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Enumclaw holds public hearing on sewer-plan amendment tied to proposed lift station; project on hold pending King County approvals
Summary
City staff presented Amendment No. 3 to Enumclaw's general sewer plan, intended to allow construction of a new lift station to replace three existing stations. Staff said the project is paused until King County franchise and land-use approvals are completed.
Enumclaw city staff on Monday held a public hearing on Resolution 1824, a proposed amendment to the city's general sewer plan intended to enable construction of a new lift station at the intersection of 430 Third Street and 240 Eighth Avenue.
Public Works Assistant Director Scott Woodbury told the City Council the 2016 sewer plan (and later capital plan updates) included a project to replace three existing lift stations with a single new station at that intersection. Woodbury said staff began pursuing loan funding in April 2021 and that the anticipated borrowing to build the station would be about $7.8 million.
The amendment before council, Woodbury said, responds to county requirements because the proposed conveyance improvements and the lift station are outside the city limits. He said the city applied for a King County sewer franchise in June 2023 but only learned in August 2024 that the county required a revision to the city's general sewer plan and approval by the county's Utility Technical Review Committee and council before a franchise could issue. Woodbury said State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review had been conducted and that Community Development Director Chris Bassenetti had taken the amendment to the Planning Commission for discussion.
Woodbury told the council the lift-station project will remain on hold "until we get the franchise approvals and construction and land use permits." No members of the public spoke during the hearing; the clerk reported no pre-hearing correspondence. After the staff report the council closed the public hearing.
Why it matters: the lift station would consolidate three aging facilities and requires county-level approvals because parts of the work would be located outside Enumclaw city limits. Until the county grants a sewer franchise and requisite land-use permits, the city cannot proceed with construction or financing as originally planned.
Background and next steps: Woodbury said the city initially reached out to King County in 2021 while preparing loan applications and later worked with the community development department on SEPA and planning commission review. The amendment is intended to align Enumclaw's plan with county franchise rules; staff recommended the council hold the hearing and consider adopting Resolution 1824 after public comment. The transcript shows the hearing opened at 7:13 p.m. and closed at 7:16 p.m. with no public speakers recorded. Further county review by the Utility Technical Review Committee and King County council approval were noted as prerequisites for the franchise to be issued.
No formal council action adopting Resolution 1824 is recorded in the meeting transcript excerpt provided; staff described the project and the county's review path and said construction and permitting are on hold until the franchise process is complete.
