Better roads, less taxes and less crowds

After reading Maple Valley City Councilman Noel Gerken’s article on the planning for Four Corners (July 5, “Maple Valley’s future hinges on Four Corners planning”, I still have the same nagging questions that some planners and council members can’t or won’t answer.

What concerns me the most is a large influx of population into our Maple Valley area and the needed infrastructure needed to support it.

Noel talks about bringing in multi-family housing and complains of height limitations.. Connect the dots here, people! Are we talking of high-rise apartment complexes and condos here?

Noel puts it that all these new units will provide around-the-clock vitality. So here are my questions, Noel:

• How many multi-family and single-family units are you talking about? Give us a number.

• Does the current gridlock on our Maple Valley Highway support the added traffic without adding more gridlock and frustration to our Maple Valley population trying to get to work, shopping and school? What about the added frustration of getting home? Can our road system take it?

• Do we have the needed police and fire protection as required by population count? Seems to me, King County is going to cut police protection in our area because of budget constraints. Do we have the adequate firefighting equipment to save lives and fight fires in your high-rise, multi-family housing?

• Are there enough empty chairs in our school district to accommodate the influx of new children entering our school system? Will this cause us to pass a school bond measure and raise our taxes to facilitate the new students?

• Is there enough water and sewer treatment, or will we have to ration water during the summer because of population? Will we have to build a new water treatment plant?

• How will the donut hole being developed add to the already overused road system, and will that,combined with your plan, overburden our school system?

• With overcrowding, gridlock, high-rise rentals or condos, how will existing home values be affected?

You also talk about bringing retail to shop for our essential goods. Please describe “essential” for us. Right now we have QFC and Safeway to choose from, with Fred Meyer just a short drive down Kent-Kangley Road from Four Corners. The new Home Depot is also just a short drive from Four Corners. We just had two new restaurants open in our area – Cedar Grill and Mongolian Grill. We already have three wonderful Mexican restaurants and three very nice Chinese restaurants in our area. The only need I see is a need for a Jack in the Box and Burger King.

No, Mr. Gerken, adding more population, more crime, moretaxes, more gridlock and more kids to an already overworked school system isn’t the answer.

What most voters are looking for are less crowds, less taxes, a better road system, and a better quality of life in Maple Valley with a City Council that will protect us from what you propose.

Forum is for letters on any topic. Write to pjenkins@reporternewspapers.com or Letters. The Reporter. 22035 SE. Wax Road, Maple Valley, WA 98038.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read.