STOP the Annexation of Cottonwood. SAVE OUR FARMLAND & AQUIFER!

Please email Permits@wallawallawa.gov

and Citycouncil@wallawallawa.gov  cc: lovecove@hotmail.com

SUBJECT LINE:  Cottonwood File #PDA-21-00001

BEFORE Sept. 23rd 2024 Meet at WA HI Commons Sept 23rd 6:30 pm. to comment on environmental impacts!

SAVE OUR Cottonwood Farmland and Aquifer.  Annexation of an estimated 104 acres of wheat field has not gone to final vote with the City of Walla Walla, but will Oct 9, 2024. The proposed development of 257 homes is under consideration. The property is surrounded by Cottonwood, Langdon & Kendall Rd.  This acreage is 3 miles from downtown Walla Walla. Owner Mike Murr.  Too far to walk to downtown Walla Walla.  With 257 units, each will have a vehicle = 514 vehicles.  Per the National Household Travel Survey a development of 257 homes will create 4 car trips per day per person.  In WW according to Quick Facts, each household consists of 2.34 occupants.  This would be 2,160 car trips per day by 514 people. This will affect the entire area of Walla Walla. Costs and congestion associated with that traffic will be enormous.  Costs should be mitigated by the developer for these future improvements, not the tax payer at a later date.

We cannot get back agricultural land once developed.  This property naturally collects runoff from the mountains and holds that water in an aquifer.  The potential to flood once developed is a predictable catastrophe!

Other options could be to create homes by splitting plats at no cost to people who want to build (similar to what Seattle is doing) within the infrastructure currently within the City of Walla Walla rather than so many units in one place so far from services. Or look to (Tausick Way, Myra Rd, or Dell Ave) which are closer to services.

Strategy of the City of Walla Walla:

STRATEGIC PLAN:
Strategic Initiative 4 - Long Term : Encourage Economic development to strengthen the community 
Objectives: Encourage affordable housing and reduce homelessness

Concerns are:

1. (Safety) Density: Due to the rezoning to NR (Neighborhood Residential) which became effective January 2, 2019 within the City of Walla Walla. Lot sizes can be varied and there are no minimum lot requirements.  Houses can be placed 5 feet from the property line.  This type of density can exacerbate a deadly fire spreading from house to house.

2. (Safety) Traffic. The immediate affected roads are Cottonwood, Langdon, and Kendall. At this time the speed limit is set at 35 mph. There is no room to ride a bicycle, walk a dog or run without peril. There are dirt ditches and a few feet of gravel to the asphalt of these two lane roads. There is 3 feet of space to walk across Russell Creek bridge on Cottonwood. There is a blind turn on the bridge on Cottonwood. There is also a blind hill on Kendall. The roads and bridges must be enlarged for the population.

3. (Safety) City Fire & Ambulance are 15 minutes away and don't meet the guidelines for their approved rating of 5 minutes. Expectations are that the County Fire Dist. 4 will drop boundaries and supply services. The City of Walla Walla is hedging on a regional fire district between the City of Walla Walla and County Fire Dist. 4, which is not in place at this time and will be at the time of the boundary drop.  The City is not offering a new fire station near this community anytime soon.

4. Flooding  Flooding of Table Rock and the Boulder development has occurred as recently as April 2019. A containment pond is full frequently at Table Rock. Development also will add a containment pond plus routing to Russell Creek. Russell Creek has a lift station on it at the Cottonwood bridge because of the upward slope after the bridge going toward Walla Walla. This may need to be increased. The shape of the Murr acreage is a deep valley, once asphalt and houses are placed on the 106 acres there will be additional drainage into Russell Creek and other containment sights, but the natural flow of water is down hill and will affect homes placed in such a position. 

5.  Environment.  The environment will be impacted in multiple ways.   The topography map shows the elevation to be aprox. 70 feet from the top of the hill down to the swale which leads to Table Rock as seen from Langdon Rd. Due to the depth of the swales on the property, a great amount of grading will have to occur, including bringing in substantial amounts of soil.  Runoff from this development will reach Russell Creek and the environmental impact will be great with oils/chemicals from cars and chemicals used on lawns.  Contaminates at that level may leach to well water levels which the majority in the County rely on for drinking water and irrigation.

After review of the Better Business Bureau for 2 people moving into a tight space with only four outlets to the surrounding two lane roads, children living there will need to be bussed to a school due to the distance, or driven by parents creating further traffic patterns at school arrival/departure times. Prospect Point Elementary, the nearest Elementary school is currently at capacity with no other rooms to convert to teaching.

6. Reserve fund. No mention of a reserve is made for the infrastructure costs and the loss of environment and protection of the environment. The developer should bear the costs associated with the necessary infrastructure improvements that will be directly caused by their development. For the size of the proposed development, more improvements than simple sidewalks, curbs, water, and sewer are necessary to be paid for by the developer and seller of the land. A reserve should be a paramount inclusion in this development and is absent at this time. If the developer and seller of the raw land are to profit they should be responsible for bearing these costs.  

7. School access. With a population of over 1,000 county has no interest in spending $$ to keeping the surrounding roads up to date.  A roundabout is supported at Prospect Point and a Left turn lane at Howard and Abbott.

8. Strategy.  The City of Walla Walla has offered this type of development as a factor in resolving their affordable housing and homelessness problem.  57% of homes owned in Walla Walla are non-owner occupied.  This will continue with the development as there are no laws to control the prices of the homes and multi-family units to be constructed and anyone can purchase the properties which can and does include individuals and groups from other states which can purchase and lease these homes for the prices they ask.  This would not alleviate homelessness or offer affordable housing.  Trickle down effect is not legitimate.

Options:  The City of Walla Walla could make this development match the existing Table Rock development with differentiated, well made houses and larger lots.  The City could offer several other land areas along with and including this development such as Tausick Way and Dell Avenue which are closer to the established infrastructures needed to support this dense type of community.  Putting all housing within one setting is impractical and unsafe.

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