In 1996 the Issaquah City Council directed Issaquah's Public Works Department to evaluate possibilities for this road, which would connect the Sunset Interchange with Issaquah Hobart Road to 'bypass' downtown traffic.  The first Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was presented in 2000, leaving more questions than answers.  Therefore, the Council requested a Supplemental DEIS.  After 4 long years, the SDEIS is before us for comment. 

Where do we go from here?  Well, first there is the SDEIS hearing on July 15, 2004, 6-8pm, Issaquah High School Commons.  In September, the City Council will be asked to identify a Preferred Alternative to be studied.  Then Public Works completes and presents a Final EIS sometime in late 2004, early 2005.  At that point, the ball is in City Council's court to make a decision to build or not.  That's anticipated to happen between March and May, 2005. 

In this issue of Issaquah Environmental Council's newsletter we comment on the adequacy of the SDEIS and offer our positions. 

We suggest actions YOU can take. 

Here's our first position: To this point, the City has spent nearly $4 million on studies.  This SDEIS is fatally flawed by its omissions, inaccuracies, incomplete and outdated data.  It's time to stop spending taxpayer dollars on this controversial road when there are many road projects in Issaquah that citizens are begging to be done.  The process CAN be stopped, if the Council has the intestinal fortitude, by passing a resolution to abandon the SE Bypass project.

It is critical that the Councilmembers hear a large number of citizens asking them to let go of this project and fund other alternatives that WILL make a difference in the congestion downtown, such as

· another I-90 crossing,

· improvements to E. Sunset Way and 2^nd Avenue SE,

· a parking facility for downtown shoppers, and

· an Intelligent Transportation System linking and synchronizing our traffic signals.