Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Evans Creek restoration hits county permitting impasse; city warns of months-long delay and multimillion-dollar escalation
Loading...
Summary
Public Works Director Aaron Burt told the Oct. 14 study session the Evans Creek restoration project faces a King County demand for a perpetual O&M indemnity agreement and other permitting complications that could delay construction and add roughly $3 million to the project'budget, taking the total from a $19 million baseline to more than $22
Public Works Director Aaron Burt told the council on Oct. 14 that the long'planned Evans Creek restoration project faces a permitting impasse with King County that could push the schedule and increase costs.
Burt said the city and project partners have been working on Evans Creek for more than a decade; the project would relocate a flood'prone channel to create floodplain habitat for salmon and passive recreational space. He said permitting has proven more challenging than expected because county staff and permitting processes have changed multiple times and because King County is now asking Redmond to enter an operations-and'maintenance (O&M) agreement that appears to require the city to accept indefinite indemnity responsibilities "in perpetuity" for the restored area on county property.
Burt said the county's draft O&M language is under review and that his office has involved the city attorney in negotiations with King County counsel. If the county insists on the current form of the O&M agreement, Burt said the county legislative process to accept the contract could take "six to nine months," which would likely push the city out of the next construction window and increase costs. He estimated a possible escalation of about $3 million, bringing the total project cost above $22 million. Burt also noted the city has already spent roughly $5 million in design, consultants, permits and right-of-way work without having moved earth.
Staff said Natural Resources has asked about extensions on state funding deadlines. Burt asked the council whether it still wants staff to continue pursuing the project given the permitting uncertainty and cost risk; council members asked for a staff briefing and recommended a study session to review assumptions, funding status and partner commitments before a directional decision.
Ending: The city remains in negotiations with King County attorneys on the O&M agreement and is seeking clarity on whether state funding deadlines can be extended. Council asked staff for a written briefing and a possible study session to reassess the project's viability before committing additional budget.
