Answer: Design supervisor 232nd interchange improvements; wants to know how his projects will be incorporated into community plans. Semi-rural standards being used now. Semi-rural design features impact spacing of interchanges, width, sidewalks, and bike lanes. Main line widening of SR18 design standards would mean 4-12 ft lanes, 10 ft shoulders in terms of usual standards. In some places they have used 16ft median.

Answer: This is one of the biggest issues because traffic is very congested.

Answer: Design supervisor for Cedar River to Hobart interchange says they are looking at a 48ft median, two east bound, two west bound lanes, 10ft shoulders. The median is for future HOV lane development. They just started looking at county roads, so sections are not decided upon. They came to see how their job fits in. If he could live in the valley, he would enjoy the openness, and the 5 acre lots. In the urban area, he likes the pedestrian facilities that are being developed. Long range, he would like the area to have an urban arterial system that would allow people to connect with other areas. The area has vacant land, so alternate treatments such as roundabouts are possible.

Answer: From another new city in the area, and would like their city to stay rural with minimal growth. Would like it to be safe, where you can raise a family; doesn’t like a lot of strip malls. They became a city because they were tired of King County ways, such as approving housing developments. They want to control their own area and not travel miles to talk to public representatives.

Answer: Local control the issue for Maple Valley. County didn’t take into consideration local needs.

Answer: Don’t have tons of apartment buildings; families not crowded, no big shopping malls.

Answers: Rural: laid back
·           Late 1980's lots of growth with no infrastructure pressure.
·           Major pressure from state and county to incorporate.
·           County was telling the people of Maple Valley what they wanted.

Answer: Moved here because Kent got too big; didn’t feel rural and like a neighborhood any more. Wilderness, especially the Lake Wilderness area, is their love. Like preservation of trees and places for kids to walk and ride bikes in a safe environment. Transportation and traffic issues are critical. A fire truck yesterday at 5:30 was having a tough time getting through congestion. There are real concerns about public safety and pedestrian issues. We don’t know where our core area is.

Answer: Because this is a bedroom community, so we are all going out and coming in at the same time.

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E-mail comments to Gregory J. McCormick
       AICP, Director of Community Development.