By ERICA JAHN

Staff writer

State funding can be a double-edged sword.

State House Democrats have proposed more than $200,000 to help pay for capital projects in Federal Way, but the plan also includes $3 million to pay for a 12-bed transitional facility for civilly committed sex offenders that could end up in Peasley Canyon.

Last December, the state Department of Social and Health Services tapped Peasley Canyon near Federal Way and Orillia Road near Seatac as potential locations for the facility. A third site, near Carnation in east King County, was dropped, but a forest area in North Bend recently was added.

Rep. Skip Priest (R-Federal Way) said $3 million is “just a plug number” used to hold a place in the budget and doesn’t indicate the cost to build at any specific site.

“If they pick an industrial property and it’s more expensive, we’ll have to revisit that,” he said.

He said himself and the other 30th District legislators haven’t stopped fighting against locating the facility in a residential area, even though money has been budgeted to build it.

”We did not let down our guard, and under any stretch of the imagine didn’t stop putting pressure on anyone we can find,” Priest said.

The House Democrat construction plan, released April 15, allocates $100,000 to the Boys and Girls’ Club, which will open a center at Truman High School with a 7,000-square-foot gym, a learning lounge, a game room, administration offices and support spaces.

The capital budget proposal also includes $106,000, which will be matched with $106,000 in city funds, to help the Historical Society of Federal Way preserve the Barker and Denny cabins and add parking, trails and interpretive signs linking the site of the cabins to West Hylebos State Park.

“I’m particularly pleased that the Boys and Girls’ Club got funding,” said Rep. Mark Miloscia (D-Federal Way). “They’ve always done excellent work.”

He added his support for funding for the historic cabins, as well as money the House allocated for building a trailhead to the Interurban Trail in Milton.

Priest said a forthcoming House Republican plan will include $250,000 to replace the Hylebos park’s boardwalk. Sen. Tracey Eide (D-Federal Way) included $250,000 for the Hylebos boardwalk in the Senate’s capital budget.

In total, the House capital budget proposes $2.45 billion in new appropriations –– $1.3 billion of which would be funding by issuing bonds.

The Senate plan proposes $2.56 billion in new appropriations, with $1.3 billion funded by bonds, and Governor Gary Locke’s capital plan includes $2.38 billion in new appropriations, with $1.24 funded by issuing bonds.

In addition to funding for local projects, the House plan includes $85 million to provide housing for low-income or developmentally disabled people, victims of domestic violence, homeless families and farm workers, and to provide other housing needs.

The 2003-05 budget proposal is $7 million more than the 2001-03 allocation of $78 million.

Locke proposed $2.3 million for a regional, 12-bed secure community transition facility. The House proposed $3 million and the Senate proposed $2.7 million.

The House Democrats’ plan will be worked over in the House Capital Budget Committee before going to a vote of the full House.

Meanwhile, in work on a transportation funding plan, the Senate has recommended a 5-cent gas tax increase and the House recommended a 4-cent increase at 1 cent a year. But how to spend the increase is the sticking point.

Rep. Ed Murray, the Democratic chairman of the House Transportation Committee, favors more spending on buses and trains.

But Republican Sen. Jim Horn, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, wants money spent on fixing the roads.

“It’s a philosophical difference,” said Priest.

Staff writer Erica Jahn: 925-5565, ejahn@fedwaymirror.com

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