Five years ago in 2017 one of our community members noticed a small Permit Sign Posted on the property we all called “The County Shops”. This Posting has changed the lives of so many people in our area, it was a notice that an Asphalt Plant had sought a building permit to be located there. Most folks laughed saying “The County will Never let that be built less than 150 feet from the Cedar River, the Salmon are too important, and it’s so close to houses and next to property zoned residential”. After some investigating by our concerned citizens, it was discovered years prior, King County Council had rezoned this property in 2008 to Industrial, without any notification to home owners or citizens in the area.
With the realization this asphalt plant could become reality, if nothing was done, local community members banded together to form the 501C-3 Non Profit “Citizens to Stop The SR169 Asphalt Plant” also known as Save The Cedar River. Our group has worked nonstop since that day, retaining one of the top legal firms in the Northwest, to make sure this environmental disaster never becomes reality. Despite over 10,000 citizens, city, county, state and federal political powers, hundreds of pages of scientific evidence, cities and businesses opposing the plant, King County granted the building permit on April 14th 2022.
We immediately contacted our attorney, hiring air, soil, water, wetland, traffic and noise experts. Appeals were filed in three different courts. Now we know what you’re thinking, ”how does this nonprofit citizen group afford this”? We have had numerous fundraisers, yard sales, great community support, amazing companies like Patagonia, and one Outstanding HOA. We still need more Donations to continue paying Legal and Experts fees for our Court Battle.
After our last community meeting, a representative from The Woodside HOA approached us stating how they were very concerned about the possibility of the plant being built: Health issues, Devaluation of Property and the Destruction of our fragile Cedar River environment. The HOA Representative told us they will be presenting a sizable donation and is issuing a challenge to other HOA’s in the area to join them in stopping this environmental injustice from happening.
Please join us in this effort with your Donation or Contact us via our website. Thank you