County, city staff make progress in negotiations over trail

Last day to submit public comment to county regarding segment A of the trail is Thursday

By Megan Campbell • February 24, 2015 4:09 pm

Sammamish public works director and the county parks director negotiated, point-by-point, the most southern section of the East Lake Sammamish Trail design plans Feb. 19.

This followed city council’s passionate discussion at last week’s meeting, where council members expressed their disappointment and befuddlement with the county’s lack of flexibility in the updated design plans for segment A, which stretches from 43rd Way Southeast to Southeast 33rd Street.

Together city public works director Laura Philpot and county parks director Kevin Brown spent the day last week walking and biking the trail.

They said they reached an agreement on the majority of the design plans, like deciding to fill a ditch instead of chopping down trees in order to make room for the wider path.

“There’s some areas that they could go a little further on,” Philpot said. “We haven’t been satisfied and neither have the county staff.”

Brown said he is committed to finding a resolution on the last few items.

For this section of the trail, segment A, the design plans are 90 percent complete. Community members have until Thursday to submit comments to the county regarding the trail.

The county received 160 comments during its previous comment period that ended Oct. 29, 2014, Brown said. County staff are still working on responding to some of these comments.

Per the request of the city council last week, Brown will attend the next meeting, on March 3, to go over the most recent design plans.

“We believe we’ll be able to make many of those changes,” Brown said. “We’re very committed to working with the city of Sammamish and its residents.”

The northern section of the 11-mile path is already under construction. Segment B of the southern section is still in the planning phase.

The county hopes to begin construction on segment A in the summer.

The trail stretches around the eastern side of Lake Sammamish and has been a point of contention for years.

To submit comments to the county regarding the 90 percent design plan for segment A, send comments to ELST@kingcounty.gov.