Save Coal Creek Petition Update

By Sally Lawrence

To boost the number of signatures on the "Save Coal Creek" petition, in mid-May temporary signs with the petition weblink were installed at 47 locations along streets in Bellevue and Newcastle. Thanks to volunteers Rayma Norton, Franja Bryant, Randy Gaddy, David Kappler, Suzy Stockton, and Sally Lawrence for accomplishing this! (And thanks, Eva Lundahl, for info on city codes for posting signs.)

How can you help? Most important is to increase the number of signatures on the petition - please tell others about the petition and ask them to sign. This will help convince Bellevue City Council to take an active interest in the future of the Isola Homes property. If you have not yet signed, the petition is hosted on the Issaquah Alps website, at www.savecoalcreek.org.

The next step in Bellevue's planning process is to schedule a public hearing on the latest version of the Isola Homes development proposal. To date, no public hearing is scheduled. On April 30, Sally Lawrence sent a letter to Bellevue City Council, including councilmember Janice Zahn (council liaison with the Parks Department), and new Parks director Michael Shiosaki. The letter stressed the higher value of the Isola Homes property - to preserve its value for wildlife and local mining history - if it were purchased for addition to the Coal Creek Natural Area, rather than being developed.

Eastside Audubon Society's Conservation Chair, Jeremy Lucas, agrees that the Save Coal Creek conservation effort is one that this organization should support. We will likely ask the Board of Eastside Audubon to write a letter of support to Bellevue City Council if/when a public hearing on the development proposal is scheduled.   

We are also looking for your photos and videos of wildlife, insects, trees, wildflowers, etc. taken in the vicinity of the Coal Creek and Red Town trails. Paul Van Atta, who lives nearby, shared a wonderful video of two bear cubs taken in his backyard - take a look on the website! Here is a photo by Hilary Barnes of a bear pawprint taken at the stormwater retention pond just north of the Isola property, on the west side of Lakemont Boulevard. 

Photo by Hilary Barnes of a bear pawprint. Photo submitted to IATC by Sally Lawrence