Black Diamond is already quadrupling in size, adding more than double our share of growth in our Puget Sound Regional Plan. This means the state and county cannot fund roads and services for our area.


Yet City Officials are now proposing zoning for even more dense development! This is beyond the capacity of our schools, roads, air quality, EMS, fire, police, and parks.  Speak to the Planning Commission, October 26, 2021 at 6 p.m. Email comments by 2 p.m. to  to mdavis@blackdiamondwa.gov . Speak at the meeting by phone or zoom:

Phone-in: (253) 215-8782  ID 425 415 7187#  PW 941820# or online: https://zoom.us  ID 425 415 7187  PW: PC


The map below uses conservative traffic volume forecasts. 2035 traffic is gridlocked even if all developer road projects are built as planned.  Zoning for large development proposals along future roads and on SR169 are unworkable.

Map Source: Sep 3, 2021. Robert M. Shull, PE, Transportation Engineer. Eco Resource Management Systems Inc.

"Develop and apply state-of-the-practice multi-modal transportation forecast and simulation models

responsive to budgetary, data, and scope requirements for cities, MPOs, and states."

The City is not following proper planning law or practice. Developers are being given rezones without providing traffic, service, or market analysis. This must stop!

The new Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map adds far too much development.  Even before this change, Black Diamond was already growing to quadruple its 2018 size because Ten Trails is adding over 6,000 housing units and over 1,100,000 sq feet of retail. Five acres of retail is also under construction on State Route 169. Ten Trails plus the existing SR169 commercial zoned land is more than enough commercial land use.

This amount of over-development will surpass any reasonable capacity of our roads, schools, and city services. It will hurt wildlife, waters, and taxpayers. You can't build your way out of congestion.

Stop Black Diamond Rezones 

A proposed rezone would add 1,000 or more units of commercial or residential sprawl. Black Diamond is a small town with about 1,600 households today, so this zoning change is huge.
The impacts on public services including roads and schools has not been quantified. 

The 150+ acres of rezone is spread out in six areas, mostly on corporate Palmer Coking Coal land. This is the same developer who got the city limits expanded and made millions selling to the Ten Trails developer.  The new proposed re-zone area was supposed to contain a road to relieve Ten Trails traffic, but the rezone would add new congestion!

Black Diamond's schools, roads, and natural areas cannot handle more development.
The city already far exceeds our Growth Management Act and Puget Sound Regional Council plans to accommodate growth.  The Regional and County plans keep Black Diamond small, because Seattle-area growth is to be focused in high-capacity transit corridors.
Black Diamond, Washington

More Information and Comments to City

Past: http://www.oldblackdiamondwebsite.com/Depts/CommDev/2020_planning_comm.html


Email comments before 12:00 on September 7th to mdavis@blackdiamondwa.gov or stopblackdiamondrezones@gmail.com 

To the City of Black Diamond: 
Put the Light Industrial, Forest and Mineral, and Low Density Residential land uses back into our Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map as it was in 2018.  Otherwise we will far more development than our public services and roads can handle. Our city will be too crowded, and our taxes will increase too much. 


Stop Black Diamond Rezones - Black Diamond, Washington
For common sense growth planning, protecting nature, equity, and tax savings in our local and state-wide community.
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