Update on the Fairwood Town Hall with Reagan Dunn and Jim Chan and someone else from permitting last night.
First, thank you to you all who showed up and spoke up and asked questions!
I really appreciate when people people show up and ask questions about our proposed BESS...
The first question, when Reagon Dunn opened up the town hall to questions was about our proposed BESS!
He defered to Jim Chan, who is Tracy Cui's boss, and Jim came up and said they have the permit open in their system, but he beleives Tenaska is waiting for opposition to decrease and for the King County Ordinance to become law or get shut down. And, as of this moment, Tenaska has been unresponsive to their outreach.
When asked about switching Tenaska to a "utility" permit, he said this is the first battery storage project of this type, and they want to take their time and get it right...
Whatever that means....
Reagan Dunn, said he opposes this proposed site but says battery storage will become a reality in the future.
Another topic mentioned is the asphalt plant- it was approved and is going through litigation... I bring it up, because a resident asked,"How did that property go from a residential zoned property and get switched to an industrial zoned property."
Jim Chan said, the King County Council voted to switch it. He didn't know why or any other details...
The resident followed up with, what is there to prevent the Council from doing the same for the proposed BESS?
Jim Chan said, he didn't know of a way to prevent County Council from arbitrarily changing the zoning by voting amongst themselves....
I asked Reagan Dunn to have a town Hall in Covington at Mattson Middle School or at Kentwood High School, and he said he's open to that.
Now we have to make that happen!
I am going to send Covington City Council and Reagan Dunn an email requesting that they set up a town hall in Covington- hopefully Jim from permitting will come again!
Here are the email addresses if you would like to help push for a town hall in Covington:
reagan.dunn@kingcounty.gov
citycouncil@covingtonwa.gov
sarah.perry@kingcounty.gov
Dave.Upthegrove@kingcounty.gov
kcexec@kingcounty.gov