Kittitas County commissioners approve Roslyn Ridge PUD, adopt road-safety plan and clear multiple consent items

Kittitas County commissioners met in regular session (date on record not specified) and approved an ordinance to allow the Roslyn Ridge West planned-unit development and two-lot short plat, adopted the county’s 2025–27 road safety improvement plan and approved a suite of consent-agenda items that included materials bids, contract acknowledgements and grant amendments.

The Roslyn Ridge West measure rezones roughly 64 acres to a PUD and approves a short plat and development plan for about 61 single-family and multifamily units with remaining open space set aside for natural areas and trails. A county hearing examiner recommended approval on Jan. 2, 2025; the board moved to adopt the ordinance and voted in favor. According to county staff, the decision-making authority rests with the Board of County Commissioners under county code.

County staff said adopting the road safety improvement plan is required to apply to the state’s Highway Safety Improvement Program and other federal funds. Public Works presented the plan and commissioners approved it as part of the consent agenda.

The consent agenda, approved as amended, included multiple routine and contract items. Among them: approval of a special-event permit for a Yakima River Canyon marathon; adoption and acknowledgement of internal allocation plans for public-health and central services indirect costs (public health requested a 10% rate; central services proposed 13%); approval of change orders for the Lower County Transfer Station; acceptance of an Ecology Department grant amendment for solid-waste operations; renewal or acknowledgment of public-safety professional services agreements; acknowledgement of an increase in water costs for the sheriff’s office; and acknowledgement of a federal Fiscal Year 2024 Homeland Security grant award.

Public Works reported results of materials bids opened Feb. 20 and recommended awards to ensure supply for county maintenance: the county recommended awarding the maintenance-rock contract to Ellensburg Cement Products and awarding asphalt materials to multiple vendors (Granite and American Rock Products) to secure availability. The county also recommended awarding crack-seal materials to Sealmaster Washington after one bid was deemed nonresponsive. Commissioners approved the recommended awards.

The Board set public hearings for March 18, 2025, at 2 p.m. on two land-use matters: a combined SEPA appeal and nonproject rezone for file CP24-00001 (formerly “Marty Lake,” now filed as “Bloomington”) and a separate hearing to consider new code language implementing provisions of Senate Bill 5290. Community Development staff requested the dates; commissioners set them without debate.

The sheriff’s office brought forward a contract acknowledgment with Flock Group to permit and install 10 cameras to feed data-sharing systems used by county law enforcement and partners. Staff said they had discussed technical and privacy concerns with IT and Public Works and sought the board’s acknowledgement to proceed with permitting; commissioners acknowledged the contract so staff can continue the permitting and procurement process.

Solid Waste and Facilities staff reported change orders consolidated into two items for the Lower County Transfer Station project: one listed a cost increase and the other added fiber installation that had been previously omitted and will now be procured as part of the project. The board approved both change orders as part of the consent agenda.

During the meeting the board convened multiple executive sessions under RCW 42.30.110 for discussions about real-estate site selection and legal matters. After one executive session the board indicated authorization for a signature on an amendment related to Walmart (the meeting record does not fully describe the document or its subject). The board recorded no further public action from the other executive sessions.

Citizen comments included a written statement and spoken remarks by Pat Kelliher urging county dialogue with the Bureau of Land Management about the future use and maintenance of the Yakima River Canyon’s Ringer Loop recreation area. Kelliher told commissioners he had observed BLM maintenance and recommended they consider BLM as a partner.

The meeting concluded after routine housekeeping and additional executive sessions; commissioners adjourned with no further public business reported.