King County officials claim they didn\u2019t mislead Kent city leaders and staff about how funds from a planned sale of Pine Tree Park could be used.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Several members of the Kent City Council blamed county officials for not letting the city know that any proceeds from the proposed sale of the 10-acre neighborhood park must be used to purchase property of equal or greater parks and recreational value or open space value.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The council planned to sell the park to housing developer Oakpointe Communities but backed out of the deal on April 5, in part because councilmembers said they initially thought when they approved the sale in September that the $2 million in proceeds could be spent to upgrade any park.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The city will reimburse Oakpointe $760,000 for expenses to date as part of the settlement.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Christie True, county director of the Department of Natural Resources and Parks, said in a Feb. 9 email to Mayor Suzette Cooke that city staff knew as far back as 2013 how proceeds from selling the park must be spent. The city released numerous emails about the park to the Kent Reporter through a public records request.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have several communications dating back to 2013 and 2014 between King County Real Estate Services and Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Barb Fleming and David (Galazin), city of Kent (deputy) attorney, and other city employees where we discuss with city employees and the city attorney the conditions and the process to dispose of Forward Thrust property,\u201d True said. \u201cThe emails that the city attorney and other city officials sent lead one to believe that the conditions must have been known by the city dating back that far.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
King County voters approved a Forward Thrust measure in the 1960s to allow the purchase of the land near 114th Avenue Southeast and Southeast 274th Street for a park. Kent later annexed the park from the county. The property had deed restrictions set by the bond measure about how proceeds of a park sale could be used.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Fleming sent an email to Galazin on Aug. 1, 2014 that explained the county\u2019s position.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cSince the property is now in Kent\u2019s possession, it seems to me that you folks need to make the determination of whether your actions are consistent with the deed restrictions,\u201d Fleming said. \u201cHowever, I spoke to Pete Ramels who heads our Transportation and Real Property section. He advised me that there were some cities who received these properties who requested the county\u2019s involvement in such transfers to ensure that they were acting in accordance with the deed restriction.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
As far back as 2013, Galazin wrote an email to a city parks planner that broke down the process of selling Pine Tree Park.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThe deed restriction imposed by the county on this parcel remains in effect, and after speaking with the county, it is clear that it intends to hold the city to that restriction,\u201d Galazin said in a Feb. 13, 2013 email. \u201cThe city can, however, trade the parcel for another park or open space parcel that is equivalent in both value and functionality. \u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Kent city officials wanted to sell the park to help boost a parks budget that needs millions of dollars of repairs and upgrades.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
City Attorney Tom Brubaker said in an email in February to Kevin Wright, chief civil deputy with the county\u2019s Prosecuting Attorney\u2019s Office, that the city took the proper steps in preparing the park for sale and worked with Kevin Brown, county director of the Parks and Recreation Division, to get approval.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThis all may have been a huge miscommunication, but it is our firm belief that the whole concept had been thoroughly vetted and approved with and by your clients,\u201d Brubaker said in a Feb. 4 email.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
True responded to Brubaker\u2019s comment in her email to Mayor Cooke.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI am not sure if there has been a miscommunication on this issue, but if this proposal (to sell the park for repairs at other parks) had been thoroughly vetted and approved by King County as Mr. Brubaker states, there is no record of it,\u201d True said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Derek Matheson, city chief administrative officer who gave the council a staff update about terminating the sale prior to the vote, said in a April 8 email to the Kent Reporter that county and city staff weren\u2019t clear with each other about how proceeds could be handled.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was certainly confusion about the use of sale proceeds,\u201d Matheson said in response to whether the county or city was at fault for inaccurate information given to the council. \u201cThe King County Prosecuting Attorney\u2019s Office initially said we needed to use the proceeds to buy land of equivalent parks and recreation value. Later, the county and city parks directors discussed the use of sale proceeds to make improvements to an existing park.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cFollowing the public outcry in February, the county Department of Natural Resources and Parks (the parent department of the county Parks Department) and county Prosecuting Attorney\u2019s Office advised us we needed to buy land. I believe that had we relied more heavily on written communication with the county parks department, the confusion could have been avoided.\u201d<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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