Letter to the Editor: Connectivity is a Complex Sammamish Issue

In response to an article on Patch about a traffic accident Friday on Richard Kuprewicz writes:

I am not going to resolve or answer such a complex issue in a simple web posting. What I can tell you is that at tonight’s Citizens For Sammamish (CFS) meeting held at Sammamish Fire Station 82 tonight (Monday, Jan. 7) between 7:00 and 9:00 PM, an update of the city’s connectivity process will be presented and discussed.

While we clearly will briefly talk about the SE 32nd St mitigations, the CFS triage of this specific barricade removal process and effort was discussed in more detail in an early CFS meeting in March of 2012, and clearly indicated the SE 32nd St mitigations appear to be seriously incomplete for various reasons after spending over 1/3 of a million dollars.

Let’s just say from a risk management perspective that having two wrecks on SE 32nd St since the barricade removal comes as no surprise. Clearly the process is unfinished on SE 32nd. And yes, effective mitigation for the more contentious barricades isn’t free, folks.

One thing worth noting as a member of the CFS connectivity team who has visited all of the many possible road connections within the city, it is very clear that not all residential streets in Sammamish are alike, especially some with barricades.

Right now from where I stand the city appears to be trying to get to a fair process that is more open and transparent, and I am inclined to have patience with the city trying to get their hands on a difficult issue inherited from Unincorporated King Co. Connectivity is not the only issue the city is dealing with.

The primary objective of tonight’s CFS meeting is to discuss the connectivity removal process resolution that the City Council approved in early April of 2012 that apparently incorporated some of the interactive discussions and triage feedback of the March 2012 CFS interactions. All are welcome to come to tonight’s CFS meeting that is usually full.

I must indicate that the CFS meeting process is highly interactive to assist at making more informed decisions within the City. Some of the discussions may make folks uncomfortable, but the one ground rule over the years in CFS meetings is that all opinions and commenters are to be respected.

Richard B. Kuprewicz, Sammamish