Public pushes back | Talus preliminary plat not a slam-dunk

This conceptual plan of Talus Parcels 7-9 shows dozens of retaining walls that are recommended for the project. Talus residents are skeptical of the plans for Parcel 7, which would require one retaining wall that is almost 800-feet long and 48-feet high at its highest point.

image credit: Courtesy Image

Dozens of Talus residents and concerned citizens filled Issaquah City Council chambers Tuesday night for a meeting of the Urban Village Development Commission regarding three parcels in the mountainside village.

Perhaps with the tragedy in Oso fresh on their minds, they are concerned about the number of retaining walls necessary to develop the steep slope, which is one of the last undeveloped pieces of the Talus urban village.

Lisa Milkowski, who lives in Talus, suggested the commission take a look on YouTube at Issaquah/Talus mudslide from three years ago. It is a scary video.

There is risk, Milkowski said.

Milkowski said as a homeowner she does not want to be responsible for a wall of the magnitude of the one proposed on the east side of Parcel 7. That proposed retaining wall is almost 800-feet long and 48-feet high at its highest point. Ryan Kohlman, speaking on behalf of the applicant, Triad Associates, said the homeowners association in Talus would own and maintain all the retaining walls unless a sub-HOA is created.

Geo-technical engineer Carolyn Decker acknowledged the very steep slopes of the project, but said they can build a very stable, safe wall.

The catch is these walls have a 50-year life span. She said the big wall proposed for Parcel 7 would be founded on bedrock.

The question remained, who is going to maintain these walls and put money aside to replace it in 50 years? Talus does have a master homeowners association, but its not unheard of for subdivisions within the village to have their own HOA.

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Public pushes back | Talus preliminary plat not a slam-dunk