La Center neighbors have united to oppose a proposed hilltop subdivision since June, fearing the development will exacerbate existing stormwater runoff and worsen road conditions. The deadline to submit an appeal passed on Aug. 6 with no applications.
The 84-lot subdivision, “Vineyard Vista,” proposes 7,500-square-foot lots, north of East 24th Circle in east La Center, which has sparked controversy among residents. The project would remove over 1,000 trees to make room for roughly 84 homes; 23 Oregon white oaks will remain unaffected. The developer has agreed to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s requirement to mitigate the impact by planting 116 new oak trees and replacing the remaining trees. The developer would be responsible for creating a new stormwater facility. City Hearing Examiner Joe Turner approved the subdivision based on compliance with La Center’s municipal code following a June 25 public hearing in which residents argued against the subdivision.
Despite mitigations in the agreement, residents living downhill of the subdivision expect to be flooded, as previous housing infrastructure has led to stormwater runoff. The requirements to submit an appeal for the subdivision included a minimum cost of $1,100. Craig Tylenda, who lives downhill from the proposed site, explained those involved in the appeal would not be allowed to submit new evidence and testimony and would instead argue why the hearing examiner’s decision was incorrect.
“We feel like they basically trapped us into a position that we couldn’t win. We evaluated that, speaking for the people that have been more involved in this, and we had this cost to apply for it … We just didn’t feel like that was a process that we were gonna win in the end,” he said.
At the Wednesday, Aug. 14, City Council meeting, Tylenda presented a petition from change.org asking that the site plan be stopped. The petition had reached 322 signatures as of The Reflector’s deadline. Ruth Blackwood, another resident living downhill from the property, expressed concern that the removal of the forested area will only exacerbate existing stormwater issues. She noted that she has had to spend thousands of dollars over the years due to stormwater flooding experienced during winter seasons.
“I’ve been in my home for 22 years,” Blackwood said. “When I moved in, there was a meadow behind me, and we were told no houses would be built there due to all the multiple springs … Lo and behold, that’s not true, there’s now multiple homes there. When they went in, my yard flooded … It took out two of my fence boards … Then (stormwater) went down 18th (Street) and started taking the dirt under my driveway.”
Celeste Monroe, another neighboring resident involved in the petition to stop the subdivision, detailed her concerns about the subdivision’s potential impact on already deteriorating neighborhood roads. Monroe and others expect the new subdivision to further harm damaged neighborhood roads in the area.
“We can’t afford to have large construction vehicles destroy our already degrading streets without a plan for how they will be repaired,” Monroe said. “...The 20-year comprehensive plan represents our chance to make sure both climate change and infrastructure have a prominent place in our future and investments we need to make in our community.”
The La Center City Council encouraged residents to further discuss their grievances on city code with them and the Planning Commission to better improve the city’s growth. Councilmember Elizabeth Cerveny said they should note how developments impact the ecosystem.
“Realistically, all of our properties go downhill, all of the properties run right into the river,” Cerveny said. “We have to become more critical on how (infrastructure) impacts Lewis River, on how it impacts our creeks, and the aspect of climate change … We represent ourselves as being a wetland area for people to come and walk the trails and see the wildlife, but every time a new development comes in that impacts the wildlife, whether we want to admit it or not.”
With the appeal deadline passed, the subdivision applicant will continue the process. La Center Community Development and Public Works Director Tracey Coleman said the applicant is required to obtain a construction stormwater permit from the Department of Ecology.
