Earth Legacy open space acquisitions announced

King County Executive Ron Sims announced two major open space acquisitions resulting from permit conditions placed on two major developments. These are McGarvey Park in Fairwood near Renton and the Uplands near North Bend.

The Woodside community will include up to 430 single family homes and 65 condominium units. The community will include a trail system that links the project to the open space and to Petrovitsky Park.

This 391-acre acquisition adds significantly to the land managed by the King County Park System in the area. The 391 acres connects 91-acre Petrovitsky Park with 371-acre Spring Lake/Lake Desire Park, forming an 853-acre continuous park/open space tract. This land includes a number of active and passive recreational opportunities, in addition to protecting shorelines, sensitive areas, and wildlife habitat.

The McGarvey Park development is an excellent example of King Country, through DDES, working with a developer to provide housing for our growing region, while simultaneously protecting the environment and providing permanent open space on the urban growth boundary.

In addition to providing the 391 acres of open space, Port Blakely Communities made a significant investment in road improvements and state of the art stormwater detention to protect a major wetland.

Sims also announced the recent approval of a new development providing housing for the region while simultaneously protecting critical natural resources. The Uplands Reserve, located approximately two miles southeast of North Bend at the base of Rattlesnake Ridge, is the second phase of a three-part development in a timber production area. The first phase produced 74 five-acre lots and was recorded in 1997. Phase two, which was recorded in December 2000, produced 34 five-acre lots. Phase three will produce seven similar lots.

The Uplands Reserve was established as a Rural Forest Demonstration Project. This project provides a tool to test the best methods of maintaining forest resource uses on properties where owners have chosen to discontinue commercial forestry.

Of the five acres allocated for each lot, only two acres may be disturbed for construction and daily use. All remaining acreage becomes open space and, in the case of Uplands Reserve, 213 acres of open space is created. A Forest Management Plan developed jointly by the King County Department of Natural Resources and property owners is required for each lot to address water quality protection, habitat enhancement, and maintenance of scenic areas.

King County Councilmember Larry Phillips, chair of the Natural Resources, Parks and Open Space Committee noted, "This Uplands project grants King County most of the environmental benefits of purchasing the property as an addition to the Rattlesnake Mountain Scenic Area, but saves the County millions of dollars in acquisition and annual maintenance costs."