Commissioners uphold MDNS and approve rezone for Mardy Lake parcels despite Fish & Wildlife concerns

The Kittitas County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday upheld the county’s mitigated determination of nonsignificance (MDNS) for a proposed comprehensive-plan amendment and rezone affecting four parcels totaling about 50.99 acres near Snoqualmie Pass and then approved the non-project rezone from Forest & Range to Rural Recreation (CP24-00001).

Jamie Ayling of Kittitas County Community Development Services summarized the staff review. The application covers four parcels totaling approximately 50.99 acres accessed from Interstate 90 and Forest Service Road 4832. Staff said the application included a critical areas report that identified three wetlands, Coal Creek — a fish-bearing stream with historic bull trout observations — and other seasonal tributaries. Ayling said wetland and stream buffers cover a substantial portion of the property and that the planning commission had recommended approval (4–1).

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) appealed the MDNS. Assistant Attorney General Connor Johnson, representing DFW, said the department was not demanding a predetermined outcome but asked for more wildlife-focused analysis. DFW representatives and regional land-use staff said available mapping and the critical areas report indicate the parcels are within or adjacent to the Snoqualmie Pass biodiversity/connectivity area and that a high percentage of the property is covered by streams, wetlands, or their buffers. DFW requested further analysis of anticipated impacts to wildlife from potential development and, if warranted, a stronger environmental review.

Applicant counsel Maureen Mitchell, representing Marty Lake Inc., said the critical areas report was prepared for the county and that requiring an environmental impact statement (EIS) at this non-project stage would be speculative; she said the county is the land-use decisionmaker and that mitigation measures (staff noted 16 mitigation measures in the MDNS) and later project-level review would address site-specific impacts. Conservation Northwest also spoke during public comment, urging protection of the corridor and offering to work with the applicant and county to avoid impacts to wildlife connectivity.

After deliberation staff recommended upholding the MDNS and moving to consider the rezone. The board voted to affirm the MDNS and then approved the comprehensive-plan amendment and rezone, subject to the findings and conditions in the staff report. Commissioners said they value the Gold Creek connectivity work and welcomed further, project-level analysis and collaboration with DFW when any development proposal comes forward.

Key factual details from the record: the MDNS was issued Sept. 18; an appeal was received from the Attorney General’s office on Oct. 11 on behalf of DFW; staff reported the critical areas report identified wetlands and Coal Creek with bull trout habitat; staff said wetlands/streams and required buffers cover roughly 65–77 percent of the property depending on metrics used; the planning commission recommended approval 4–1. The board’s actions closed the county’s SEPA appeal and approved CP24-00001, allowing the change of plan designation to Rural Recreation and rezoning to Rural Recreation, with later project-level review required for any development.