Regarding the July 27, 2011, letter from three of our Enumclaw School Board members, my wife and I attended two of the three “informational” meetings held by our school district in late 2009. I’m not sure they would meet the legal definition of a public hearing, but a presentation was made primarily by the attorneys hired by the district. We were surprised to learn that negotiations had been in process since 2007.

The district did allow testimony from those present but did not respond to the points made. Most of those present were from Black Diamond and were very concerned about safety, water supply, traffic problems and all the changes to Black Diamond caused by this huge residential development of over 6,000 homes which would generate a population increase of more than 18,000 residents and an additional 30,000-plus car trips on roads already at capacity.

In addition, at least two residents pointed out that one of the school sites is a long-discussed coal mining operation which will require a very expensive toxic clean-up before it can be used for other purposes.

I asked why Black Diamond is still within the boundaries of our school district and why we still bus students to and from Black Diamond over a dangerous two-lane highway that crosses the Green River Gorge and is frequently shut down as the land mass on our side continues to slide into the Green River. I pointed out that both the Kent and Tahoma school districts have schools within minutes of downtown Black Diamond and that a good share of Black Diamond students attend those schools. Black Diamond has long ceased to have any logical connection – economic, geographic or demographic – to the rest of our school district. With this huge development it makes more sense for Black Diamond to establish its own district or join the Kent or Tahoma districts. It makes no sense for the taxpayers in our district to assume bond obligations that could easily exceed $300 million to support this YarrowBay development.

Yes, we could vote against these bond requests, but when the Black Diamond population exceeds that of the rest of our district, it will be able to control the vote on bonds favorable to its needs and will be able to deny bonds we may need for the rest of our district.  I don’t think our school board nor our superintendent have shown any desire to face this basic question or to call it to our attention. I find that very strange.

Dick Hughes

Enumclaw