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PSE to answer Energize Eastside questions July 7

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NEW — 2:55 p.m. July 6, 2014

Puget Sound Energy will answers questions about its Energize Eastside project at a July 7 forum in Redmond.

The project, in response to the region’s growing power needs, will bring new higher capacity electric transmission lines to the Eastside.

The new lines will extend from a substation in Redmond to Renton, but the exact route the lines will take is currently undecided. One of the proposed routes directly affects the Olympus neighborhood, and many residents attended the April 1 and July 1 Newcastle City Council meetings to voice their concerns about the project.

The segment of concern for Newcastle is Route M, which is located from Southeast 95th Way to Newcastle Way. The corridor is on the westside of the Eden’s Grove subdivision and on the eastside of the Olympus and Hazelwood communities.

The question-and-answer session goes from 6-9 p.m. at the Redmond Marriott Town Center, 7401 164th Ave. N.E.


King County prepares for weekend heat wave

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NEW — 4:25 p.m. July 11, 2014

The mercury could reach 90 degrees in the days ahead, and as temperatures rise, so do the risks for heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

State public health officials recommend people seeking relief from high temperatures to visit air-conditioned places, such as public libraries, shopping malls or movie theaters. Even a few hours spent in air conditioning can help people stay cooler once they get back into the heat.

State Department of Health officials remind people to stay indoors and in air-conditioned environments as much as possible, and to drink plenty of fluids — but not beverages containing alcohol, caffeine or a lot of sugar.

For residents headed outside in the heat, plan strenuous outdoor activities for early or late in the day, before the temperature rises. Remember to take frequent breaks when working outdoors.

Know the signs of heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Overheating occurs if people cannot cool themselves fast enough. The condition can lead to symptoms of heat exhaustion, including muscle cramps, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea and vomiting. Move a person showing signs of overheating to a cooler location, and ask him or her to rest for a few minutes and slowly drink a cool beverage. Seek medical attention immediately if he or she does not feel better.

In severe instances, people can suffer heat stroke. The condition can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not provided. Symptoms of heat stroke include extremely high body temperature of 103 degrees or more; red, hot and dry skin; rapid, strong pulse; and nausea, confusion and unconsciousness.

Sunny skies and summer temperatures typically draw more people to local rivers, lakes and even Puget Sound to cool off, but officials caution that water bodies remain very cold. River temperatures can still be in the 40-degree range due to snow melt – and lakes aren’t that much warmer.

Kayakers, boaters, rafters, swimmers and other river users should check conditions and scout rivers thoroughly for hazards before entering the water.

Puget Sound Energy is also encouraging its customers to be mindful of their energy use during the heat wave.

The company’s one-hour summer record for power usage was set back on July 27, 2009, the last time an “excessive heat warning” was in effect for the area. As temperatures reached into the 100s, 3,430 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity was used between 7-8 p.m. By comparison, PSE customers’ all-time, one-hour high for power usage was 4,906 MWh set on Dec. 15, 2008.

PSE offered these helpful tips to curb energy consumption as the temperatures rise:

  • Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible. For those with central air or air conditioning, PSE recommends no lower than 75 degrees. That might seem on the warm side, but customers can save up to 5 percent on their electric bill by taking that simple step.
  • Invest in a programmable thermostat that will automatically adjust the indoor temperature while you’re away.
  • Use fans to help circulate the air. Remember that ceiling fans cool you, not the room, so when you leave the room, make sure to turn off the fan.
  • Make sure to close window blinds and curtains to block direct sunlight.  In the evening, open windows for cross ventilation.
  • Switch out any conventional light bulbs with LED or compact fluorescent light bulbs, which produce 70 percent less heat.
  • Run appliances – such as dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers – at night. A hot dishwasher sends heat throughout the house; run only on full loads and use the ‘no heat’ option for the drying cycle.
  • Consider cooking a later dinner or grilling outside to prevent any additional heat buildup.

 

 

Newcastle City Council roundup — July 15

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NEW — 2 p.m. July 16, 2014

The Newcastle City Council held its second meeting of the month July 15. Here is the Cliffs Notes version of what happened at City Hall. View the full meeting agenda online here.

Energize Eastside

For the second straight meeting, the Newcastle City Council had a full audience, as neighbors gathered to hear another presentation about Puget Sound Energy’s Energize Eastside project.

This time, the citizen group Coalition of Eastside Neighborhoods for Sensible Energy (CENSE) had the chance to offer its own presentation about the project.

In response to the region’s growing power demands, Energize Eastside will bring new, higher capacity electric transmission lines to the Eastside.

CENSE co-founders Steve O’Donnell and Don Marsh, however, questioned the true magnitude of the need.

Marsh pointed specifically to Puget Sound Energy’s “Eastside Customer Demand Forecast” graph, which shows that by 2017 or 2018, demand for power will exceed capacity. The graphic, which is shown at PSE’s public meetings and can be found on its project website, is fiction, CENSE argued.

The group challenged PSE’s projections that electricity demand is growing at an annual rate of 2 percent. Marsh said that demand has actually been flat or declining, both on the Eastside and nationally, for at least the past six years, even with population growth.

He added that a Bellevue study anticipates a rate of growth that is less than half of PSE’s projections.

O’Donnell said he acknowledged the need for PSE to provide reliable power, but argued, “There are better ways to do it.”

To that end, Marsh offered several alternatives to PSE’s proposed solution, including time-of-day pricing, which would encourage residents to conserve by using electricity at off-peak hours for a discount.

He also mentioned that grid batteries are being used for projects in major cities across the nation, and noted that Tesla’s Elon Musk and Segway inventor Dean Kamen are both working on residential batteries that will make the need for transmission lines recede.

The group ultimately asked the Newcastle City Council to work with other cities and hire an independent expert to evaluate the project. CENSE also encouraged council members to keep citizens up to date about any Energize Eastside developments.

Newcastle Mayor Steve Buri responded by saying the City Council has been thoughtful in its consideration of the project. Buri also said that Energize Eastside is a “front-burner issue” for the city.

“It’s easy to be loud,” Buri added, but the Newcastle City Council is choosing to be strategic and methodical in its approach to the situation.

The city is in regular communications with the other affected municipalities, Buri said. City Manager Rob Wyman also noted that there is a lot more going on at the staff level that might not necessarily be visible to the public.

CENSE is composed of volunteers representing all five affected cities and neighborhoods. The group says it is pro-growth, pro-economy and pro-neighborhood.

“This shouldn’t be in anyone’s neighborhoods,” O’Donnell said, referring to PSE’s proposed infrastructure upgrade and installation connected to the project.

CENSE also has a technical committee that includes engineers, an energy industry consultant and a system planner that worked for both Seattle City Light and PSE.

State of the County

King County Councilman Reagan Dunn gave his State of the County speech prior to the CENSE presentation and touched on a variety of topics.

Dunn said the memorial to the 16 members of the King County Sheriff’s Office who have been killed in the line of duty, including Newcastle’s Richard Herzog, is currently in the design phase.

He also spoke about his work on the King County Flood Control District, and thanked former Mayor Rich Crispo for his assistance in helping to establish its flood-reduction grant program.

Before finishing, Dunn said he was keenly aware of the Puget Sound Energy project and is interested in what action the cities decide to take.

Odds and ends

Residents from the Newport Woods neighborhood came to express their concerns about a proposed 80-unit mixed-use apartment complex along Newcastle Way.

Residents had concerns about privacy, noise, the density and more. The project, which would be located next to City Hall, is currently under preliminary review.

One resident said she understood the area was zoned for office space, while another, who recently moved to Newcastle, said he felt “bait-switched,” and may not have moved here if he knew about the apartment complex.

The Newcastle City Council approved an ordinance that changed the city’s official bank to HomeStreet Bank from KeyBank. Changing banks will result in reduced fees and higher returns on investments.

Speakers won’t have to state their address during public comment anymore, after the City Council made a handful of changes to its own rules and procedures. Name and neighborhood will now suffice.

What’s next

The Newcastle City Council next meets Aug. 5 for its budget retreat.

Energize Eastside concerns shared

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Energize Eastside was back on the Newcastle City Council agenda for the first time since Puget Sound Energy introduced the project April 1.

But this time, it was a pair of resident groups who had the opportunity to voice their concerns about the plan to bring new, higher capacity electric transmission lines to the Eastside in response to the region’s growing power demands.

The Olympus Homeowners Association and the Coalition of Eastside Neighborhoods for Sensible Energy countered PSE’s proposal and questioned the project’s true requirement at the July 1 and 15 City Council meetings.

 

Olympus

Keith Hargis, president of the Olympus Homeowners Association, detailed his community’s concerns, while more than 50 neighbors sat in the audience of the council chambers July 1.

Hargis highlighted health, safety, easement, pipeline and aesthetic concerns with the proposed installation of 230 kilovolt transmission lines along Route M, which goes through Newcastle, and more specifically, the Olympus neighborhood.

Along the same corridor sits a gas pipeline that supplies jet fuel to SeaTac Airport, and neighbors are worried that construction along it could lead to a disastrous accident, Hargis said.

He mentioned the 1999 Bellingham pipeline explosion that caused about $45 million in property damages and killed three people.

“I think for us that are living along that corridor, we’re very concerned with anything that could happen that’s even close to this kind of magnitude of an event,” he said.

Installation of the taller transmission poles would not only affect Olympus residents that live directly on the corridor, Hargis added, but it would also block views for neighbors, and would cause a visual blight for other parts of the city, including the views from The Golf Club at Newcastle.

 

CENSE

The all-volunteer group of residents from affected cities, Coalition for Eastside Neighborhoods for Sensible Energy, raised questions about the PSE project’s necessity at the July 15 City Council meeting.

On the web

Learn more about Puget Sound Energy’s Energize Eastside project at www.energizeeastside.com, and the Coalition of Eastside Neighborhoods for Sensible Energy at www.cense.org.

“Our belief is that what they’re proposing shouldn’t be in anybody’s neighborhoods,” said CENSE co-founder Steve O’Donnell.

O’Donnell and CENSE co-founder Don Marsh, raised doubts about the true magnitude of the need, based on PSE’s power demand forecasts.

Marsh pointed specifically to PSE’s “Eastside Customer Demand Forecast” graph, which shows that by 2017 or 2018, demand for power will exceed capacity. The graphic, which is shown at PSE’s public meetings and can be found on its project website, is fiction, he argued.

O’Donnell and Marsh challenged PSE’s projections that electricity demand is growing at an annual rate of 2 percent. Marsh said that demand has actually been flat or declining, both on the Eastside and nationally, for at least the past six years, even with population growth.

He added that a Bellevue study anticipates a rate of growth that is less than half of PSE’s projections.

O’Donnell said he acknowledged the need for PSE to provide reliable power, but argued, “there are better ways to do it than industrially blight our neighborhoods.”

To that end, Marsh offered several alternatives to PSE’s proposed solution, including time-of-day pricing, which would encourage residents to conserve by using electricity at off-peak hours for a discount.

He also mentioned that grid batteries are being used for projects in major cities across the nation, and noted that Tesla’s Elon Musk and Segway inventor Dean Kamen are both working on residential batteries that will lessen the need for transmission lines.

The group ultimately asked the Newcastle City Council to work with other cities and hire an independent expert to evaluate the project. Both CENSE and the Olympus Homeowners Association also encouraged council members to keep citizens up to date about any Energize Eastside developments.

“If there’s one conclusion I’ve drawn from the process, it’s that we need your help, because this process is stacked to the outcome that PSE wants,” Newcastle resident Sean McNamara pleaded to council members July 1. “So, please do what you’re all in those seats to do and protect Newcastle as a phenomenal place to live.”

Newcastle Mayor Steve Buri said the City Council has been thoughtful in its consideration of the project. He also said Energize Eastside is a “front-burner issue” for the city.

“It’s easy to be loud,” Buri added, but the Newcastle City Council is choosing to be strategic and methodical in its approach to the situation.

The city is in regular communications with the other affected municipalities, Buri said. City Manager Rob Wyman also noted that there is a lot more going on at the staff level behind the scenes, as cities decide how to approach the issue.

Locals urge better solutions than Energize Eastside

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Eastside residents have concerns about PSE’s Energize Eastside project, which will run 18 miles of high-voltage power lines through five Eastside cities.

The 130-foot towers will be up to three times taller than the current transmission poles, creating panoramic visual blight throughout our beautiful region.

PSE is running an expensive public relations campaign as they pursue an aggressive timeline for EE. A final route is to be selected in December, less than a month away.

Many Eastside residents are concerned that PSE is overstating the need and urgency for EE and has eliminated every other energy solution from public consideration. In response, we created the Coalition of Eastside Neighborhoods for Sensible Energy (CENSE.org) to educate elected officials and the public.

CENSE’s research has found:

Energy use in the PSE service area has been shrinking since 2008, following a national trend. The EE website implies that energy demand grows at the same rate as population and economic growth. However, this relationship no longer holds true due to new technologies and advances in energy efficiency. For example, in the past three years, household electricity use fell, even as Americans bought nearly a billion more electronic devices.

PSE’s energy demand forecasts are almost twice as high as those of utilities serving other northwest cities with similar rates of population and economic growth as the Eastside. Demand forecasts for Seattle, Snohomish, Spokane and Portland (Oregon) are all less than those projected by PSE. See chart and documentation at cense.org/future.

PSE dismissed energy solutions that other cities are using to manage their peak loads such as grid batteries, peak load generators and demand-response programs. Most cost less than EE’s $200 million price tag, are less vulnerable to wind storms, natural disasters or terrorism and are better for our environment, health and safety.

The Eastside is a high-tech, highly educated, environmentally progressive community surrounded by beauty. This is why it is rated as one of the most livable regions in the nation.

Please join CENSE in urging your elected officials to address the concerns about EE before allowing PSE to scar our cities for generations to come. If you want your children and grandchildren to inherit the beautiful cities we love, email your City Council today. Say no to Energize Eastside and yes to energy solutions that are appropriate for the 21st century.

Jan Medley, a retired editor and graphic designer, lives in Bellevue. She is a member of CENSE, an all-volunteer coalition of Eastside residents concerned about many aspects of the Energize Eastside project. Learn more at www.CENSE.org.

December letters

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Educate yourself about Energize Eastside Program

As a resident and a physician, I am very concerned about Puget Sound Energy’s Energize Eastside Program.

What started as a far-sighted request to upgrade an aging infrastructure and plan for future growth has been hijacked into an oversized project that benefits a foreign-owned private corporation (PSE) as it prepares to divest in 2017.

Local needs have been expanded into a crisis, and we Eastside residents are being asked to pay for a vastly oversized project that seems more suited to transferring power between Canada and California than meeting our expected growth.

The Coalition of Eastside Neighbors for Sensible Energy has enlisted the talents of Eastside residents, including electrical engineers and people who have worked in the power industry, and have unearthed documents, data and have subsequently proposed an alternative solution. This can all be viewed at its website, cense.org.

The articles written to date on this subject have emphasized the PR tag lines that PSE has continually repeated. I guess if you repeat something often enough, it eventually becomes the truth. Frankly, it boggles my mind why a journalist wouldn’t delve a little deeper into the topic to expose other possible motives…especially when much of the work has been done already.

Once again it’s left up to the people. I urge all of you to visit cense.org to educate yourselves about what is about to happen to our cities.

Richard Kaner

Bellevue

 

Tell your representatives what you want for your city

As Newcastle claimed its place as a true “city,” a vision was conceived for its Community Business Center. The manifestation of this vision was to be a town center that would “serve as the civic, business and cultural center of the city.”

The urban design elements for this center would incorporate the community’s goals of protecting natural spaces and developing pedestrian-friendly connections between these areas and throughout the commercial zone. End result: a vibrant community with services close to home in a beautiful setting. “The best of both worlds,” as the saying goes.

Another often-used saying is that “the devil is in the details.” In order to guide developers’ efforts, very complicated codes were put in place in 2007 to address building heights and densities in the city’s development zones. Not every possible application of these codes was envisioned nor impact to peripheral single-family neighborhoods was vetted.

Now, our Newport Woods community is facing the unintended consequence of the application of these codes with a potentially devastating and permanent impact to our neighborhood. Goodman Real Estate has submitted plans to develop a six-story, 76-residential unit, multiuse building on less than an acre and just feet from our homes.

This building will obtrusively tower over our community, invading privacy, increasing noise and traffic, and potentially posing a hazard to the adjacent Olympic pipeline. We are heartbroken but we are trying to work with GRE to gain mutually acceptable modifications to this site that can best meet the needs of all parties involved.

Presently, the City Council is reviewing the Comprehensive Plan for Newcastle as well as the governing development codes. The current development plans for the city will add more than 1,100 residential units to Newcastle presumably vested into current codes. New development and future redevelopment will be affected by decisions made now.

Already, very big changes are coming to the city. Tell your representatives what you want for your city. No matter your position, it is critical that you get involved and let your voices be heard. Do not let your community or our city become victim to “unintended consequences.”

Jessaca Jacobson

Newport Woods

Electrical customers to receive a credit from Puget Sound Energy

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NEW — 2:05 p.m. Dec. 9, 2014

Puget Sound Energy customers will receive a one-time credit on their December and January electrical bills. The average electrical customer should receive about $40.

The credit comes from the sale of PSE’s assets in Jefferson County in 2010.The total amount to be paid to PSE customers will be $59.2 million. That includes interest that has accrued.

All 1.1 million electrical customers, business and residential, in Island, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Pierce, Skagit, Thurston and Whatcom counties will get the credit that will appear automatically on their power bills.

Because of different billing cycles, most customers will see a portion of the credit on their December statement and the remainder on their January bill.

The credits customers receive will be based on electricity used during the month of December.

Earlier this month, the Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission approved PSE’s request to distribute the credit through a one-time payout during winter, since it will benefit customers when electric bills are typically higher due to colder weather and shorter daylight hours.

Prepare now for potential windstorm

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NEW — 3:30 p.m. Dec. 10, 2014

Puget Sound Energy encourages residents to download its mobile app to report outages and check restoration times ahead of a windstorm.

Puget Sound Energy encourages residents to download its mobile app to report outages and check restoration times ahead of a windstorm.

The Puget Sound region is bracing for a damaging windstorm set to cause havoc on Thursday.

Puget Sound Energy is on standby preparing for the worst, but the company is encouraging residents to get prepared now, before the winds hit.

On Twitter, PSE offered several tips to get its customers through the coming power outages.

First, PSE encourages residents to download its new mobile app. MyPSE allows residents to report power outages, view a map of outages, get estimated restoration times, see the number of customers affected in neighborhoods and report natural gas emergencies. This is the best way to get the most up to date information.

“PSE strives to provide reliable, affordable energy service to our 1.1 million electric customers. But sometimes outages still happen.We’re committed to keeping customers informed so they can make plans for their families or businesses,” said Phil Bussey, PSE’s chief customer officer, in a statement.

PSE customers can download the new app to their Apple iOS, Android and Windows smartphones and tablets from the various app stores. Search for “Puget Sound Energy” or “myPSE.”

The easiest way to report an outage is to use the app, the company says. Reports can also be made at PSE.com or by calling 1-888-225-5773.

In addition, make sure you have emergency supplies on hand, such as extra batteries, flashlights and food. PSE encourages customers to use flashlights rather than candles.

Make sure you charge your vital electronics tonight, before the major wind hits, in case the power goes out.

Lastly, never touch downed power lines. Call PSE at 1-888-225-5773 or 911 to report problems.

Puget Sound Energy briefly explained its restoration processes, too, on Twitter.

“First, we assess the damage, prioritize the responses, and then dispatch our crews,” the company wrote. “We restore critical services first, followed by restoring power to the greatest number of customers as quickly as we can.”


Community Advisory Group makes Energize Eastside route recommendation

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NEW — 9 a.m. Dec. 12, 2014

The Community Advisory Group working on Puget Sound Energy’s Energize Eastside transmission line upgrade project has made its final route recommendations and both include lines through Newcastle.

The panel – comprised of neighborhood, business and civic leaders – selected routes Oak and Willow at their final meeting Dec. 10. The advisory group’s final recommendation is based on its work over the last year, including discussion of community feedback collected throughout 2014.

Of the 20 advisory group members and residential alternates present at the meeting, 17 supported the final recommendation. Of those 17, eight expressed preference for the Oak route and five expressed preference for the Willow route, while four supported either route.

Three advisory group members had a dissenting opinion and supported none of the routes. One of those was Olympus resident Sue Stronk.

“I was one of the three that refused to vote on any final route as any vote would harm our residents since segment M is in both remaining routes,” she said in a letter to fellow residents. “The three of us not voting will sign a minority report and present it to PSE with the reasons why we did not vote.”

These are the final recommended routes that now move on to PSE for an even more thorough review:

  • Oak (Segments A-C-E-G2-I-K2-M-N)
  • Willow (Segments A-C-E-J-M-N)

Segment M is the one that goes directly through Newcastle.

Credit: Puget Sound Energy The Puget Sound Energy Community Advisory Group recommended Oak and Willow routes for the Energize Eastside project. Both include Segment M, which runs through Newcastle.

Credit: Puget Sound Energy
The Puget Sound Energy Community Advisory Group recommended Oak and Willow routes for the Energize Eastside project. Both include Segment M, which runs through Newcastle.

PSE will ultimately make an announcement about routing after reviewing the Community Advisory Group’s recommendation, larger public feedback and opportunities and constraints surrounding the project. That decision is expected in early 2015.

The Coalition of Eastside Neighborhoods for Sensible Energy said in a news release that the “outcome of this process does not represent the wishes of the community.”

CENSE believes PSE prematurely eliminated better energy alternatives and never even gave the Community Advisory Group a chance to consider them.

The process appears far from over though, as affected cities, led by Bellevue, come together to hire an independent consultant to research the project, and work through the Environmental Impact Statement process.

Also during the coming months, PSE will work directly with property owners and tenants to begin detailed fieldwork to inform the route alignment, project design, the environmental review process, and permit applications; ask for community input on project design, which may include pole location, height, finish and other design considerations; and work with the city of Bellevue and other affected jurisdictions and agencies on the project’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process.

“Olympus already has experienced a home buyer, after placing a down payment, back out of the sale after learning of this project coming to their back yard,” Stronk said. “Our residents will suffer monetarily by this project.”

Our 2015 goals for a better Newcastle

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As the city heads into the coming year, Newcastle continues to grow and flourish. Here are a few of our goals for the city in 2015.

Look to the future — The city has enjoyed a few years of financial stability, but looking at future forecasts, challenges are ahead as development revenues begin to disappear. Begin the discussion now, not later, to make decisions that will ensure the city’s financial future isn’t seeing red.

Keep an eye on Energize Eastside — Puget Sound Energy’s Community Advisory Group just selected its recommended routes, and both include proposed electric transmission lines through Newcastle. The company’s Energize Eastside process, aimed at upgrading power lines to fulfill the growing demand, is far from over, though. Make your voice heard and participate in the coming Environmental Impact Statement process and any other avenues offered to share your concerns.

Do something with Lake Boren Park — It’s been more than a year since the city unveiled a series of conceptual designs for improvements to Lake Boren Park at a town hall meeting. During that October 2013 presentation, a majority of respondents supported park improvements, and even expressed a willingness to pay for it through a park levy. City leaders need to decide how much of a priority Lake Boren Park truly is and move forward with a levy process if it’s that important.

Make a long-term decision on marijuana — The Newcastle City Council extended the six-month moratorium on marijuana-related business activity within Newcastle at its Dec. 2 meeting. A moratorium is only a temporary measure, though, and a permanent solution must be reached sooner rather than later. The council has talked about marijuana numerous times and each time it does, a ban is discussed. The council should decide how marijuana fits into the city and begin laying the groundwork for a permanent solution.

Try for a city ZIP code again — The most one-sided response at the June 2014 town hall meeting was residents’ desire to acquire a unique Newcastle ZIP code. The city last petitioned for its own ZIP code in 2009, but the request was denied, as it was in 2004 and 1994. Municipalities are required to wait five years between ZIP code requests, so now is the time to try again.

Communicate with your residents — In this digital age, it’s more important than ever that a city have an online presence. Newcastle has Twitter and Facebook accounts, but they are not consistently used. Keep your citizens informed of city events and answer resident questions through these social media platforms. Just look east to the city of Issaquah for the right way to disseminate information to the populace. Newcastle City Councilwoman Carol Simpson scratches the surface with her weekly email blasts, but the city can do more. City Manager Rob Wyman often stresses the importance of customer service among his staff; well, this is part of it. It’s an easy way to be responsive to your residents.

 

Advisory group endorses Energize Eastside route

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Suggested routes go through Newcastle

The Community Advisory Group working on Puget Sound Energy’s Energize Eastside transmission line upgrade project has made its final route recommendations and both include Segment M, which goes through Newcastle.

The panel — comprised of neighborhood, business and civic leaders — selected routes Oak and Willow at its final meeting Dec. 10. The advisory group’s final recommendation is based on its work over the past year, including discussion of community feedback collected throughout 2014.

Of the 20 advisory group members and residential alternates present at the meeting, 17 supported the final recommendation. Of those 17, eight expressed preference for the Oak route and five expressed preference for the Willow route, while four supported either route.

Three advisory group members had a dissenting opinion and supported none of the routes. One was Olympus resident Sue Stronk.

“I was one of the three that refused to vote on any final route, as any vote would harm our residents since segment M is in both remaining routes,” she wrote in a letter to fellow residents.

These are the final recommended routes that now move on to PSE for an even more thorough review:

  • Oak (Segments A-C-E-G2-I-K2-M-N)
  • Willow (Segments A-C-E-J-M-N)

PSE will ultimately make an announcement about routing after reviewing the Community Advisory Group’s recommendation, larger public feedback and opportunities and constraints surrounding the project. That decision is expected in early 2015.

The Coalition of Eastside Neighborhoods for Sensible Energy said in a news release that the “outcome of this process does not represent the wishes of the community.”

Credit: Puget Sound Energy The Puget Sound Energy Community Advisory Group recommended Oak and Willow routes for the Energize Eastside project. Both include Segment M, which runs through Newcastle.

Credit: Puget Sound Energy
The Puget Sound Energy Community Advisory Group recommended Oak and Willow routes for the Energize Eastside project. Both include Segment M, which runs through Newcastle.

CENSE said it believes PSE prematurely eliminated better energy alternatives and never gave the Community Advisory Group a chance to consider them.

Some members of the advisory group worked together to submit a dissenting report, challenging PSE’s stance that Energize Eastside is the most cost-effective way to meet the needs of future energy demands.

Newcastle Community Development Director Tim McHarg was among those who signed their names to the five-page document presented to PSE at the end of December.

“The city of Newcastle supports PSE in its efforts to deliver reliable and cost effective solutions to the Eastside’s energy needs for existing and future residents and businesses,” McHarg said in a news release. “However, the CAG process did not offer sufficient depth or breadth of data, analysis or alternatives to determine the best solutions to these needs.

“If pursued, the resulting recommendation would have significant and irreparable impacts on homes and businesses along the routes and to our entire community, since both routes run through the middle of Newcastle.”

McHarg went on to say that based on the information collected to date, city staff are unconvinced that the proposed instillation of high-voltage power lines is the only available option.

“We encourage affected cities and the public to participate in the Environmental Impact Statement process for Energize Eastside to ensure a clear understanding of the nature of the problem and the impacts of feasible alternative solutions,” he said.

The process appears far from over, as affected cities, led by Bellevue, come together to hire an independent consultant to research the project, and work through the Environmental Impact Statement process.

Also during the coming months, PSE will work directly with property owners and tenants to begin detailed fieldwork to inform the route alignment, project design, the environmental review process and permit applications; ask for community input on project design, which may include pole location, height, finish and other design considerations; and work with the city of Bellevue and other affected jurisdictions and agencies on the project’s Environmental Impact Statement process.

“Olympus already has experienced a homebuyer, after placing a down payment, back out of the sale after learning of this project coming to their back yard,” Stronk said. “Our residents will suffer monetarily by this project.”

2014 was a year of change for Newcastle

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In 2014, the city of Newcastle celebrated a birthday, lost an icon and set the stage for the future. Here are some of the top stories of the year, in no particular order:

Newcastle pioneer Milt Swanson passes away

Family, neighbors and community leaders gathered Jan. 25 to honor the life of Milt Swanson, a titan of Newcastle history and a man with an unceasing, warming smile.

The Newcastle pioneer, born and raised in this community, spent all of his 95 years in the same area, 90 of which were in the same company house that still stands at the edge of town near the Cougar Mountain trailhead.

Swanson died Jan. 20 after a Jan. 14 fall sent him to a hospital, where he lapsed into a coma.

He knew more about the city’s vast coal-mining history than anyone, because he actually lived it. He worked in the mines, as his father and grandfather did before him, and it was vital to him to tell his story, making sure the history of Newcastle never died.

“It was important to him to allow as many people who were interested to understand the beginnings of the city they live in,” Newcastle City Councilman Rich Crispo said. “He loved this community.”

Council elects new mayor, deputy mayor

The Newcastle City Council ushered in 2014 with elections for the mayor and deputy mayor positions at its Jan. 7 meeting.

Steve Buri was elected mayor, while newcomer John Drescher is the new deputy mayor. Both will serve two-year terms.

Buri was elected to the City Council in 2007 and re-elected in 2011. He served as deputy mayor from 2008-2011.

Drescher was the new face on the council, having defeated opponent Mark Greene to fill the seat vacated by retiring Councilman Bill Erxleben in the November election.

Prior to that, he served on the Newcastle Planning Commission for four years, and as the board’s chairman for the past year and a half.

Neighbors voice concerns about Energize Eastside

A Puget Sound Energy project to bring higher capacity electric transmission lines to a growing Eastside caused controversy across affected cities, including Newcastle, in 2014.

Olympus residents in particular voiced their concerns about Energize Eastside at City Council meetings and public forums.

PSE’s Community Advisory Group recently presented its recommended routes, and both include a line that goes through Newcastle.

This story appears far from over though, as affected cities, led by Bellevue, come together to hire an independent consultant to research the project, and work through the Environmental Impact Statement process.

Old Hazelwood comes down to make way for middle school

The Renton School District demolished the old Hazelwood Elementary School in 2014 to make way for a new middle school.

The district’s fourth middle school comes at an important time, given that Renton’s middle schools are among the largest in the state.

The new school is slated to open in fall 2016.

Newcastle Days celebrates 20 years

The city of Newcastle celebrated its 20 years as an incorporated city with a special Newcastle Days celebration.

New to this year’s annual festival was a parade featuring youth groups and individuals dressed as coal miners in a nod to the city’s history.

“Really, when you think about it, 20 years isn’t old for even a tree, but there’s been a huge amount of change here in Newcastle in the last 20 years,” said Community Activities Commission Chairwoman Diane Lewis, one of the festival’s organizers.

Newport Woods community concerned about proposed development

A proposed multifamily, mixed-use development along Newcastle Way, just beside City Hall, has Newport Woods neighbors wondering how much longer the city will remain the quaint Newcastle they fell in love with.

The application calls for a 76-unit, 64-foot mixed-use building set on just under an acre of land in what is now a wooded area next to Newcastle City Hall. A trail along the Olympic pipeline is about the only thing that would separate it from homes on the edge of the Newport Woods community.

If approved as is, the six-story building would be the tallest in the city.

Renton History Museum features Newcastle exhibit

The Renton History Museum partnered with the Newcastle Historical Society to create an exhibit dedicated to Newcastle’s past.

“Newcastle: Little Giant of the Eastside,” feature pictures, maps and objects from Newcastle’s coal-mining past. The exhibit has information about the cemetery, as well as the Baima House, a still-standing Pacific Coast Coal Co. house, considered among the oldest buildings in King County.

The exhibit will be on display at the Renton History Museum through February 2015.

Chamber hosts PSE at Jan. 14 luncheon

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NEW — 5 p.m. Jan. 12, 2015

The Newcastle Chamber of Commerce will kick off 2015 with its first luncheon of the year Jan. 14.

Puget Sound Energy representatives will be on hand talking about the company’s myPSE mobile app which gives customers the opportunity to report and track power outages.

Keri Pravitz, Puget Sound Energy community projects manager, and Andy Swayne, municipal liaison manager, will answer questions, as well.

The January luncheon begins at 11 a.m. Jan. 12 at Tapatio Mexican Grill. The cost is $20 for chamber members and $25 for non-members.

Learn more here.

Editorial — It’s your city; get involved in decisions

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Sue Stronk. Larry Johnson. Jessaca Jacobson. Sonny Putter.

With the exception of the last name, you’ve likely never heard of these people. But make no mistake, the Newcastle City Council knows who they are, at least they should.

They are examples of just a few Newcastle residents who have come to at least one council meeting in the past year to voice their opinions.

They are, essentially, examples of democracy in action, a far too rare scene witnessed in the perpetually empty Newcastle council chambers.

Stronk and Johnson are vocal Olympus residents speaking out against Puget Sound Energy’s power-upgrade project; Jacobson is a Newport Woods resident who voiced a community’s concerns about a new apartment complex; and Putter, a former Newcastle mayor, is the constant presence at recent meetings challenging the council’s Coal Creek Utility District purchase-sale agreement.

More importantly, though, they are all residents getting involved in the place they call home and, hopefully, working to affect decisions.

Whether they are successful or not remains to be seen, but at least they are taking a stand for what they believe in, something we’d like to see more of from residents at meetings.

Remember, your government leaders — city, county, state and federal — work for you.

If you want to have a stake in this city, take a stand. Attend meetings and public hearings to weigh in on decisions.

Energize Eastside scoping meetings begin

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A slew of Eastside cities are ready to take the next step in exploring Puget Sound Energy’s Energize Eastside project.

Led by the city of Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Renton and Newcastle will work together to provide an environmental review of PSE’s proposal to build about 18 miles of high-capacity electric transmission lines from Renton to Redmond.

The Energize Eastside Environmental Impact Statement is a legally mandated process that will critically evaluate potential significant environmental impacts associated with the project and project alternatives.

It begins in earnest this month with a 45-day comment period, highlighted by five community scoping meetings where residents are invited to share their thoughts about Energize Eastside.

“I view it as one of the most, if not the most, critical projects on the radar for Newcastle,” said Tim McHarg, Newcastle’s director of community development. “So we’re hoping that a broad cross-section of folks will come and attend.”

Newcastle’s meeting is from 6-8 p.m. May 28 at Newcastle Elementary School, but all are welcome to attend any of the four other meetings held in Bellevue, Kirkland and Renton, McHarg said.

McHarg described the meetings as part forum, part open house. Meetings will be divided into two rooms, with one serving as an informational space staffed by different city employees and the EIS consultant, while the other room offers a place to respond and comment on the project.

Court stenographers will take verbal testimony, while comment cards will be provided to anyone who prefers to write their thoughts, McHarg said. If residents want to wait and offer thoughts later, there will be a means to do that through the project website, www.energizeeastsideeis.org, until the initial scoping period ends June 15.

Puget Sound Energy officials will attend the meetings, though McHarg stressed that “they will have a table, but they will not be the ones providing the information.” Meetings will be set up such that if people want to interface with just city staff and consultants, they can, he said.

“This really is the opportunity for people to get engaged in the process,” McHarg said. “Up to this point, the only process has been what’s been sponsored and run by PSE itself. This is really the first time independent cities will offer a process for people to get engaged.”

PSE introduced the Energize Eastside project about a year ago in response to the region’s growing power needs.

Get involved

Residents are invited to attend and comment on the Energize Eastside project at any of the five scoping meetings:

  • 6-9 p.m. May 12 at Bellevue City Hall, 450 110th Ave. N.E., Bellevue
  • 6-8 p.m. May 14 at Renton City Hall, 1055 S. Grady Way, Renton
  • 6-8 p.m. May 26 at Kirkland City Hall, 123 Fifth Ave., Kirkland
  • 6-8 p.m. May 28 at Newcastle Elementary School, 8400 136th Ave. S.E., Newcastle
  • 2-4 p.m. May 30 at North Bellevue Community Center, 4063 148th Ave. N.E., Bellevue

Learn more about the Environmental Impact Statement process at www.energizeeastsideeis.org.

It initially offered 16 potential route segments for the power lines that could be configured in 19 ways.

In a process that many decried, especially locally, the Energize Eastside Community Advisory Group — comprised of neighborhood, business and civic leaders — offered its route recommendations in December 2014.

Both included Route M, which goes through Newcastle.

The EIS will take place in two primary phases. Phase 1 includes an environmental review that will describe the transmission capacity deficiency that outlines the Energize Eastside need, and evaluate the potential environmental impacts of various approaches to meeting that need.

Phase 2 involves a more specific and detailed review of a smaller number of alternatives based on outcomes from Phase 1.

Each phase will include a scoping process to determine the specific project alternatives and aspects of the environment that should be studied in detail in the EIS.

“It’s the best way for residents to get their input into this really critical project for Newcastle and the Eastside,” McHarg said of the upcoming scoping meetings.

“If they want to impact the issues and the analysis, that initial scoping comment period is really critical for folks. Once the comment period for Phase 1 ends on June 15, we’re going to start our analysis in earnest.”


Energize Eastside scoping meeting comes to Newcastle May 28

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NEW — 5:15 p.m. May 27, 2015

The fourth of five Energize Eastside scoping meetings comes to Newcastle Thursday night.

The meetings are a part of the Energize Eastside Environmental Impact Statement, a legally mandated process that will critically evaluate potential significant environmental impacts associated with the project and project alternatives.

It began in earnest this month with a 45-day comment period, highlighted by five community scoping meetings where residents are invited to share their thoughts about Energize Eastside.

“I view it as one of the most, if not the most, critical projects on the radar for Newcastle,” said Tim McHarg, Newcastle’s director of community development. “So we’re hoping that a broad cross-section of folks will come and attend.”

Newcastle’s meeting is from 6-8 p.m. May 28 at Newcastle Elementary School.

McHarg described the meetings as part forum, part open house. Meetings will be divided into two rooms, with one serving as an informational space staffed by different city employees and the EIS consultant, while the other room offers a place to respond and comment on the project.

Led by the city of Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Renton and Newcastle will work together to provide an environmental review of PSE’s proposal to build about 18 miles of high-capacity electric transmission lines from Renton to Redmond.

Learn more about the meetings here.

To the Editor — June 2015

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We need more than ‘reasonable’ with PSE’s Energize Eastside

The independent technical consultant hired by the city of Bellevue to assess the need for PSE’s “Energize Eastside” project, U.S.E., was expected to do its own independent future peak load forecast. Instead, it reviewed PSE’s forecast and found it “reasonable.”

If you want a second opinion from a doctor, would you be satisfied if he/she just looked at the medical records from the first doctor and thought her diagnosis was “reasonable”?

What U.S.E. finds “reasonable” is PSE’s new forecast of electricity demand growing at 2.4 percent per year from 2014-2024. By comparison, Seattle City Light is forecasting demand growth of 1.2 percent for Seattle. Why can’t we get independent verification that the Eastside is now growing twice as fast as booming Seattle? That seems totally implausible.

The big mantra for PSE is “reliability.” It’s as if we should double the width of our freeways because once a year there might be a huge traffic jam if both Safeco and CenturyLink stadiums emptied at the same time. Does that sound like sane highway planning?

Are we so lacking resource and imagination that an overkill of poles and wires is the only solution? There are more flexible and less costly alternatives.

Larry Johnson

Newcastle

High wire act

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By Public Works Director Jeff Brauns About 100 people attended the fourth of five Energize Eastside scoping meetings May 28 in Newcastle. The meeting provided an opportunity for commenting on environmental impacts of the Puget Sound Energy project to build a new electric substation and about 18 miles of high capacity electric transmission lines from Renton to Redmond, through Newcastle. Learn more at www.energizeeastsideEIS.org.

By Public Works Director Jeff Brauns
About 100 people attended the fourth of five Energize Eastside scoping meetings May 28 in Newcastle. The meeting provided an opportunity for commenting on environmental impacts of the Puget Sound Energy project to build a new electric substation and about 18 miles of high capacity electric transmission lines from Renton to Redmond, through Newcastle. Learn more at www.energizeeastsideEIS.org.

More than 300 without power in Newcastle

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NEW — 10:40 a.m. July 31, 2015

More than 300 people are without power in Newcastle, according to Puget Sound Energy’s outage map.

The outage’s start time was just before 10 a.m. Friday. Crews are dispatched and the company estimates a noon restoration time.

The cause of the outage is currently unknown.

Get the latest outage updates on the company’s outage map here.

Packed Aug. 18 council meeting includes Energize Eastside presentations

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NEW — 11:45 a.m. Aug. 17, 2015

If you want to get a seat at Tuesday’s Newcastle City Council meeting, you better get there early.

Puget Sound Energy’s Energize Eastside project is on the Aug. 18 agenda, and whenever that’s the case, it always draws a large crowd.

Puget Sound Energy and the Coalition of Eastside Neighborhoods for Sensible Energy will both give presentations about the proposed plans to include a new electric substation and higher capacity transmission lines through Newcastle, Redmond, Bellevue, Renton and Kirkland.

Those presentations begin at 6 p.m., an hour before the regular council meeting begins.

The Newcastle City Council canceled its first meeting of the month due to National Night Out, so the Aug. 18 agenda is particularly action-packed.

The council will hear a State of the County address from King County Councilman Reagan Dunn, discuss the assumption of a private road in The Madronas subdivision and more.

The regular Newcastle City Council meeting begins at 7 p.m. Aug. 18 at Newcastle City Hall, 12835 Newcastle Way, Suite 200.

View the full agenda here.

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