How ironic that the Federal Way Mirror’s Aug. 12 “Green Edition” would headline the application of Orca Bay Seafood as the first proposal to occupy the former Weyerhaeuser corporate site. Fish processing in our city is neither “green” nor what the city and Weyerhaeuser agreed to for use in Corporate Park Zoning in the 1994 annexation agreement.
Additionally, traffic, noise and air pollution (fish smells) are not compatible with the health and well-being of our citizens. Write the Federal Way Director of Community Development at 33325 8th Ave. S., Federal Way, WA 98003, by Aug. 22 and let them know you do not support manufacturing facilities in the “green” Corporate Park Zoning the Weyerhaeuser properties have afforded our community for almost a half century, and let the Mayor and our councilpersons know also.
Richard Pierson, Federal Way
Recently in the Federal Way Mirror was an article about the notice of master land use application for the Orca Bay Seafood project. The comments were disturbing and typical in today’s political climate – If you scream and yell loud enough, you get your way because the majority remains silent because they don’t want to be criticized for their opinion.
I believe this project will be a great benefit to our city, and that the taxes collected will help fund current and future community-based projects.
Our city needs jobs locally, not just a transit system to transport everyone to Seattle or Tacoma. Our city will never prosper as a bedroom community alone. Most businesses help build a better community.
Our community has added an abundance of new housing units in the last few years. Some of those people are just starting out. Some are trying to establish a consistent work record to be able to move up to a higher-paying job. Whatever the reason, we need jobs in this community so people can have pride in accomplishment instead of just receiving resources to take care of their families. I look at this as a building block to eventually entice other businesses to invest in our community. If we continue to tell businesses we are not willing to work with them for a common goal, they’ll take the hint and continue to invest elsewhere.
Some of the comments in this article talk about cutting down the trees and relocating wetlands and traffic. The new property owner will have to abide by the same codes as you would. The land use review will address every concern you have. Access to Highway 18 and Interstate 5 at this site will keep the majority of the impact on side streets to a minimum. They will have to keep some trees, and there is a percentage of landscape required to have parking on their property. The surface water management codes will help protect Hylebos Creek. The law is the law, and the city will hold them to it – same as you. If you don’t like the codes, feel free to run for public office and help shape our community’s future. Another option is to buy land yourself, and as the landowner, do as you choose to the letter of the law.
Voice your concerns, but don’t just complain about a company bringing jobs to our city because you’re afraid of change. Change is going to happen. My family moved here in 1967. Some of the changes in Federal Way have been good, some bad, but this is my home and I thought this might be the time to share my opinion. Feel free to attack an opposing view now.
Lance Boe, Federal Way
What are you thinking, Federal Way?! A fish factory is not the answer to the many problems we already have!
With all these apartments, the horrible crime, over-crowded schools, food businesses everywhere and no roads available for these kinds of additions to our community, where are you going to start to fix these issues?
I believe that you are trying too hard to make this city something that most of us don’t want. Please think about the roads, access, etc., that could become a problem if this “fish factory” comes to our beautiful Weyerhaeuser property.
Leona Colbeth, Federal Way
Last Friday, the Mirror reported that Orca Bay Seafood of Renton filed a notice of master land use application for the former Weyerhaeuser property. Although the article said 275 jobs would be coming to Federal Way, how many of those will actually be current jobs that are being relocated to this operation? Even though Orca Bay pays a higher-than-minimum wage, their wages are not considered livable and sustainable for someone who lives in Federal Way for the majority of jobs they provide.
What about traffic impact this type of operation will bring? Hundreds more semi trucks daily into our city, not to mention employee traffic. This will further add to congestion issues that are plaguing Federal Way and South King County. Not to mention the North Lake neighborhood.
If we’re going to sacrifice historical trees in our city for growth, let’s make sure the payoff is worth it and make sure it fits into our city’s branding and character, as well as makes logistical sense.
I think we need to throw this fish back and do a little more fishing.
Randall Smith, Federal Way
What a terrible use for the most pristine commercial property in all of King County, and perhaps in the entire state.
The Weyerhaeuser headquarters is an architecturally significant office building that should not be denigrated by the construction of what is sure to be an ugly and ordinary rectangular warehouse built by a cookie-cutter New Jersey-based builder of freezer warehouses all over the world. With clear-cutting, wetland-filling and parking for 310 cars and 35 tractor trailers, the entire development and the adjacent North Lake neighborhood will be adversely affected. This is the type of development that should take place in an industrial location, like the Tacoma flatlands, not one that – along with the office buildings across the street on Weyerhaeuser Way – is best describe as an office park/campus.
As usual, our spineless politicians from the Mayor on down will justify this travesty by rationalizing that it will create a few low-end warehouse jobs and not the middle- to upper-income jobs that Federal Way professes it wants to attract. Haven’t we learned anything from the results of Federal Way’s rubber-stamping of countless apartment projects to warehouse the poor and the multitude of attendant problems and demands on city resources? Evidently not.
The Use Process III application should be rejected on the grounds that it is inconsistent with the other non-industrial commercial uses of the Weyerhaeuser property.
Gary Heil, Federal Way
