Two members of the Arlington Cemetery Board attended the March 5 workshop meeting to propose a new name for the section of the cemetery reserved for babies and children.

 

Maxine Janelle and Skip Smith suggested a change from Babyland to Children's Garden.

 

"The board decided it would be more appropriate," Janelle said.

 

"Some of the plots are used for children older than infants or babies," Smith added.

 

The proposal was approved by the cemetery board in January, they said.

 

Arlington City Council approved the new name at the March 19 City Council meeting.

 

Also on Monday, council accepted the 60 percent petition for the Star Annexation at the intersection of SR 9 and 172nd Street NE (SR531) as well as the final docket of 2012 comprehensive plan amendments.

 

Planner Todd Hall explained he was seeking approval of the list of proposals and that each item would be presented for consideration individually.

 

Two of the five docket items were presented to council at the March 5 workshop, both rezones in the Smokey Point area, with a public hearing already planned for one rezone.

 

"We are moving forward now with the quickest and easiest," said David Kuhl, community development director.

 

City staff is proposing a change on the city's land use map from general commercial to highway commercial, for property south of 172nd Street between 43rd and 51st avenues NE, owned by National Foods, and a rezone at the southwest corner of the Arlington Airport. Currently zoned public open space (for previous plans to build a fire station there), the proposal is to change the zone to highway commercial (HC) in hopes that the property will be leased to private businesses.

 

"Many private businesses prefer to lease," Kuhl said.

 

The planning commission discussed the change Tuesday evening, and a public hearing is set for April 2. The proposed amendment will be presented for adoption May 7.

 

Lawsuit on flood plain use

 

The city is cooperating with 15 other jurisdictions in a pending federal court lawsuit which has the potential to impact development in the city's designated floodplain, primarily Island Crossing.

 

Litigation was filed by the Northwest Wildlife Federation against the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Among the relief requested is an injunction against all development in the floodplain through restrictions in the issuance of flood insurance.

 

Bill Blake, the city's natural resource manager, said the lawsuit asks for two things that may impact Island Crossing. 

 

NWF has asked that until the biological conditions  (BiOp) are met, flood Insurance policies under the NFIP National Flood Insurance Program not be issued for new development  and that map changes could not be made to the FEMA DFIRM maps. 

 

"The city reviewed the BiOp conditions and guidance was provided by FEMA," Blake said. "Then we updated our flood hazard code to meet those conditions."

 

Blake said that FEMA reviewed the updated code council adopted, and provided a letter stating that the proposed code was sufficient to meet the new requirements if adopted as written.  

 

"The code update provided a number of tools to require development in the floodplain to be compatible with floodplain functions in the Stillaguamish Valley," Blake said.

 

The requirements would make it difficult for project proponents to qualify for funding if they are unable to acquire flood insurance, Blake said.

 

Grant acceptance

 

On Monday, council enthusiastically agreed to accept a $6,049,731 no-match grant from the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board to pay for phase III of the rehabilitation of 67th Avenue, from Lebanon to Cemetery Road. 

 

Staff has been working on the design of the street project since 2008 and now it is near completion and the city is almost ready to go out to bid, Kelly said.

 

In the process of planning, the staff has been working on right-of-way agreements along 67th Avenue. When staff met with Marion Taylor to discuss easement they also discussed a six-year dispute over stormwater. The city of Arlington has, for some time, been discharging stormwater runoff from the 67th Avenue right of way into the Taylor Industrial Park storm water system, Kelly said.

 

Council approved Monday an agreement that settles the six-year dispute with Marion and Patricia Taylor.

 

They were working with Taylor to determine the impervious area at Taylor Industrial Park. The conversations have led to an agreement that settles all claims, Kelly said.

 

Only one more outstanding right-of-way acquisition remains, with Burlington Northern Railway. Staff assured council that  BN will not impede progress of the project.

 

Clean up project

 

Airport Manager Rob Putnam sought approval of a change order for additional environmental services by Shaw Environmental related to the clean-up of Lot 108 at the Arlington Airport. Additional services include excavation oversight of the removal of asbestos pipe discovered on Lot 108 including sampling of the ground surrounding the pipe; preparation of the project close-out report documenting field activities, sampling results, clean-up activities, findings and conclusions.

 

Clean-up activities on Lot 108 began in 2011. The new change order brings the total amount in contracts to $49,368.

 

Given the cumulative amount to date of all of the contracts, staff is seeking approval not only of change order 2 in the amount of $16,070, but the total amount of contracts entered into with Shaw Environmental for Lot 108 ($49,368).

 

Budget issues continue

 

Finance director Jim Chase presented to council the need for a short term inter-fund loans to prevent a negative month-end cash balance in a couple of funds.

 

"At the end of February three funds required short term inter-fund loans," Chase told council.

 

City policies allowing the finance director to make such interfund loans as long as the status of such loans are explained to the city council each month.

 

A payment of $65,500 was due to the Emergency Medical Services Fund and $14,000 to the equipment rental maintenance and operation fund to pay for a fire truck repair. Both expenses will be covered when property taxes are collected, Chase said.

 

Other council business

 

• Recognition of Detective Rory Bolter

 

• Arlington Planning Commission is considering a proposal to expand the residency requirement to the boundaries of the Arlington UGA as a requirement to be a volunteer commissioner, to represent areas that are destined to be inside the city.

 

• An initial planning meeting on the city's Riverfront Master Plan discussed the use of mitigation funds of $100,000 from the Wastewater Treatment Plant construction project. While some of the funds may be used for parking and other improvements at Haller Park, and the removal of the former food bank and Helping Hands buildings,the city's vision ties together all four parks along the Stillaguamish River. Along with Haller Park, there's the new Old Town Wetland Park,Twin Rivers Park and Country Charm Park and plans are to integrate the four parks in the city's master park plan.

 

 

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