Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Open Space And Parks topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Friends group asks Mill Creek to complete due diligence, consider ownership of Penny Creek Natural Area
Summary
Friends of Penny Creek Natural Area presented photo books and urged the council to press the farm developer to finish parcel transfer requirements and for the city to complete due diligence and decide on ownership before July 2026.
Mill Creek, Wash. — Members of the Friends of Penny Creek Natural Area urged the City Council on Sept. 23 to complete due diligence and prepare to accept ownership of the 70‑acre Penny Creek Natural Area, saying the current agreement requires city action before July 2026.
The Friends’ founder, Jeff Doan, and volunteer organizer Lisa Weber presented 10 photo books and a framed river‑otter photograph to the city and described the group’s volunteer work and growth. “We started with the goal of gathering 50 community members, and we now have well north of 250 members,” Doan said.
In a formal request to the council, the Friends asked the city to (1) require the farm developer to complete outstanding requirements necessary to transfer the property as intended, (2) finish the city’s due‑diligence work to inform a decision, and (3) have the council make a decision to take ownership of the site prior to July 2026. Lisa Weber, who helped produce the photo book, emphasized the site’s wildlife and community value and said Friends volunteers have documented 137 bird species on Penny Creek and submitted 94 eBird checklists for the site.
No formal action or vote occurred at the meeting; council members said the issue will be discussed in the coming months. The group also announced neighborhood stewardship activities: member Stefan Gefter said the Friends have adopted the west side of 30th Avenue for cleanup and scheduled a litter pickup for Oct. 4 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Council staff and the mayor thanked the volunteers; staff signaled they will include Penny Creek master‑planning work in future budget and planning schedules but did not commit to a timetable at the meeting. The Friends said the photo books were funded by small contributions from their members and that copies were donated to Sno‑Isle Libraries and local elementary school libraries.
The request to the council centers on completing outstanding transfer requirements by the farm developer and carrying out city due diligence — steps the Friends say are time‑sensitive because of the July 2026 date in current agreements.
