Kennydale Blueberry Farm…should the city purchase it?

One of the most controversial rezones that has been proposed this year is the up-zone of the Kennydale Blueberry Farm from ‘RC- Resource Conservation’ to ‘R8-Residential-8 units per acre.’ Citizens have been appealing to council not to allow this, as it would likely usher in the end of the beautiful 3.5 acre, 50-year-old U-Pick blueberry farm in Kennydale.

All sides of this dispute make solid arguments. The owner of the farm points out that the property was zoned R8 until about thirteen years ago, at a time when the city suggested she should have the new RC zoning to help her better mange and protect the farm. But she never received any benefit for making this change, and has instead watched as more and more restrictions were placed in the RC zones. At this point, the owner is ready for retirement, and ready to move on.

The city staff and the Planning Commission have been inclined to agree with the property owner, and are recommending that the Council make the upzone to R8.

Meanwhile, Kennydale residents are speaking overwhelmingly against the rezone, as they love the Blueberry Farm and they understandably don’t want to see it go away. They know that the upzone will make it viable for development, and that it will be sold for such. They also make strong environmental arguments for keeping it zoned RC.

Like all the other outspoken residents, I too want to see the Blueberry Farm stay. In addition to providing the community with a bountiful supply of inexpensive fresh blueberries, it sits on an ancient peat bog, probably thousands of years old. The blueberry bushes receive natural irrigation from underground springs…these springs bubble up to the surface through the peat moss and form the headwaters for Kennydale Creek. State biologists have confirmed that this formation is a rare environmental feature (known scientifically as a ‘fen’), and to me it seems a shame to see it simply be divided into back-yards of new homes.

But all is not lost for blueberry farm lovers. At the last council meeting, we received the latest figures on it’s full development potential. It turns out, even with R-8 zoning, the 3.5 acre property could only be subdivided into two or three building lots due to the substantial wet-land setbacks mandated by state law. Since it is can only be three buildable lots, not twenty-four like we often see on 3.5 acres, it could theoretically be in a price range where the public could chose to purchase it for a park, open-space, or to run it as a blueberry farm (the way Bellevue does with their blueberry farm.)

So, I did what I often do when I calculate that there may be a solution that will satisfy all parties…I suggested it. In this case, I proposed we openly and publicly consider a possible purchase of the Kennydale Blueberry Farm for a park. I even made a motion that we study/discuss this option at an upcoming committee of the whole meeting (which I chair), and my motion was swiftly seconded by my brilliant colleague Marcie Palmer. Thanks Marcie! But then, like we have seen too often on the council this year, rather than openly debating the merits of my motion, those that were against my motion (including a certain lawyer-councilman and the mayor) tried to convince me that my motion was illegal! The mayor even went as far as to ask me to withdraw it! Their logic seemed to go like this… we can never discuss purchasing sensitive lands for parks or open-space in an open public meeting, because then if we decide to buy the land the owner may raise the price.

Ummm…I am pretty sure that the owner would eventually find out we want to buy it…like when we make an offer to her. Furthermore, we should not be deciding what we are going to do with large amounts of taxpayer money in secret…it is always right to have such discussions in open public meetings. And ironically, ensuring we pay fair market value would be an honest and fair use of the eminent domain power (unlike using it to take property from one private owner and give it to another private owner as I fought in the Highlands).

So where did we end up? With certain people frowning at me for not withdrawing my motion, I instead moved to table it until next week to allow our city attorney to study the issue. And Councilwoman Palmer seconded my motion to table. (Thanks again Marcie!). Since a motion to table is not debatable, it passed with no more squabbling.

This item will be picked back up off the table next week, so stay tuned and be prepared to weigh in on this during audience comment if you are so inclined. Personally, I don’t know if we could afford to purchase the blueberry farm for a park. But what I do know is that before we see it gone forever we owe it to the citizens of Renton to at least talk about our options.