Category: News

The next meeting of the REHOA Board of Directors will be held on Thursday, August 15th, in the Community Room at the Mukilteo City Hall. The meeting will start at 7:00 p.m. and all members of the Regatta Estates HOA are invited to attend.

At the beginning of the meeting, there will be a Member Forum. At this time, homeowners in the REHOA will be invited to discuss their concerns. The meeting will also have presentations from the board and from the various committees.

Where: Mukilteo City Hall, 11930 Cyrus Way, Mukilteo, WA 98275

When: 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 15, 2019

June 18, 2019

• Nate Nehring, District 1 – [email protected]
• Brian Sullivan, District 2 – [email protected]
• Stephanie Wright, District 3 – [email protected]
• Terry Ryan, District 4 – [email protected]
• Sam Low, District 5 – [email protected]
• Snohomish County Council
• 3000 Rockefeller Ave, M/S 609
• Everett, WA 98201

Subject: Request for Permanent Fireworks Ban in South Snohomish County, and  Request for Emergency Fire Hazard Ban in 2019   

Attached is a copy of testimony presented by William Lider, PE before the County Council on August 1, 2016.  The Sno-King Watershed Council once again raises these issues and requests Snohomish County to permanently ban the use of fireworks in South Snohomish County.

Furthermore, given the drought conditions that currently exist in South Snohomish County, the County’s Fire Marshall is warranted to declare an emergency and halt the use of fireworks on July 4, 2019.  Below average rainfall has dried out many urban forests that provide stormwater runoff control in winter and help sustain stream base flows during summer low flow periods.   Loss of small urban forests from fires caused by fireworks not only presents a danger to our streams, but creates the potential for loss of property and human life.

Many SKWC members live near urban forests and are concerned about the high fire danger that currently exists in south county. Small pieces of plastic and litter left over from fireworks is not only an eyesore, but another source of pollution to our streams.

Besides the obvious fire, air pollution, safety, and noise issues, fireworks powder contains significant amounts of elemental sulfur.  In the dense Urban Growth Areas, most fireworks are lit on neighborhood streets and sidewalks, which is illegal according to the county and inhibits first responders access to fires and injury accidents related to fireworks.  

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This high sulfur fireworks residue when mixed with water will produce sulfuric acid.  The low pH runoff then contributes to water pollution and acidification of streams which can be especially harmful to fish and aquatic invertebrates during periods of low summer flows when stream water temperatures are high, when oxygen levels are low, and when fish and other aquatic organisms are most stressed. SKWC currently monitors water quality in multiple streams in Snohomish County, and we are concerned about the effects on water quality.

Continued use of fireworks will create a violation the County’s Municipal General Stormwater Permit and be a violation of the source control requirements for pollutants under the Clean Water Act, the County’s 2017 Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP), and the source control requirements under Volume IV of Snohomish County’s 2017 Drainage Manual.  

Specifically, SCC 30.53A.700 does not prohibit use of fireworks in the County’s right-ofways.  If the County continues to allow the use of fireworks in its right-of-way, it will be outright violation of its SWMP, Program to investigate and respond to spills and improper disposal into the County MS4 per Special Condition S5.C.8.f, that states in part:

“Snohomish County, through the Department of Emergency Management, participates in a regional emergency response program that is described in the Snohomish County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP). The plan designates the Washington State Patrol and the Snohomish County Fire District 11 Hazardous Materials Response Team as the primary agencies responsible for responding to spills of hazardous materials.”

Use of fireworks permitted by County in its right-of-way’s makes SNOCO a participant in the release of sulfuric, hazardous materials.

Reduction of sulfur polluted stormwater runoff resulting from fireworks lit on county roads in summer is particularly important to help reduce the “first flush” effects on streams, some of which provide habitat for endangered Chinook salmon.

Thank you for your consideration of these comments.

Sincerely,

Eric Adman, President Sno-King Watershed Council 7815 NE 192 Street Kenmore, WA 98028 [email protected]

 Note: Fire District No. 1 has since merged with the City of Lynnwood to become the South County Fire District.

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Attachment: Testimony of William Lider, PE, August 1, 2016

cc: Jim Kenny, Chair South County Fire District  [email protected]  Katelyn Kinn, Puget Soundkeepers  [email protected]  Noah Haglund, Everett Herald   [email protected] 

Date:  August 1, 2016

Snohomish County Council

Subject:  Testimony in Support of the Fire Works Ban

On Behalf of the Sno-King Watershed Council, I am here today to support a ban of the use of fireworks in unincorporated Snohomish County.

Besides the obvious fire, air pollution, safety, and noise issues, fireworks powder contains significant amounts of elemental sulfur.  More fireworks are lit on County roads leaving considerable residue on the streets.  This high sulfur fireworks residue when mixed with water will produce sulfuric acid.  The low pH runoff then contributes to water pollution, acidification of the streams which can be especially harmful to fish and aquatic invertebrates during periods of low summer flows when stream water temperatures are high, oxygen levels are low and fish and other aquatic organisms are most stressed.

Any reduction in polluted storm water runoff from streets in summer is particularly important to help reduce the “first flush” effects on streams, some of which provide habitat for endangered Chinook salmon.

Thank you for your consideration of these comments.

A fireworks ban could limit damage and injuries that occur too often this time of year.

Tuesday, June 18, 2019 1:30am OPINION IN OUR VIEW ❙ By The Herald Editorial Board

Following the Continental Congress’ vote in July 1776 in favor of the Declaration of Independence, Founding Father John Adams wrote his wife Abigail that the day should be celebrated each year with “pomp and parade… games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other.”
Regarding the “bonfires and illuminations,” we’re guessing Adams wasn’t having to pay much of a premium on his homeowner’s insurance, otherwise he might have had a different opinion regarding fireworks, at least those in the hands of his neighbors.
Many Snohomish County residents, however, do have to consider insurance payments and the risk for fires, the nuisance of noise — especially for pets — and other impacts from the annual flash, boom and sizzle of consumer fireworks in our Fourth of July celebrations.
A frequent topic of discussion and proposed ordinances for the county and local cities has returned with a petition to the Snohomish County Council from Sound County Fire officials who want the council to bar the sale and use of fireworks in neighborhoods outside of city limits of Everett, Lynnwood and other south county cities, as The Herald’s Noah Haglund reported Sunday.

South County Fire is using a provision in a 2016 ordinance passed by the council that allows for neighborhood-specific fireworks bans. The neighborhood bans require a petition of 51 percent of registered voters in neighborhoods of 50 or more homes or an area of at least a square mile. To date, the county has received no such petitions, but the ordinance also allows for fire districts and authorities to submit the request.
The county council has schedule the issue for its June 26 meeting and could set a hearing in coming weeks. Even if adopted, the ban wouldn’t take effect until 2021’s July 4 celebrations; state law delays implementation of such ordinances for a year if they are more restrictive than state regulation.
The ban would not apply to unincorporated areas in the north end of the county.
The issue of fireworks and whether to ban their sale and use pits issues of safety and nuisance against, well, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It feels a bit antithetical to ban fireworks for the Fourth of July, but there are legitimate concerns regarding their use, legal and illegal.

Pets, especially dogs, can react with fear and anxiety to fireworks. Reports of missing pets can increase 40 percent during the fireworks season.
South County Fire, going back to 2005, has tallied $3.7 million in property damage from fires caused by fireworks. And 262 injuries were reported statewide in 2017, most around the July 4 holiday, to the Washington State Patrol.
And awareness has increased in recent years that fireworks can cause anxiety for those with posttraumatic stress — including combat veterans — and the victims of gun violence.
Fireworks use is in the unincorporated areas of the county are currently limited to the hours of 9 a.m. to midnight on July 4. About half of Snohomish County’s cities have banned consumer fireworks outright. The others, including Arlington, Bothell, Darrington, Granite Falls, Index, Lake Stevens, Monroe and Snohomish, have regulations similar to the county; Stanwood and Sultan have no restrictions beyond state law.
Another county ordinance in 2016 gives the county fire marshal the authority to declare an emergency and ban fireworks during periods of extreme drought. Currently,

low snowpack and a warmer and drier spring have resulted in moderate drought conditions in Snohomish County and much of Western Washington.
Fireworks bans and regulations are a challenge to enforce, but a ban on their sale would make them more difficult to acquire, which could limit their use.
In recent years, the county council has stopped short of a countywide all-out ban on fireworks, instead leaving the option available to neighborhood majorities and fire officials.
Jim Kenny, board chairman for South County Fire, noted in seeking the ban the extent and growth in the areas the agency is expected to protect from fires and injuries.
“That makes it very challenging and very dangerous to use fireworks amongst so many homes and so many people,” he told The Herald.
The council should take seriously the expertise and knowledge of fire officials and extend a fireworks ban in the south county’s unincorporated areas as requested.
Some will protest the ban, but it doesn’t have to mean a less enjoyable Fourth. Along with professional fireworks displays, a ban on consumer fireworks would still leave us with Adams’ pomp, parade and more.

© 2019, Everett Herald and Sound Publishing, Inc.

By Noah Haglund Sunday, June 16, 2019 1:30am LOCAL NEWS BRIER EDMONDS EVERETT ❙ LYNNWOOD MOUNTLAKE TERRACE


EVERETT — Fire authorities have drafted a petition to ban consumer fireworks in parts of south Snohomish County where they aren’t already illegal.
Commissioners for South County Fire approved the petition last week. They sent the request to the Snohomish County Council, which has the authority to ban the sale and use of fireworks outside city limits.
The proposed no-fireworks area would cover huge swathes of suburbia, specifically the unincorporated areas around Everett, Lynnwood and other south county cities.
“The area we represent in south Snohomish County is a very suburban and urbanizing area,” said Commissioner Jim Kenny, board chairman for South County Fire. “That makes it very challenging and very dangerous to use fireworks amongst so many homes and so many people.”
Fire officials plan to testify about the proposal at the County Council meeting scheduled for 9 a.m. June 26. The council could schedule a hearing at a later date to consider the request, with input from all sides of the issue.
If a ban were to pass, state law requires a year delay before it takes effect. That means no county restriction would affect July 4 activities until at least 2021.

For many years, fire officials have gone to the county’s elected leaders, urging them to ban consumer fireworks in unincorporated areas — so far without luck.
They have drawn support from homeowners who
suffered property damage or injuries. Some military veterans and others with post-traumatic stress disorder also have endorsed fireworks restrictions.
South County Fire officials have tallied up about $3.7 million in fireworks-related property damage since 2005, and several serious injuries to eyes, hands and arms, among other body parts.
“The issue for us is that this happens every year,” Kenny said. “And if it’s predictable, it’s preventable. This is one way of preventing those types of injuries.”
Counter-arguments have come from people who operate fireworks stands, often for charity, and people who enjoy fireworks as part of traditional Fourth of July celebrations with friends and family. They note that many of the fireworks that cause the most trouble, including firecrackers and bottle rockets, are already illegal under state law.

“The ban in the past would have been countywide,” Kenny said. “This would be only for South County Fire. This would not affect north Snohomish County or east Snohomish County.”
how to enforce the restriction.
South County Fire came into existence in 2017 when Fire District 1 merged with the Lynnwood Fire Department.
Lynnwood already bans fireworks. The fire authority contracts for service with the cities of Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace and Brier, which also have bans in place. All told, some 250,000 people live in its service area. Much of the territory lies outside of city limits but is densely populated.
If passed, the restriction would include the Eastmont and Mariner areas of unincorporated Everett, plus the Silver Firs development east of Mill Creek and some places near Silver Lake. It would cover the Lynnwood-area neighborhoods of Lake Serene, Lake Stickney, Martha Lake and Meadowdale, as well as Picnic Point south of Mukilteo. The Esperance enclave that’s surrounded by Edmonds would be affected, as would the Hilltop area between Lynnwood and Bothell.

As is, county code only allows people to set off fireworks in unincorporated areas for 15 hours every year, on July 4 between 9 a.m. and 11:59 p.m.
The County Council has tabled a proposal from last year that would have prohibited fireworks in future annexation areas for cities that have bans in place. Despite balking at more aggressive fireworks policies, councilmembers have adopted some recent restrictions.
In 2016, they granted the county fire marshal the power to declare an emergency fireworks ban during times of extreme drought. The same year, the council passed an ordinance that lets voters petition for neighborhood specific fireworks bans, modeled on the county’s no shooting zones. To succeed, a petition must attract support from at least 51 percent of registered voters in a given area. The area must include 50 or more single family homes or cover at least one square mile.
As of last week, county officials said they had yet to receive a single petition for a neighborhood-specific no fireworks zone.
The ordinance contained a provision allowing fire districts or fire authorities, rather than people living in the area, to submit a request. South County Fire is citing that provision.

© 2019, Everett Herald and Sound Publishing, Inc. About ❘ Contact ❘ Site Map ❘ Newsletters ❘ Subscribe ❘ Contests ❘ About Comments ❘ Privacy Policy ❘ Terms of Use ❘ Social Media
For more information about fireworks laws in Washington, visit www.wsp.wa.gov/fireworks.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465; [email protected]. Twitter: @NWhaglund.

The next meeting of the REHOA Board of Directors will be held on Thursday, June 20th, in the Community Room At Mukilteo City Hall. The meeting will start at 7:00 p.m. and all members of the Regatta Estates Homeowners Association are invited to attend.

At the beginning of the meeting, there will be a Member Forum at which time, homeowners in the REHOA will be invited to discuss their concerns. The meeting will also have presentation from the board and from the various committees.

Where: Mukilteo City Hall, Community Room, 11930 Cyrus Way, Mukilteo, WA 98275

When: Thursday, June 20, 2019

Meeting: 7:00 p.m.

The Snohomish County Council held a brief hearing on January 16 and then approved the change to the building code for Snohomish County that will allow developers to build directly on your property line.

Proponents of the change were members of the Master Builders Association. They argued that the two foot buffer was being used by transients and the homeless, and have become a dumping ground for needles from drug users. They also claimed that the two foot buffer dramatically reduced their efforts to build afordable housing for the homeless.

Opponents of the change were members of the Sno-King Watershed Council and supporters of Save the Picnic Point Forest. They argued that building on the property line infringed on the homeowners property rights. This construction could also damage existing trees and plants as well as affect the ground support for fences and walls.

Some of the council members listened to the statements. Other council members appeared to be bored with the proceedings. After the last homeowner spoke, another representative of the building trades spoke to the council, making light of any conflict of interest and refuting the comments of the homeowners.

The county council approved the change in the ordinance by a vote of 4-1. Unfortuantely, the voter and taxpayer concerns fell on deaf ears. There was no discussion. It was apparent that the council members had made up their minds before the hearing. ed0 \lsd

The next meeting of the REHOA Board of Directors will be held on Thursday, April 11th, in the Community Room at Mukilteo City Hall. The meeting will start at 7:00 p.m. and all members of the Regatta Estates.HOA are invited to attend.

At the beginning of the meeting, there will be a Member Forum during which time homeowners in the REHOA will be invited to discuss their concerns. The meeting will also have presentations from the board and the various REHOA committees.

Where: Mukilteo City Hall, Community Room, 11930 Cyrus Way, Mukilteo, WA 98275

When: Thursday, April 11, 2019, starting at 7:00 p.m.

The first meeting in 2019 of the Board of Directors will now be held on Thursday, January 17th, 2019, in the Community Room at Mukilteo City Hall. The meeting will start at 7:00 p.m. and all members of the Regatta Estates HOA are invited to attend.

At the beginning of the meeting, there will be a Member Forum at which time homeowners in the REHOA will be invited to discuss their concerns. The meeting will also have presentations from the board and various committees. The board is planning to review the expenses of the past year, establish a budget for 2019, and set the annual dues. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend.

Where: Mukilteo City Hall
Community Room
11930 Cyrus Way
Mukilteo, WA 98275

When: Thursday, January 17, 2019
Meeting: 7:00 P.M.

A proposed code change is going before the Snohomish County council on January 16th, 2019.  The change is being proposed by the project manager for Frognal (who also happens to be on the county planning commission) and the law is being proposed in direct response to an issue with the Frognal development plans that will benefit Frognal very much. Currently, code requires a 2′ property line set back for retaining walls. The Frognal development currently is proposing retaining walls built on property lines, for both existing neighbors and for the new lots within Frognal itself. Without this set back they can build right next to existing properties and it will allow them to put all 112 homes in Frognal. If the law remains and the council denies it, then they will not be able to put as many homes it and force some redesign. For existing neighbors, particularly along 136th, it will give your properties the 2′ buffers you should expect from retaining walls, protecting your propeties integrity as well as give some buffer to your plants and their root systems.

There is a public hearing @ 10:30 am, we need as many neighbors as possible there to comment against this law change. Please come! Wednesday, January 16, 2019, at the hour of 10:30 a.m. in the Henry M. Jackson Board Room, 8th Floor, Robert J. Drewel Building, 3000 Rockefeller, Everett, Washington