City of Lake Forest Park

17425 Ballinger Way NE
Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
www.cityoflfp.com
206-368-5440

January 2021

Mayor Jeff Johnson

Mayor's Corner - A New Year brings New Opportunities

Now that we’ve kicked 2020 to the curb, I’d like to look ahead to the opportunities 2021 brings.

During this first quarter, and after a significant number of meetings of the Planning Commission, Council Committee of the Whole, and City Council, we are approaching adoption of the Town Center Code Amendments in March. I would like to thank the Planning Commission, City Council, and citizens of Lake Forest Park for all of their input and hard work on this important task. Your dedication to the continued well-being of our City is clear and has been proven time and time again by the thoughtful comments and opinions about what would be best for our community. Please see Deputy Mayor Kassover’s article in this issue for more information about the Town Center process and the work that remains to be done.

Those of you who follow City Council meetings know that a contract was awarded earlier this month for design of a roundabout at Ballinger Way NE/SR 104 and 40th Place NE/NE 184th Street. Design will take place during 2021-2022, with construction scheduled to begin in summer 2022. During the 2018 Safe Highways study, this intersection was identified as being a candidate for this improvement. We are happy this project is moving forward.

While we don’t yet know when we will be able to return to holding in-person City-sponsored events, I am hopeful it will happen later this year. I am very pleased to report that City operations have continued to run smoothly and have adjusted to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. When we get the go-ahead to reopen City Hall to the public, we will be ready.

With the COVID-19 vaccine becoming more and more available and the delivery kinks being worked out, I remain hopeful we will all get to see each other in person later this year. In the meantime, please participate in your local government by watching and speaking at the Zoom-held City Council, Council Committee of the Whole, Planning Commission, and Tree Board meetings (the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board has been on temporary hiatus).

The meeting and events calendars are available on the homepage of the City’s website. You may also click here to access the meetings calendar, and here to access the events calendar.

Thank you for all you do to help make our community a shining star during the pandemic.

---Mayor Johnson

City Council holding a city council meeting on Zoom

City Council working at a Zoom city council meeting

Council Corner - Town Center Code Work Nearing Completion

During January, the City Council held six meetings, including an all-day meeting on Saturday, January 9, to review drafts of chapters in the Lake Forest Park Municipal Code revising the regulations for the potential redevelopment of our Town Center zone, as well as for a planned Sound Transit commuter parking garage.

Council has discussed the draft, including updated rules to include more trees and plantings in parking lots, better protection for Lyon Creek, good setbacks for surrounding neighborhoods, and improved landscaping that is appropriate for our local ecosystem. Council has also discussed incentives and directives for affordable housing, setting limits on building heights, and improving pedestrian walkways through the area.

Council has heard and received public comment from citizens at all our meetings, including the recent Public Hearing at a City Council Special Meeting on January 21. Council has also received written comments from the property owner and Sound Transit. All of Council’s discussions, as well as the comments we have received, will inform the next draft of the regulations. This draft will be the subject of Council’s discussions at upcoming meetings in February. A final draft will be the subject of a Public Hearing, now scheduled for the agenda of Council’s Regular Business Meeting on February 25.

I want to thank all the citizens who have followed along as Council has methodically worked through the many pages of code and made thoughtful comments for Council to consider. I also want to thank my Council colleagues for their diligence and focus as we have tackled this work virtually under the strain of a global pandemic and unrest in our country. I look forward to a positive outcome that reflects our community values and positions our city for an environmentally sustainable and equitable future.

Please keep up-to-date by checking the City website and signing up for newsflashes and Council meeting notices here.

--Deputy Mayor Phillippa Kassover

Sewer Rate Increase for 2021

In case you missed previous notifications of this increase, we are repeating it in this issue.

Your sewer bill is made up of two parts. King County assesses a fee for the cost of the disposal of the sewage – the operation of sewage treatment plants and the maintenance of the facilities. The county portion is the largest part of the bill. In 2021, the county charge will increase from $45.33 to $47.37 per month; the City portion will remain the same for 2021, at $19.02 per month for single family residences. As a result of the increase by King County, a residential bill will increase from $128.70 every two months to $132.78.

For more information, visit the City website: https://www.cityoflfp.com/276/Sewer-Rates

Passport Services Update

Lake Forest Park Passport Services Remains Closed

In accordance with the Governor's "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order, Lake Forest Park City Hall, including Passport Services, has been closed to the public since March 2020.

Where can I apply for a passport or renew my child's passport?

Many acceptance facility locations are closed or have limited operations due to COVID-19. However, some U.S. Post Offices are continuing to process applications (by appointment only). To search for a nearby location that's open and to schedule an appointment, enter your zip code here: https://iafdb.travel.state.gov/

Where can I get a passport photo taken?

Nearby locations include: UPS Store, Rite Aid, FedEx, Walgreens, Costco (only through 2/14)

How can I renew an adult passport?

Adults who are eligible to renew by mail do not need to appear in person. For detailed instructions and the renewal form visit the State Department's passport renewal page.

The basic steps are:

Check the State Department’s passport page to see if you are eligible to renew by mail
Fill out Form DS-82, Renewal Application for Eligible Individuals
Submit your most recent U.S. Passport
Include name change documents (if applicable)
Provide a passport photo
Calculate renewal fee
Mail the completed application (Form DS-82, with most recent passport, photo, and check or money order for renewal fee)

Regular processing is currently taking 10-12 weeks. Expedited processing (additional fee) is taking 4-6 weeks. (Your expired passport and name change documents will be returned to you in a separate envelope.)

Seattle Passport Agency (Extremely Limited Appointments)

The Seattle Passport Agency is offering in-person service by appointment only for customers who need a passport within 72 hours (3 business days) due to a life-or-death emergency. They are also offering a limited number of appointments for customers who have urgent international travel within 72 hours (3 business days) for reasons other than a life-or-death emergency. Restrictions apply.

To apply at the Seattle Passport Agency, you must meet all of the following requirements:

Make an appointment online (www.travel.state.gov) or call 1-877-487-2778
Be traveling internationally within 72 hours (3 business days)
Be able to show printed proof of international travel (such as your flight itinerary, hotel reservation, cruise tickets, or international car insurance)
Pay the $60 expedite fee in addition to the regular application fees
Wear a cloth face covering while inside the passport agency
Note: You can schedule your appointment up to 2 weeks before your international travel but the date of your appointment must be within 3 business days of your international travel. If you need a foreign visa, the date of your appointment must be within 10 business days of your international travel.

Winter, Snow, and Cold Temperatures are Here!

When snow and ice storms are in the forecast, our Public Works Department is here to prepare and respond. During a snow storm, the City crew works around the clock. Designated citywide priority routes are cleared first to accommodate emergency response, main arterials (including Bothell Way NE/SR 522 and Ballinger Way/SR 104), and bus routes. If snowfall is continuous, those arterials may require repeated plowing and sanding before crews can work to clear neighborhood streets. Click here to view the Priority Snow and Ice Routes Map.

The Public Works Department crew does its very best to minimize the depositing of snow on driveways; unfortunately, it is unavoidable when clearing the streets.

As a reminder, residents and business property owners are responsible for clearing snow and ice on their own driveway, sidewalk, and curbside mailboxes near their property, including the ridge of snow left along the edge of driveways by the snow plow. If snow is removed from your property, make sure the snow is not placed in the right-of-way. Catch basins must also be kept clear to accommodate melting snow and avoid pooling or flooding of water.

Northshore firefighters

Fire Merger Projected to Save Money for Property Owners in Lake Forest Park

If approved by voters during a special election in April, a proposed merger between the Northshore Fire Department and Woodinville Fire & Rescue would save taxpayers money on emergency service costs, starting in 2022. Northshore provides fire service to residents and businesses in Lake Forest Park and Kenmore.

Both agencies are approximately the same size and fund emergency services with a fire levy and fire benefit charge. Northshore property owners would save a projected $0.11 per $1,000 of assessed property value or 8.5% of the effective tax rate. Woodinville Fire property owners would save a projected $0.07 per $1,000 or 5.6%. These amounts are based on 2021 property values, which is the most current data available.

A merger also would allow for economies of scale in purchasing goods and services. Capital investments such as fire stations, apparatus and equipment would be shared by more households, which further reduces costs for taxpayers.

Smaller fire agencies throughout King and Snohomish counties are partnering together to provide residents with better service and cost efficiencies. Northshore and Woodinville Fire have been sharing administrative personnel under interlocal agreements since February 2020.

“This is our opportunity to provide the same quality emergency services for lower cost to residents of both districts,” said Rick Webster, chair of the Northshore Board of Fire Commissioners. “That’s why finalizing our collaborative partnership makes sense.”

The merger proposal is scheduled for the April 27, 2021 Special Election ballot. Because the Northshore Fire Department would merge into Woodinville Fire & Rescue, Northshore voters are the ones who vote on the proposal.

More information on the proposed merger can be found on the fire district’s website at www.northshorefire.com. Fire Chief Greg Ahearn also is available to answer questions about the proposed merger at GAhearn@northshorefire.com.

Beaked Hazel

From the LFP Tree Board: Meet the Beaked Hazel – Corylus cornuta

This is the first of occasional columns on the trees of Lake Forest Park. The LFP Tree Board exists to advise the City on policies pertaining to trees, to facilitate tree planting events, and to provide outreach and education to the community.

Lake Forest Park is proud of its extensive trees, but a forest includes much more than its canopy trees. Our attention is sometimes drawn lower in the forest to subcanopy trees that are also a critical part of our urban forest community.

The beaked hazel (Corylus cornuta) is the earliest native flowering plant in our forests, appearing as a tawny yellow haze, and often seen flowering best where it grows, along the edge of a forest. Flowering in January and February at low elevations and later in the spring as you go up in elevation.

Like other members of the birch family, beaked hazel flowers before the leaves emerge in the spring. This is not by accident; they are all wind pollinated and dense foliage inhibits both free dispersal and capture of pollen. Wind-pollinated trees typically separate the male stamens and female pistils into separate flowers. In fact, wind pollination is so inefficient that plants with separate male and female flowers allocate more resources to pollen production by having more male flowers to make up for all of the wasted pollen.

From a distance, male flowers, which are arranged in pendant “catkins” (a spike of unisexual, apetalous flowers having scaly, usually deciduous bracts, as of a willow or birch) create the yellow aura that signals the presence of a hazel in our early spring woods. While not visible from a distance, it is worth taking a closer look to see the tiny, brilliant, red female flowers arranged individually near the tips of stems. The bright red structures are not the petals we normally think of as the colorful part of a flower, but are the stigma, where pollen is deposited. On plants pollinated by animals, the stigma is small and unobtrusive; but, in wind-pollinated plants, it is large and branched to capture the pollen as it blows by on the wind, instead of having the pollen delivered to it. Since it does not need to attract animal pollinators, it is not known why they are such a brilliant red; maybe it’s to attract our attention!

In birches and alders, the female flowers are also organized in catkins. Why not in hazel? Birches and alders produce lots of small, winged seeds that are dispersed by the wind the following fall, but hazelnuts are heavy and a small branch tip would not be able to support a bunch of them. Like the commercial European hazelnut, ours is edible, but they never seem to produce in large quantities and we are unlikely to beat the squirrels to the ones they do produce. In late summer, we can see big gray squirrels (introduced from eastern North America) foraging in hazels for the still-green nuts--small branches waving to and fro as the squirrels move from nut to nut.

When you are out for a walk, look along the edges of wooded areas in your neighborhood for the beaked hazel and then take a closer look to see our earliest spring flowers in all their glory!

What to bring to the hazardous wastemobile

Mark your calendars February 19-21 for the King County Wastemobile

Do you have Household Hazardous Waste that is in need of disposal? The King County Wastemobile is making a stop in Bothell from February 19-21 to provide household hazardous waste disposal services for King County residents. A wide variety of materials is accepted!

You may drop off items such as antifreeze, batteries, gasoline, fluorescent lights, and pesticides. To view the full list of what you can and cannot bring and learn some safety tips. visit https://goo.gl/wbq6AK, or call the Household Hazards Line with King County at 206-296-4692.

Can’t make it to the Wastemobile? Don’t dispose of your hazardous waste like cleaning products, batteries, or pesticides in the garbage or down the drain. Take them for safe disposal to the North Seattle Hazardous Waste drop-off site; information is available at the above link..

Location of the Wastemobile:
UW Bothell Campus
18115 Campus Way NE, Bothell, WA 98011
Friday – Sunday, February 19 – 21, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Support Officer Christian Hansen

Police Department Hires New Support Officer

The Lake Forest Park Police Department recently hired a new Police Support Officer, Christian Hansen. Christian comes with a lot of experience, having worked for the U.S. Marshall’s Service, the Federal Protective Service, the Washington State Department of Corrections, and Bothell Police Department. Officer Hansen’s previous supervisors described him as a “hard-working, dedicated, high-integrity team player.” Christian loves hunting, fishing, and spending quality time with his family. Welcome aboard, Christian!

Protect Puget Sound - Take Your Car to a Car Wash

Winter Car Washing Tips

After winter snow and storm events, our Pacific Northwest cars tend to be a little dirty, which means cars need to be washed. But, did you know there is no filtration system between you and your storm drains? Everything done on streets, parking lots, and at home goes straight down the storm drain and into the nearest waterway--a stream, Lake Washington, or Puget Sound. We all enjoy a nice shiny clean car, but home car washing can use excessive amounts of water and sends lots of pollutants like oils, heavy metals, detergents, soaps, and grime into the storm drains.

The great news is there are ways you can help! The best way is to use a commercial car wash. Commercial car washes are required to send their soapy, dirty, grimy water to the same system other wastewater from our showers, sinks, and toilets goes for treatment to be cleaned. If you cannot make it to a car wash, it is best to divert your dirty car wash water to grass, soil, or gravel--not your driveway or concrete. Grass, soil, and gravel can help filter the dirty water so not all of the harmful pollutants are entering our local waters.

Keep Current on City News

Want to keep up with what’s going on at the City? There are several ways to stay informed about City meetings, events, and news? Click here for subscription options.

• City Council Agendas (regular meetings and work sessions)

• City eNewsletter

• Early Recreation Registration

• LFP Times (quarterly print newsletter)

• Planning Announcements

• Town Center Development

• Emergency Alerts

• Bid/RFP Postings

• News Flash