Our April  meeting got us off to a good start.  The following items were discussed, mentioned, or put out there for future consideration: 

      - we need to know what is going on at present with planning, zoning, GMA 
      - we must keep informed about what is going on throughout the County 
      -  Kittitas County will become the Recreation County whether we want it or not 
      -  Kittitias Valley and Ellensburg is presently the missing link in  planning for recreation as the main focus 
      -  we need to consider the nature of jobs connected with Recreation 
      -  Recreation and Tourism are very different industries 
      -  we need to examine the cohesiveness between agriculture and Recreation 
      -  we need demonstration projects connected with Recreation 
      -  we must have public transportation 
      -  we must consider a variety of environmental concerns; namely,  air quality, water quality, endangered species, use of fossil fuels, global warming, and more 
      -  we must help to build a tolerant religious community 
      -  we must have consistent meeting times - possibly  in small groups 
      -  we must have well defined goals with clear outcomes 
      -  we must have a clear vision 

 We agreed that we will push for golf courses only if there is a sure way of having them without contaminating water with pesticides, fertilizers and other contaminants and if there is an efficient watering system.  We will keep in touch with Trendwest and familiarize ourselves with the system they propose. 

We were introduced  to The Institute for Conscious Living by Bob Ota.  He and his wife Diane may be reached at rota@etrademail.com   for information concerning the Institute. 
Their work is consistent with the 50-yr Vision we explored.  They believe that elements critical to our lives are clean air, pure water, nutritious food, adequate shelter, and healthy relationships.  Be sure to ask for  more information! 

                        ! 

Dorothy Mae Sheldon 
 
 

          I was disappointed that I did not receive others' visions.  I still have not read or heard a vision statement from City or County leaders.   Not even the proposed BallPark is part of a larger vision.   Without a vision, piecemeal additions, building projects, and an unnecessary loss of natural resources are sure to occur. 

          I have concluded that the Olympic pipeline through our County is a bad idea.  The damage that is likely to occur to our neighbors in the Snoqualmie Valley is reason enough to block the pipeline, but I have another reason.  I am  convinced that we don't need it.  There are better ways to get gasoline into our valley.    It seems that the service stations request that their gasoline be transported from the West side.   There are storage facilities in Moses Lake and in Tri-Cities from which tankers could deliver gasoline.   If I have false information or have misinterpreted what I have heard, I am open to correcting my errors.  If this is true, then there is little, if any, necessity for the 60 to 80 tankers a day that presently cross over Snoqualmie Pass.   Our neighbors who live on Snoqualmie Pass would like to have the tankers traffic cease! 

        I continue to watch the progress of  Trendwest/Mountainstar Resort.  Information that I have indicates that the potential employment opportunities that the resort will create will be more than welcome.  By 2020 there will be sixty-one administrative positions, two hundred construction jobs, over three hundred openings in guest accommodations, one hundred sixteen maintenance jobs, two hundred thirty-three recreation jobs, three hundred eighty restaurant and food service opportunities, seventy-nine retail positions, one hundred sales and marketing positions, twenty-five security positions -  a total of over fifteen hundred total full-time jobs. 

        Recreation and Leisure is a growing industry.  There are hundreds of Internet sites 
that explore its possibility and potential.  I am looking forward to group discussion of  Kittitas County as a Recreation County - an exciting possibility with huge potential. 

Dorothy Mae Sheldon 

        .
January 15, l999 

        My vision for Kittitas County is that it will become the  RECREATION COUNTY 
of the State of Washington!!  I see people coming from every corner to participate in a wide variety of recreation activities.  A great AIRPORT is a necessity!  I shared my vision with the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 492, Ellensburg   It is imperative that any and all decisions regarding both the airport and the surrounding land keep future aircraft and airport use in mind. 

     The Air Taxi is on the horizon. The first one with regular weekly service is projected to be available in 2002.   The purpose of the Air Taxi is to get people to their destinations as quickly as possible in an aircraft with all-weather capability .  Passengers will ride in a  comfortable, pressurized cabin.  It is expected that an Air Taxi will carry 5 to 6 passengers. They will cruise at about 28,000 feet at about 285 mph.  They will take off at 2500 RPM and climb 1300 ft per minute.  What a sight!  What a thrill!  What a necessity for Kittitas County! 

     There must be space left around the present airport !  It is  not advisable to build houses close to any airport!  There are plenty of horror stories of developments that ended up in the flight path of commercial aircraft and the value of the property went to rock bottom !!  We don't want to have to get affordable housing the hard way! 

     So what IS appropriate very close to an airport?  Recreational parks are probably the most desirable of all.  Right now there is County owned property on Bower Road, across from the airport to the south, - approximately 100 acres.   That is where the new recreational park should be!  It would be close to Central Washington University, not in the flood plain and would be away from the freeway and the railroad, both of  which will  likely grow tremendously over the next 25 years. 

     As a Recreation County we would have unlimited opportunity for recreation related industry.   Hotels and Motels and Inns and Restaurants of every kind would open.  All sorts of  businesses and industries related to recreational equipment could open.   That's not all!! I see the old Depot as a beautiful, first class night club with one or more small restaurants and catering to all ages!  Concerts, big bands, famous performers of all descriptions would be attracted to such a place! 

     Most of my vision is already here.  Snoqualmie Pass will be a two season recreation area by 2015 and will have up to 1500 private residences, a shopping mall, a school, and what else?  Trendwest will have a fully developed Destination Resort with dozens of recreational opportunities within 25 years.  They want RAIL access from Seattle, coming from both North and South to their special spot in Upper County. 

     Who will use the airport?  Business people for sure!    CEO's, planning major developments in our Valley, don't drive!!  They fly!  Now, they bring their private planes and land at Bowers Field and hitch a ride into town!!   Another reason to keep the Connector and add some private shuttles to get people in and out in a businesslike manner.  Of course the shuttles could be routed through downtown, historic Ellensburg, through  CWU campus, by a hay field and a field of cattle, sheep, llamas and what else? 
 

       I invite you to join me in this Vision for Kittitas County!  Together we can make it happen.  Contact me by email :  sheldond@eburg.com    or by phone  509-925-4282   or by fax  509-925-1200 or www.sheldond.eburg.com  or by mail - 3240 Dry Creek Rd, Ellensburg, 98926 
Dorothy Mae Sheldon     -end page 2- 
 

 Begin  page 3 

Early in January, I talked to a member of the Coalition for Human Rights who works with seasonal workers through an organization called APOYO - Allied People Offering Year-Round Outreach.    One of their ongoing programs is a food and clothing bank.  Workers come from as far away as the Columbia Basin to get monthly donations for their families.  It has been a very beneficial program. They recently moved to a new location, the old hospital on Third Street.  Beginning January  23, they will receive, package, and dispense food and clothing from a room on the ground floor. 

   You may  learn more about this program by calling Felipe Garrison, 925-1141. 

         I am interested in getting another program started.   There is a great need for a network of people  to employ young people from the Hispanic community.  The network I have in mind is a group, or a list of people who need occasional or regular help.  I will  see that responsible young people are available to work    My personal experience is that the young men and women are good workers, pleasant to have around, and  understand and speak English quite well. 

       My idea is to have people and their jobs matched with particular young people and then to do follow up and see how each one got along.   I will act as the middle person, the one to contact before and after the work experience.  If other people need to be involved, I will make those contacts also. 

           I suggest that yard work, garden preparation, shrubbery trimming, tree planting, and other work of  that type would be a good place to begin. There are young people who can do both indoor and outdoor work.    My personal experience, with the young men and women who have worked for me, is that they   use their initiative and imagination and  go beyond my expectations, with even simple jobs. 

        For the most part, they can furnish their own transportation, but some need to be transported, so we need to keep that in mind when matching worker with employer.   If you would like to have help, call me at 925-4282 and I will be prompt in finding someone   If you have suggestions for making such a program work, please tell me. 

Dorothy Mae Sheldon 

       .Watch the Neighborhood News for my comments on the issues that came up during my campaign for Kittitas County Commissioner. In addition to sharing my 50-year vision for Kittitas Valley,  I expect to continue dialogue with the Snoqualmie Pass recreation people, Trendwest and Morningstar Resorts, as well as with members of the citizen's committee to promote a recreation complex in Ellensburg.  Finally, I expect to be a spokesperson for improved transportation facilities in and out of Kittitas Valley.  I believe we MUST have bus service throughout the county, rail service, and an expanded airport facility and service.  I will speak with groups and individuals who share my interests.  Together we can make a difference!
 End page 4 

           The comments that follow were written during my campaign for Kittitas County Commissioner.   They will continue to be here until I delete them.  Please comment on anything I have written. 

Dorothy Mae Sheldon 

       - I am FOR Trendwest. 

       -I am FOR protecting water rights for agriculture, which will always be an important industry in Kittitas County.   We may be called upon to feed even more people in the next century.  The farmers and ranchers must be encouraged to use their land in ways that they believe will best insure that this will be possible. 

       Farmers were the FIRST protectors of plants, animals, insects, and every other living critter!  For centuries they have plowed around nesting birds and brought injured and sick animals inside their houses to keep them warm beside the kitchen range.  Farmers still do this!!  I will protect their rights! 

     -  I have a vision for the next 50 years that will protect agriculture, make the County prosper and be a place to which people will be drawn  because it IS the most desirable place to live and to rear children. 

Dorothy Mae Sheldon 

A major concern I have is conservation of water, being cautious about losing water rights now, so that we won't be  sorry in the future.  I believe we must consider what will be best for future generations 
        Do 20-acre ranchettes become l acre of house and 19 acres of weeds?  That 's what I heard a person say.  If it is true, then we should either support smaller acreages (fewer weeds!) or find  some way to diversify the use of very large parcels.  It is a difficult question and we will have to compromise to arrive at the best solution.   These are only two issues that concern me and, I believe, they concern  many people.   Also, I have observed a great need for public transportation, as demonstrated by the present Connector system.  It can be modified to better meet needs  and be an affordable option for the entire County. 

      The airport must be upgraded and PRESERVED.  Airports are closing at the rate of one every day.  Most of them are small.  We must not build houses close to the airport.  When the airport does expand, the houses will be in the flight path of noisier and larger planes.  Air taxis are on the horizon for small airports, as well as for larger ones.   Again, our concern must be for future generations. 
       Further, we must have more opportunities in Kittitas Valley  for career-type jobs.  Along with industry with  job opportunities, we must have our present environment protected. 

Dorothy Mae Sheldon 

Growth in the Kittitas Valley is a frequent topic of conversation.  There are many ways of looking at and thinking about growth.  For some, it seems to mean only more and more people.  That means more and more cars on the streets.  That is a negative view that we all share at times, I suppose.  When I think of growth, I think of industry beside hay fields.   I think of people having a wide choice of  job opportunities and affordable housing. 
          It is difficult to define just what that  kind of growth will look like.   Who will bring industry to us?  Do we need to create our own industry?  What types of business, industry , manufacturing will be compatible with the Valley?  Can we attract the kinds of businesses we want without better access to the Valley? 
          If you have thought of something you would like to see, will you share it?  It's time for "pie in the sky" ideas, things most of us have never thought of or even heard of. 

Dorothy Mae Sheldon 

I have been asked how I stand on the issue of Impact Fees.  I think we might look at some pros and cons and begin a neighborhood discussion.  Impact fees are assessed on new developments which significantly change the nature and intensity of the land use.   They shift some of the burden of paying for the construction of public facilities generated by growth from existing development to new development.  Public facility improvements include roads, parks, and schools needed to support new development. 
     ...... Public support for traditional revenue sources such as increased property and excise taxes is declining, and many local governments are looking elsewhere for alternative sources.  Impact fees provide such an alternative.  Impact fees are a means to implement one Goal of the GMA, which says: 

            "...Ensure that those public facilities and services necessary to support development shall be adequate to serve the development at the time the development is available for occupancy and use without decreasing current service levels below locally established minimum standards." 

            ...The origin of impact fees goes back to the 1920s in the State of Washington.   It came with the advent of zoning and subdivision regulations.  When growth rates were relatively small and growth was spread throughout the country, local governments experienced little or no trouble in providing the needed capital facilities. ...most communities believed that growth and new development were fundamentally good, bringing prosperity to the community and resulting in better public facilities for the residents to enjoy. 

           ...This perception began to change in the l980s when residents discovered that uncontrolled growth brought air and water pollution, traffic congestion, overcrowded schools, and a generally perceived lowering of the quality of life. 

...  Impact fees may be collected and spent only for public streets and roads, publicly owned parks, open space, and recreational facilities, school facilities, and fire protection facilities. 

            Federal grant funds for capital improvements were drastically cut back in the l980s and  the burden for improvements  fell upon local taxpayers.  An  advantages of an impact fee program is that they distribute the burden of paying for growth generated public facility costs to those benefiting  the most.   An impact fee program allows local government to commit to constructing public facilities in a planned and systematic manner.  A major concern with an impact fee process is that setting and administering fees can be complicated and technical. 

         The above information was excerpted from "Paying for Growth's Impacts" - A Guide to Impact Fees.  State of Washington Department of Community Development, Growth Management Division.  January l992. 
 

.................................................................................................................................... 

I read the following in THE VALLEY RECORD, dated Sept. 24, l998.  The information was taken from the draft environmental impact statement for Olympic Pipe Line Company's proposed 230-mile-long cross-Cascades fuel pipeline. 

         Between l986 and 1995 , Olympic Pipe Line had total spills of  377,524 gallons.  The EIS contrasted that amount with Tidewater Barge Line Inc. spills totalling only 4,992 gallons.  149,520 gallons of Olympic Pipe Line spills were from 12,14, and 20-inch lines.  Approximately 228,000 gallons were spilled during transfers.  The fuel spilled was diesel, turbine lubricating oil, gas, and jet fuel.  One spill of 84,000 gallons was "mixture."

          Are these facts important for us in Kittitas County?    The article states that the potential of truck and barge spills would become less frequent as more of Eastern Washington's fuel supply is carried via the cross-Cascades pipeline.  The pipeline would run the entire length of Snoqualmie Valley and pass through North Bend and Snoqualmie..  The DEIS is presently being reviewed by Olympic Pipe Line Company's project manager. 

      I feel that we need to continue to hear the facts, to have open discussion, and to  come to consensus as citizens on such important issues.