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Renton’s Mayor Barbara Shinpoch (1980-1988), is pictured here with her predecessors Don Custor, Charles Delaurenti, and Avery Garrett. She was an inspiring regional leader and a visionary force in protecting Renton’s water supply from contamination. In this 1982 photo she is dedicating the new Coulon Beach Park, converting 1.5 miles of industrial lakefront to park use.
Renton Mayor Barbara Shinpoch was an inspiring leader in Renton and our region. In addition to many other enduring accomplishments, she left a legacy of protection of Renton’s water supply.
In 1984 Mayor Shinpoch and her City Council commissioned the first comprehensive scientific study of Renton’s aquifer, and then energetically implemented the many recommendations for protecting Renton’s precious drinking water. Mayor Shinpoch fearlessly confronted the State, the County, numerous filling stations, dry cleaners, Stoneway Concrete, Metro, and many others to ensure Renton’s success.
Her successor and friend, Earl Clymer, Mayor from 1988-1996, continued her hard work on Renton’s aquifer protection ordinance, with unanimous support of Renton’s dedicated City Councilmembers. (I was elected to Renton Council in 1993, and had the opportunity to join the team with the work already in progress.)
The study commissioned under Mayor Shinpoch in 1984 became our blueprint, and it contains guidance which remains relevant today. The study recognized that protecting our water was our highest calling. Recommendations included using tax money to buy business property and convert it to parks if it was upstream of our wells along our aquifer.
Mayor Shinpoch charted the course for clean water for our residents, and our council should retain the same vision today when it comes to the Lakeside Industries Asphalt Plant proposed upstream of our Maplewood Wells.
The following are some excerpts from the blueprint she commissioned in 1984. The complete report can be found here.
The report suggests that the City of Renton purchase business property that threatens the aquifer, and adds “the properties could be converted to additional park use or greenbelts”
Maplewood golf course was purchased by Renton in 1985 for 3.9 million dollars to protect it from more intense development. When I was on Council we built new wells on the property. Controlling the land upstream (bullet 4) was a continuous process.
We aggressively took charge of protecting our aquifer recharge zones
In this widening project, and the two subsequent I-405 widening projects, Washington State DOT has exercised care when working over our aquifer. For instance, they are careful not to drive pilings into areas that would allow contaminants to reach the aquifer, and they contain construction chemicals and materials.
For more information on the Lakeside Industries Asphalt Plant please visit this article here.
If you agree we should retain Mayor Shinpoch’s vision for protection of our aquifer, please contact Renton Council and Mayor and remind them that it is their time to lead. Ask them to purchase the proposed Lakeside Asphalt Plant site, using their eminent domain authority if necessary.
The can be emailed at: council@rentonwa.gov, and mayor@rentonwa.gov
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