Will Easton/Cle Elum ever be a suburb of Seattle/Bellevue?

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by grega94

Definitely agree there! I enjoy the occasional snow day, but more than a week or two and it gets old fast.

We actually looked at homes with a realtor several years ago, as potential retirement location. That was until she told us that Cle Elum gets an average annual snowfall of 60" and most years it's covered with snow from October-March. We enjoy the average 6" in 2-4 days of snow we get here in Sammamish, but that's enough.

[509]

I never understood the attraction of Cle Elum.

I spent a lot of time there working. It is windy. It does snow. In many ways, you get the worse of both eastern and western Washington.

I think the only people that move there are those running away from the mess in Puget Sound, but still want to be close enough to the "mess" so they can quickly go back for day trips.

[pnwguy2]

Interesting area. I may have shared this before but my parents bought property along the Yakima River near Easton in I think 1969 or 70. It was supposed to be a luxury community/golf course. Well 50 years later it does have middle of the road golf course. And it does have some medium homes. But as usual the sales promises never came to be. It was billed as a luxury suburb of Seattle, but that was just hype. Today the area has a heartbeat, but not near what was promised.

[509]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

Interesting area. I may have shared this before but my parents bought property along the Yakima River near Easton in I think 1969 or 70. It was supposed to be a luxury community/golf course. Well 50 years later it does have middle of the road golf course. And it does have some medium homes. But as usual the sales promises never came to be. It was billed as a luxury suburb of Seattle, but that was just hype. Today the area has a heartbeat, but not near what was promised.

I wrote the economic history of Kittitas County for a EIS.

Interesting reading. It was even more interesting writing it. The Kittitas County Supervisors asked for it in the EIS.

Basic story......DON'T TRUST ANYBODY from the Seattle area when they promise you the moon in terms of economic development.

Kittitias County has been a "economic colony" of King County for almost its entire existence.

But is all fairness, the residents of King County have done well ripping off the economic resources of Kittitas County for themselves.

Oh, I did warn the Kittitas County Commissioners that for economic reasons they did NOT want to become a suburb of King County!!! The Sherriff did want to put a gate up at Snoqualmie Pass, but his ilk was voted out of office by "urban refugees" moving over.

[jabogitlu]

? A gate at Snoqualmie Pass? That’s a good way to get the National Guard sent to your municipal building.

[509]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

? A gate at Snoqualmie Pass? That’s a good way to get the National Guard sent to your municipal building.

We were at a business meeting in King County dealing with forest fire issues where the Kittitas County Sheriff was present.

Somebody in the audience mentioned how much they LOVED driving over to Kittitas County for recreational activities. At which point the Sheriff butted in and said, I want a gate at Snoqualmie Pass that I can control.

A law enforcement person once told me that the TWO people you don't want to **** off is a Federal judge and the County Sheriff.

We had a situation where the Washington State DOT did NOT want to close a state highway at request of the fire team due to a forest fire.

The County Sheriff said I can fix that for you. The highway was closed.

Between a Federal judge and a County Sheriff, I think that issue was settled with the civil rights problems in the south in the 1960's.

Otherwise, don't underestimate the legal authority of a County Sheriff.

[jabogitlu]

Ah, so for a reasonable and beneficial reason. Okay, that makes more sense.

[509]

That was not the same County Sheriff. It was a different county.

The first one, did NOT like anybody from western Washington.

Even years, later with some of the "mass arrests" events of western Washington residents in Kittitas County the comments from law enforcement indicated a distinct frustration with western Washington residents.

In all fairness, a high school group was told by law enforcement in KING COUNTY to go over and party in Kittitas County.

One Deputy Sheriff told me a kid told him "Well, I am going to get my dad, who is a lawyer to contest the charges AND I am never coming back to Kittiias County".

He answered..."exactly, thanks I never want to see you again after the court date".