Chamber blog

Dear Mayor Gerken and City Councilors,

The Chamber Board appreciates the considerable work that has taken place on the sub-area plan, but it is our view that the current plan communicates the wrong message to both existing business and business looking to locate within the city. The board requests that the proposed ordinance for the NW Sub-area plan 0-11-449 be revised to be more consistent with Ordinance 0-10-409. These special non-conforming provisions need to be kept in place for our existing businesses.

The proposed Ordinance is unfriendly to our existing businesses and by its very nature restricts development, limits usage, and offers few viable alternatives. We should be focused on building up businesses that provide living wage jobs as Council has previously recognized. This view is not intended to diminish the work of the Planning Commission and Economic Development Committee. Rather, it is the Board’s view that their work has revealed how important and beneficial it is to include the entire city in the plan so that whatever happens in the Four Corners Sub-area is in context with the surrounding city.

The Board understands the sub-area process is progressing. We have heard from Chamber members that the proposed ordinance still raises a number of concerns, specifically:

• Existing businesses faced with conversion to non-conforming status have had opportunity to provide input at the Planning Commission level but feel that this ordinance does not reflect those concerns. Additionally, the current proposed ordinance specifically removes all automotive uses, but there hasn’t been a clear alternative offered to these existing businesses.
• Under the proposed ordinance the continued viability of the existing businesses is questionable. It appears there has been little consideration given to how the existing businesses of the NW Quadrant can maintain or sell their successful operations within Maple Valley. Financing would be incredibly difficult to obtain through the SBA or conventional lenders. These business owners have not been given options they believe are viable for their future within the city. This has caused them to feel they will be forced to relocate outside the city at their own expense.
  
• The demand and absorption study by the city’s own consultant (Community Attributes) needs to be taken in to consideration. It indicates that the area proposed for retail use in the city will exceed the total needed at full build-out.
  
• An underlying justification for the proposed ordinance in the NW Quadrant has been an assumption that property values will automatically increase. However, if the proposed use is not feasible, or if there is not enough demand for such uses, the property values are most likely to decrease. We do not understand the urgency for the proposed change.
  

The Chamber Board respectfully requests that the Maple Valley City Council reconsider the proposed Ordinance. The existing businesses should be allowed to remain as permitted uses until market-forces justify relocation. The Chamber looks forward to working hand in hand with the city to find a reasonable solution.

Respectfully,
Karen Crowe
 

Added on 03/28/2011

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