Land Use

Public Private Partnership: Adopt a Park

In a unique joint endeavor, the Maple Valley Rotary Club worked collaboratively with King County to transform a largely overgrown area near the Cedar River. Together, this private and public partnership resulted in the creation of a park that the entire community enjoys. After years of planning, the…Read More

A Precedent in Okanogan County

In March 2008, I helped a client complete the first Development Agreement in Okanogan County. The development agreement was a voluntary contract between Okanogan County and Okanogan View Estates LLC, detailing the obligations of both parties and specifying the standards and conditions that would govern development of the property. The development agreement provided assurances…Read More

The Owner’s Advocate

The opposition against Jeff McCann and McKinley LLC’s (“McCann”) endeavor to short plat a property near Ravensdale WA, King County Department of Permitting and Environmental Review, (“County“), denied their short plat application. The King County Superior Court stated McCann met the burden to establish that the county’s land use decision…Read More

No skeletons in the closet

The power of the pen! (Or, “The pen is mightier than the sword”.) We’ve heard these clichés before—there is power in the pen and there are benefits of good note taking! Jotting down key points during meetings keeps us alert, engages our minds, emphasizes and organizes information for us…Read More

Feasibility study nightmare

During the final days of my client’s feasibility period to purchase a property, they requested that I go to Seller’s office to review some additional documents. It seems that the Seller had located some additional material that had not previously been disclosed. I was asked to run down…Read More