The City of North Bend has a public hearing scheduled at City Hall on Thursday, January 28, 2016 at 7PM to discuss permanent land use regulations for the Truck Town area, prohibiting new commercial truck center service areas within the East North Bend Master Plan Overlay District.
The Planning Commission will hear comments on making the current, interim amendments of the North Bend Municipal Code (NBMC) that prohibit a Truck Town expansion, or adding new commercial truck centers to the exit 34 area, permanent.
North Bend Community and Economic Development Director Gina Estep said via email that the Planning Commission will simply be taking up the interim regulation “in an effort to make it a permanent regulation.” She added that the proposed final language of the amendments would not change the interim regulations already in place.
According to the NBMC amendments, Truck Town is the only commercial truck center in King County and due to its location at “the gateway to the Puget Sound area,” commercial truck traffic and parking is often an issue in the North Bend area, “creating unmitigated adverse impacts to the city’s streets and air quality.”
The amendment states that expanding Truck Town is not in the best interest of North Bend and so prohibits it. NBMC does allow for the existing Truck Town center to operate and improve its 15.5 acre site subject to additional provisions in per the amendments. You can read the full amendment details HERE.
Residents who cannot attend the Public Hearing can submit written comments until 4:30pm, Thursday, January 28th to: gestep@northbendwa.gov or North Bend Community and Economic Development Department, PO Box 896, North Bend, WA 98045.
Chinook Lumber Building New North Bend Facility
It looks like Chinook Lumber plans to move to a new location in May 2016.
The City of North Bend is also taking public comment until January 28th regarding Chinook Lumber’s application to construct a nearly 19,000 square foot facility at the intersection of 436th Ave and Cedar Falls Ways, near I-90 exit 32.
Chinook Lumber is currently located on Bendigo Boulevard – on the west side of the North Bend near Snoqualmie. According to its website, the new site will be twice as big as their current location, with the store three times bigger to allow for more dry storage, a centralized store and lumberyard, more in-store and outdoor displays, a bigger contractor sales desk and an on-site delivery truck – and all with the same longtime staff.
Chinook’s application will be evaluated by the city officials to ensure it is consistent with all required North Bend regulations and policies. The project includes a retails and lumber storage building and yard, including parking landscaping, storm water, and street frontage improvements.
All public comments must be received in the North Bend Department of Community and Economic Development by 4:30 pm on January 28th. They can be mailed or personally delivered to PO Box 896, North Bend, WA 98045, or sent by fax to 425-888-5636. Comments should be as specific as possible and be titled “Chinook Lumber Notice of Application Comments.”