The Thurston Highlands Draft EIS comment period continues this month through July 28.
This is the time for the public to speak to this development’s plans and have a say.
Once this comment period closes, any further comments will have little weight in the decision-making process and will be too late.

Interesting to note that there has been little written about this in the newspapers nor heard from the public on this very important issue about Yelm’s future.
Where are all of Yelm’s anti Wal-mart people from a few years ago touting too much growth, too fast?
Do you realize this is going to at least, triple the size of the city (adding almost 15,000 people).
Does anyone have anything to say about that?

This document took two years to produce and is huge.
Were going to triple the size of the city and the pubic is supposed to understand this and comment all within 45 days by July 28th?

SEPA rules state the maximum number of pages in an EIS is 150,
not including diagrams & maps.
Thurston Highlands is over 325.

SEPA also states:
(2) Environmental impact statements shall be concise and written in plain language. EISs shall not be excessively detailed or overly technical. EISs shall explain plainly the meaning of technical terms not generally understood by the general public
(4) The text of an EIS (WAC 197-11-430(3)) normally ranges from thirty to fifty pages and may be shorter. The EIS text shall not exceed seventy-five pages; except for proposals of unusual scope or complexity, where the EIS shall not exceed one hundred fifty pages.

The WAC (WA. Admin. code) 197-11 sec. 400 (3) about purpose
says
“larger documents may hinder the decision making process.”

That means THIS draft EIS is going to have to change, and big time as this draft EIS does NOT meet the criteria of the mandate of 150 pages maximum!

THIS ISSUE MORE THAN ANY OTHER IS WAY TOO HUGE FOR THIS COMMUNITY TO SIT ON THEIR HANDS AND NOT COMMENT!

THIS WRITER SUGGESTS THAT AT LEAST 500 PEOPLE WRITE TO REQUEST AN EXTENSION ON THE COMMENT PERIOD AND HAVE THE RULES FOLLOWED.
GET EVERYONE YOU KNOW TO WRITE!

The WAC says:
(6) Any person or agency shall have thirty days from the date of issue in which to review and comment upon the DEIS.
(7) Upon request, the lead agency may grant an extension of up to fifteen days to the comment period. Agencies and the public must request any extension before the end of the comment period.

So, why should there be more extensions? This draft EIS does not follow the rules and is way too long. There should be at least another month extension to make comments.

HERE WE HAVE A PROPOSAL THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE IN NO COMPETITION WITH THE DOWNTOWN CORE, YET THURSTON HIGHLANDS’ COMMERCIAL AREA HAS 825,000SQ’ OF RETAIL COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND 135,000,000SQ’ OF PROFESSIONAL OFFICES.
YELM’S SUPER WAL-MART HAS 184,368SQ’ FOR COMPARISON.
SO, YELM IS SUPPOSED TO ACCEPT ALMOST ONE MILLION SQUARE FEET OF NEW COMMERCIAL SPACE WITH NO EFFECT?

COME ON! LET’S PUT OUR THINKING CAPS ON?

IS THE ZONING FUNCTION OF THE CITY TO CREATE AN ALL NEW COMMERCIAL AREA AWAY FROM THE EXISTING TOWN?
ARE WE GOING TO HAVE MORE MULTI-NATIONAL CHAIN STORES AND BIG BOX STORES THAT EXPATRIATE FUNDS OUT OF HERE BEING BUILT IN THURSTON HIGHLANDS?
IS OUR DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL CORE GOING TO BE SUSTAINABLE WITH A HIGHLANDS?

CITY HALL WAS GETTING READY TO CHANGE THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO ACCOMMODATE NASCAR —
WHAT’S IN THE PLAN?
IS THE CITY GOING TO CHANGE THE PLAN TO ACCOMMODATE WHATEVER MONEY IS THROWN AT IT?
THE EIS MUST BE CONSISTENT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. WHAT IF IT IS NOT?
THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE WISHES OF THE COMMUNITY?
IS THIS DEVELOPMENT FOLLOWING THE PLAN? IS IT?

THINK ABOUT THE EFFECT OF ONE MILLION SQUARE FEET OF NEW COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR THURSTON HIGHLANDS ON YELM’S CURRENT COMMERCIAL AREA?

WHY ISN’T EVERY COMMERCIAL BUSINESS IN THIS CITY RAISING A RUCKUS ON THIS ISSUE?
EVERY MERCHANT IN THIS TOWN SHOULD BE HOLDING THE CITY’S FEET TO THE FIRE REQUIRING
AN EXTENSION TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE.
WHY ISN’T THERE A CITIZEN & BUSINESS REVOLT?
LET’S HAVE A COMMUNITY DEBATE ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE.
A DOZEN PEOPLE ATTENDING THE THURSTON HIGHLANDS OPEN HOUSE IS NOT ENOUGH!

IF YOU DON’T BRING UP SOMETHING NOW, THEN HOLD YOUR PEACE.
IF NOT NOW, WHEN?
AFTER THE COMMENT PERIOD IS COMPLETED, IT’S TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE!

Address Comments to:

Grant Beck, Community Development Director
City of Yelm Community Development Department
P.O. Box 479
Yelm, WA 98597
highlands@ci.yelm.wa.us

Location of Copies of the Draft EIS and Technical Reports for Review

City of Yelm
Community Development Department
105 Yelm Avenue West
Yelm, WA 98597

Yelm Timberland Library
Fay Fuller Building
210 Prairie Park Street
Yelm, WA 98597

and online
scroll down to Thurston Highlands Draft EIS.

Public Meetings during the Draft EIS Comment Period

Open House
5 PM to 8 PM – July 16, 2008
Yelm High School Commons