice can be found at the City of Kent’s Website: KentWA.gov.

Any person requiring a disability accommodation should contact the City Clerk’s Office at 253-856-5725 in advance. For TDD relay service call Washington Telecommunications Relay Service at 1-800-833-6388.

Scott Schaefer

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