Government officials have partnered with North Lake residents to protect 45 acres of Industrial Realty Group’s land.

The former-Weyerhaeuser campus, spanning 425 acres, has been a topic of controversy since summer 2016 when news broke of potential development on 19 acres of forested land.

Richard Pierson, the chair of the Save Weyerhaeuser Campus’s conservancy committee, said, however, efforts to transfer land on the west side of North Lake into public ownership started about two years ago, when residents near the lake first learned Weyerhaeuser would be leaving Federal Way.

“If you come down 336th Street through the Weyerhaeuser campus – IRG campus – you will see cars parked along the road every day of the week, every hour of the daylight hours, people hiking, walking their dogs and enjoying the beautiful park-like setting,” Pierson, a 40-year resident of Federal Way, said. “But, as this property gets sold and divided up as IRG sells it, our access to this property is not guaranteed.”

Pierson said the property is second-growth forest with remnants of old growth. Trees were cut down in the early 1900s but grew back naturally. North Lake acts as the headwaters of east Hylebos Creek, which eventually enters the West Hylebos Creek. The city has acquired a significant amount of land around West Hylebos for its preservation. Miles of trails weave in and out of the forest and connect to Federal Way gems, such as the Pacific Bonsai Museum and the Rhododendron Botanical Gardens.

Most recently, the King County Council directed the Conservation Futures Oversight Committee to priortize levy funds for the North Lake Hylebos watershed.

“This property is a jewel of King County and must be protected,” King County Councilman Pete von Reichbauer, the motion’s sponsor, said in an announcement last week. “This is more than just a local issue, as the property attracts visitors from all over our state who appreciate its natural beauty, unique history and character.”

At a Federal Way City Council meeting last Tuesday, council members approved Public Works to apply for a 2018 $1 million King County Conservation Futures grant.

As early as January, however, Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell solidified the city’s partnership with Save Weyerhaeuser Campus to protect the land by committing $1 million of Surface Water Management funds.

Senior Policy Adviser Yarden Weidenfeld was also assigned to work with the group. He met with Councilman Martin Moore, state Rep. Mike Pellicciotti, D.-Federal Way, and representatives from the Save Weyerhaeuser Campus’ conservancy committee.

By mid-January he had learned of two conservation groups – Trust for Public Land and Forterra – that could help find funds to purchase the land. He also learned of a significant roadblock.

“IRG Vice President Tom Messmer told our Public Works staff he was basically not interested in putting the property up for sale,” Weidenfeld said. “He was not interested in working with the city in what would be necessary prerequisites in public acquisition.”

Weidenfeld said, however, Messmer agreed to let city staff do a formal assessment, an appraisal of the land, on the morning of Feb. 8.

He speculates Messmer’s reversal came from the city’s approval of his request for property border-line adjustments the week prior.

Messmer has confirmed that his company and the city are working together, but he provided no further comment.

“I explained where we were at and the extent to which we were trying to make this happen,” Weidenfeld said. “He said he would also like to be able to sell it for the community people to have it, but investors were getting impatient with him.”

Weidenfeld said he expects the appraisal to occur in the next few months as several steps need to be taken beforehand, including hiring a consultant.

Until the appraisal occurs, no one truly knows how much the 45 acres will cost, but Weidenfeld estimates it to be between $8 million and $9 million.

Pierson said the committee has heard estimates from as low as $1.5 million to as high as $10 million, a figure he said came from Messmer.

If Forterra or Trust for Public Land are able to identify funding for the land’s purchase, determining who would care for and maintain the land will be another hurdle.

“The mayor has indicated that he does not want the city to be left with it,” Weidenfeld said. “The mayor has indicated adamantly, when I was first asked to be the liaison, No. 1 [was] they’re not committing any additional city funds … and No. 2, he also said he doesn’t want the city left holding it because then it requires maintenance costs.”

In a Feb. 2 meeting with Pierson, Environmental Committee Chair Cindy Flanagan, Save Weyerhaeuser Campus President Lori Secrist, City Councilwoman Lydia Assefa-Dawson and Trust for Public Land Project Manager Owen Wozniak, Weidenfeld learned Trust for Public Land could do a feasibility study for $20,000 to $50,0000 as well as help find funding, however the group could not be the end owner of the property.

Wozniak suggested the property is purchased in three phases, in which stakeholders would buy the land with the funds they have, work on raising money to purchase the rest of the North Lake property and then address connectivity to the Pacific Bonsai Museum and Rhododendron Botanical Garden at a later time – a concern residents had if the land isn’t preserved.

Later on Feb. 2, Weidenfeld called Forterra Senior Vice President Michelle Connor, who said Forterra could be the end owner of the property, but that it would have to be in partnership with the city, and land-management costs would have to be covered. She suggested stakeholders work with the Pacific Bonsai Museum and Rhododendron Botanical Garden as well as craft trail easements in a master-use plan as part of “mitigation demand” as the property is developed.

Ultimately, the city needs Messmer to be on board, as well as more money. To get the word out, Ferrell will meet with a local radio talk show on March 1 to discuss how residents could help a potential community campaign to raise funds for the purchase of the land.

“Because this is such a legacy property, we’re concerned about the rate at which it’s being developed and fragmented by IRG,” Pierson said. “… Our timeline then is to evolve this fast enough so we can get this property before it’s sold.”

North Lake sits to the east of Weyerhaeuser Way South and is the watershed for the east Hylebos creek. Contributed photo

Save the Weyerhaeuser Campus Communications Director Jean Parietti, Rainier Audubon Society member Cindy Flanagan, Save the Weyerhaeuser Campus Conservation Chair Dick (Richard) Pierson, King County Councilman Pete von Reichbauer, and Save the Weyerhaeuser Campus President Lori Sechrist on Tuesday. Courtesy of King County