This Topic: Filing for Incorporation

[Lou Malzone]

Thanks Dean,

Can we schedule for Monday, the 12th, as Wednesday is not available at the Library. We don't actually need the Library, but can use the COC offices if you think Wednesday is better.

I remain firmly opposed to filing prior to having the meeting. Of the "strong majority" that favors moving forward, I believe that only 2 of them reside within the proposed city boundary.

Do you have a date for filing the Notice?

[Dean Enell]

Do you have concerns about the Proposed Incorporation of Freeland?

If so - a member of the Incorporation Committee will be available on Thursday mornings from 8am till 9am at the Locals Coffee House next to Frontier Lumber. We'll be there to hear your concerns and try to answer your questions - every week (starting tommorrow) on Thursday mornings. When you walk in the door look to your far left (one of the tables by the South windows).

We want to hear from you!

Dean

[Lou Malzone]

I have been very vocal in my opposition to the Incorporation but remain a member of the Incorporation Committee. I have been reviewing the Freeland Feasibility Study draft and making edits in an effort to more fully understand Incorporation and to help make it a better document.

What I am beginning to see (as in Vision) is that Freeland just may be better off under local control than under the County. I am not totally convinced by any means, but the preliminary financial figures given in the Study seem to answer all financial concerns.

At the last Incorporation Committee meeting we discussed once again what Freeland may develop into and the 525 Corridor through Freeland was a major concern. It is not difficult to see a pretty bleak outcome for the Corridor if the County is in control of the development standards through the building codes. On the other hand, a city will have the ability to more precisely define what development will look like through design review and tighter building codes. For instance if we, the residents of Freeland, want to define a 525 Corridor that prevents Freeland from becoming a "pass-through" community where people drive through and only stop for a burger and gas, then we have to be able to influence the developemnt of the 525 Corridor through a set of building codes to accomplish that. Will the County work with the residents of Freeland to do that? I think not. Will the County work to limit a stripmall look to the corridor? They haven't so far as evidenced by the Shell station. It didn't have to look like it does and Shell has developed gas stations in other areas that have a totally acceptable look and community appeal.

That is only one example of what Freeland may be able to do as a City, but it is one that has me rethinking my opposition to Incorporation.

If we can accept that the financial picture is very positive (a sustainable tax base projected for the next 5 years), and can admit that the County is not properly staffed or politically motivated to ensure that Freeland develops as a true small town rather than another stripmall, pass-through community, then the answer may be Incorporation.

If you have the time to go to the Locals Cafe and talk with Dean, then please do so. Not all the answers are available, but with the filing of the Notice to Incorporate, it is time for everyone to start getting better informed and to talk openly about the future of Freeland.

The Feasibility Study is not completed yet and the financial figures are "very preliminary" but even scaling the numbers back, the financial outlook is positive. And the population projections are saying that something should be done about managing growth sooner than later.

[Gerry Rawlings]

Dean:

I'll see you in the morning! I too am on the incorporation committee and firmly believe that the citizens of Freeland can only control the destiny of Freeland by becoming an incorporated city. As I've said previously the county hasn't moved in the direction the citizens of Freeland have wished and we'll have to do it ourselves. I remain concerned about the boundaries and the ages of our population living within the boundary. Let's talk in the morning!

Gerry

[Mitch Streicher]

I sent the following to the South Widbey Record. I am including it here for those who don't subscribe to the Record.


 Should Freeland Become a City?

Between April 2 and April 10 there will be three public meetings on the subject of the incorporation of Freeland as a city. Come to these meetings to learn, ask questions and voice your opinion.

On Monday April 2 the Island County Board of County Commissioners will conduct a public meeting on the proposed incorporation of Freeland. The purpose of the meeting is to provide a forum where persons favoring and opposing said incorporation could state their views. The meeting will be held at the Trinity Lutheran Church gym at 7 PM.

On Tuesday April 3 at the Trinity Lutheran Church at 7 PM the Incorporation Committee will hold a public meeting to provide information and answer questions on incorporation.

On Tuesday April 10, at Trinity Lutheran Church, at 7 PM, the League of Women Voters will present a program on the process of incorporation. Commissioner Shelton will be present as well as members of the Incorporation Committee.

Thursday mornings between 8 and 9 AM Dean Enell, Chairman of the Incorporation Committee, will be at the Locals Only Coffee Shop, 1794 Main Street Freeland, to answer questions on the incorporation of Freeland.

Get involved so that you can be one of those who decide whether or not Freeland should incorporate.

Mitchell Streicher

[Mitch Streicher]

There is a mistake in my posting of March 25, 2007 at 7:15 pm. The dates for the public meetings are correct but two of the days are wrong. It should be Monday April 2, and Tuesday april 3.

Sorry Mitchell Streicher

[Dean Enell]

Thursday Morning coffee and Incorporation talk has moved to the 1504 Coffeee House (Next to the Texaco on 525) in Freeland

Unfortunately the Locals Coffee house closed on Sunday.

Come by if you'd like to express your opinion or have questions about the drive to incorporate Freeland into a city. Time is 8-9am (or later if necessary)

Dean Enell

[Gerry Rawlings]

Thanks Dean:

See you in the morning.

Gerry

[Michael Dolan]

Hi Deb,

Sorry for not responding sooner. I'm down in LA and was screening the Forum to see what was new and found no one had responded to your question.

Q: You wanted to know whether "...the Incorporation Committee is following the advice (or considering following the advice) of Bob Johns by setting boundaries that include annexation plans in the near future after incorporation?"

A: "The boundary proposed for the city was not set up with any plans to immediately start annexation of property after incorporation."

At this time the boundary has been reduced from an initial 22 square miles down to just under 3 square miles. All reductions were made as a result of getting smarter about the Growth Management Act and Urban Growth Areas. We have a document on annexation guidelines but we learned about annexation very early and so it has been a very limited discussion.

We have discussed with Jack Sikma annexation of the 350 acres he owns, which is mostly undeveloped and zoned at 1 d/u per 5 acres, but that was primarily an exploratory discussion of his development intentions.

One caveat though - If the boundary review performed by the Commissioners resulted in a significant reduction, such as removing the Mutiny Bay RAID and Menlo Beach RAID and the public vote created the City of Freeland with that reduced boundary, then the council may want to consider anexation of those areas... or not - no real way to tell at this time. But this is all supposition.

If you are interested in the annexation process, go to www.vision2025committee.com and look in the library, under incorporation, for the document "Annexation Handbook".

Again, please accept my apologies for not responding to your question sooner.

Sincerely,

Mike

[Michael Dolan]

Nancy,

You bring up an interesting question. The responses to articles in the SWR, public meetings and other communications have been largely in favor of the idea of incorporation. There have been few "Letters to the Editor" of a negative nature, few if any negative emails to the chamber, fewer still negative phone calls.

It is interesting to note that there have been large numbers of "page views" on the Forum for incorporation, yet most of the responses have been questions, rather than outright negative blasts.

All of this is not to say Incorporation will be a breeze, only that to date we have received very little negative response to any of our communications.

Mike

[Nancy Bartlett]

Mike,

Thanks for this info, both the substance and the timing. I've just finished with one of the major time consuming commitments that's been keeping me from city involvement this month and can now look at spending some time on the incorporation question. I'm leaning more and more toward the need for a city, especially to gain local control of how the development that's occurring gets managed. I still have reservations on other fronts and will pester the committee with further questions.

I haven't been getting my regular updates from this forum site so had been thinking everyone else was on hiatus as well, it's good to see that's not the case and activity is ongoing. I'm now catching up on the various postings and documents and will attend the meetings this coming week.

Sorry about Locals Coffee. Leaves a nice building open for City Hall though. Imagine the possibilities - rural yet stylish aspect with identity potential, visible from the highway, counter stools for informal coffee op-ed forums, homey fireside chats to encourage civic involvement, built in revenue source ...

Nancy

[Dean Enell]

Upcoming Meetings on Incorporation:

As you’re probably aware, an historic movement not seen in 25 years is occurring on Whidbey Island. The town of Freeland is trying to become a city. A dedicated bunch of volunteers, including yours truly, has been meeting for over a year to study the issue and debate its merits and likelihood. The impetus for this effort is the same one that brought us the Wash. State Growth Management Act, the Island County Comp Plan, the Langley Comp Plan and community activism including traffic on various community forums such as this - GROWTH. Freeland does not want to become the Oak Harbor of South Whidbey.

There will be no shortage of public meetings on this incorporation proposal:

- The first is the County called review, this Monday (4/2) at 7pm at Trinity Lutheran.
- The next night, 4/3, the Incorporation Committee is giving a presentation targeted to the Holmes Harbor community at 7pm at Trinity Lutheran again.
- On 4/10 the League of Woman Voters is holding a public meeting to discuss the Freeland Incorporation.

The public is invited (and encouraged) to attend all of these.

Further information can be found at www.freelandcity.com or www.vision2025committee.com

thanks,

Dean