Sammamish City Council members are scheduled to discuss the city’s options regarding the wooded 7.25-acre YMCA property, located behind Pine Lake Middle School in the 3400 block of 228th Ave. SE, in a joint meeting with the Planning Commission on Dec. 13.

One option the city is considering is potentially building a 40,000-square-foot indoor sports facility, which could feature more playing space for local soccer and lacrosse teams.

Jennifer Kim, founder of the Facebook group Save Sammamish, has another suggestion that she contends may be more suitable for the area and the wildlife it inhabits.

Kim is encouraging the city to purchase the land and use it for preservation in an effort to leave the area’s trees and wildlife intact. Should the city be required to build a recreational facility per its agreement with the YMCA, Kim proposes instead of an athletic facility, the city build a mixed-use activity and educational area that youth and adults can use, which would be a covered outdoor pavilion featuring tables for group work.

Kim gave a presentation on her suggested use of the YMCA property at the November Citizens for Sammamish meeting, held Nov. 7 at Fire Station 82. Sammamish Mayor Don Gerend, Deputy Mayor Ramiro Valderrama and Councilmember Christie Malchow were among those in attendance.

Kim acknowledged she’s heard fellow residents from the soccer and lacrosse communities ask City Council members for more field space. She said she’s not opposed to an athletic facility; she just doesn’t want to see it constructed on that parcel of land.

“My ultimate wish would be that they’d leave that property alone or do the minimum. The least they can do is put in some trails and that would be my hope,” Kim told the Reporter. “But from speaking with the council, the YMCA has to agree with what they propose. The lease [calls for] a recreational facility, and it sounds like the council wants something more than just trails. If the council has to do something more active, this is a possible suggestion.”

Kim said there were several issues with building an athletic facility on the YMCA property. The city commissioned a wetland and stream study and an arborist report in August and September of this year, which showed that the parcel of land includes two wetlands and two streams that are connected to the Laughing Jacobs sub basin, a habitat of local kokanee salmon.

She said putting a building there would impact the spawning ability of the kokanee.

The land’s wildlife includes 10 species of birds, two of which are on the state’s species of concern list: the pileated woodpecker and the Townsend’s big-eared bat.

Factoring in the required wetland buffers and the 35 percent tree retention ordinance, Kim said it would reduce the amount of buildable land on the property. Builders would be building on a slope, which Kim stated could make for a more costly expense than the anticipated $15 million price tag.

Kim said the arborist report showed an area of 15 diseased trees on the land where her suggested pavilion could go, which neighboring schools could use for outdoor classes.

She also suggested the city could put in educational kiosks to teach kids about the land’s wildlife, or for more youth activity, a zip line, a low rock wall or a parkour course while retaining most of the trees on the property.

Kim conducted two polls to find out what other community members wanted to do with the property, polling 367 middle school students and 240 adults. She said 75 percent of the youth responses and 60 percent of the adult responses were in favor of doing “the absolute minimum.” Nineteen percent of youth responses and 28 percent of adult responses were in favor of leaving most of the trees and putting in some sort of recreational activity area. Six percent of youth responses and two percent of adults were in favor of an indoor sports facility.

“It seems like the vast majority of residents are in favor of trying to retain most of the trees in this property,” Kim said. “My hope would be that the city would either purchase or lease this property and prevent it from being sold to a developer because that would be the worst case situation. If it falls into the hands of a developer, they’re probably just gonna cut down all the trees and put in a bunch of homes.”

The city’s current lease with the YMCA started in 2013 for 25 years, with an option to extend to 50 years. The agreement also gives the city the option to purchase the land outright at fair market value. The leasing agreement states the land is intended for recreational use.

The city has to propose a plan to the YMCA by June 30, 2018 of what it will do with the land.