Your Weekly Update on What's Happening at the King County Council  

CM Dunn joins officials and community members in announcing the purchase of the formerly proposed asphalt plant site.

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

After nearly a decade of protests, hard work, and rigorous negotiations to stop the proposed asphalt plant along the Cedar River, I was proud to recently announce that King County has officially purchased the property where the site was proposed, preserving the land for public use and future generations.  

Our community stood together tirelessly to defend our river from threats of pollution to this critical watershed, which supplies drinking water to more than 1.6 million people in the greater Seattle area and has done so for 125 years. 

“This decade-long fight to protect our river has come to a successful conclusion. We can now shift our focus from stopping what shouldn’t be to building what should — parks, open spaces, and a place the public can enjoy for generations.” – Councilmember Dunn

In 2021, I sponsored legislation to prioritize acquiring properties in this corridor for preservation and argued that King County should position itself to purchase the proposed asphalt plant property as open space if the opportunity emerged.  Five years later, I led negotiations to make that vision a reality by successfully bringing Lakeside Industries and Save the Cedar River to the table to negotiate an agreement under which Lakeside agreed to sell the property and abandon its plans to construct the asphalt plant. Lakeside Industries deserves enormous credit for coming to the table and negotiating in good faith.

At Saturday’s announcement, I invited residents to join in conversation through interactive boards where community members could share their ideas for the future of the property. Among the possibilities discussed were restoring and improving fish and wildlife habitat, expanding recreational opportunities, and connecting the property with existing and future trail networks and nearby protected open space. In the short term, the property could be connected to nearby McGarvey Park, but the county is also looking at other nearby properties for future preservation.

LEARN MORE HERE.

Reagan Dunn
King County Councilmember
District 9

Fairwood, you’ve never looked better!

Councilmember Dunn and Director Richardson join the members of the community who made the Fairwood 60th possible. Without them and so many others, this event never could never have been so successful!

The Fairwood 60th Anniversary Celebration was a great success, and I want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who helped make the day possible.

From the hardworking staff and vendors to our first responders, runners, community partners, local leaders, and residents who came out to celebrate, this was truly a day for our community, by our community. I was proud to help secure funding for the celebration, but even prouder to see so many people come together for a full day of activities, music, food, and fun at Petrovitsky Park.

I also want to give a specific shout-out to all of the Department of Local Services staff and King County Parks staff who went above and beyond to plan, run, and clean up this event. There are so many individuals in those departments who dedicate a huge portion of their lives to bettering our community, and they deserve to be recognized.

The day began bright and early with a community 5K fun run and didn’t end until after dark, with a showing of Zootopia 2 under the stars. For me, the most rewarding aspect of the day was seeing so many families and kids enjoying the many different activities.

Thank you again to everyone who helped make Fairwood’s 60th anniversary such a memorable success!

Happy Labor Day!

Labor Day is just a few days away. It is always worthwhile to recognize the hardworking individuals who keep our communities strong and our economy moving. Whether you are a first responder, tradesperson, small business owner, work in the service industry, farmer, rancher, teacher, or work in any other profession, our community thrives because of the many hardworking people who contribute so much to our region.

I hope you and your family have a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable Labor Day weekend!