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Kittitas (pronounced 'KITT-i-tass') County is located in central Washington State. It spans from the lush forested Cascade Mountains to the upper Yakima River Valley plains and the Columbia River.
Kittitas County, WA - 05/03/2016 - The Kittitas County Board of Commissioners sent a letter yesterday to the residents of the Shady Brook Mobile Home Park. The letter, written in English and Spanish, explains to the residents that they should not expect any immediate requirements to find new housing. “We’ve been hearing a lot of rumors and we’ve been monitoring social media and we’ve seen a lot of misinformation. We want to reassure the residents that nothing is going to happen to their homes right now,” said Commissioner Paul Jewell. Much of the reporting around the sale, whether on social media or in the newspaper, has not been accurate.
The letter, signed by all three Commissioners, explains that no decision has been made as to when the mobile home park will be closed. It has been widely reported that Shady Brook will close in about 1 year but the letter states that timeline is not accurate. The letter also reassures residents that the County is planning to offer relocation assistance for those who qualify and that specialists will be available to assist throughout the process. “We want the residents to know that we are working on strategies to assist them and their housing needs. The County is not in a hurry to close the park, and we want to do everything reasonable to make sure these families have safe housing alternatives,” added Commissioner Laura Osiadacz. The letter also explains to the residents what they should expect in the coming weeks and months, including changes to the management of the property. Residents should also be expected to be contacted by the County’s hired consultant, who will be gathering data to determine the needs of residents and their eligibility qualifications for assistance programs. The letter also assures residents that they will be notified of all meetings concerning the closing of the mobile home park in the future. “We felt it important to communicate directly with the residents of the park in writing to provide the correct information moving forward,” added Commissioner O’Brien. “It’s clear there’s a lot of interest in this purchase and we want to be very deliberate and transparent as it moves forward.” The County recently signed a purchase and sale agreement with the owners of Shady Brook Mobile Village and Rental. The property has been in the Kittitas Valley Event Center Master Plan since at least 1997. In the latest version of the Master Plan recently adopted by the Board of County Commissioners, the property is proposed to be redeveloped into an RV park to service the needs of the Event Center for overnight parking and camping throughout the year. The most recent version of the Kittitas Valley Event Center Master Plan was adopted through a public hearing after more than a year of process to update the plan. The process included forming a citizens advisory committee, conducting focus group interviews, holding open house events, and conducting surveys. The acquisition of the Shady Brook property was one of the highest rated projects according to the most recent survey where 54% of the respondents listed it as a “high” or “highest” priority. The survey was available online and was advertised on the County’s website. Each registered voter in the County was mailed a postcard inviting them to take to online survey.
Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us
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Contact: The Kittitas County Board of Commissioners205 W. 5th Avenue, Suite 108Ellensburg, WA 98926509-962-7508