A room full of Tiffany Park residents and concerned citizens turned out to express their frustration with the Renton School District’s proposed land sale to a private home developer during a public hearing on Oct. 29.
A total of 12 people addressed the school board.
Some took issue with the fact that the district did not follow proper procedures when officials failed to post a meeting notice for one of two hearings in the local paper. Others said they felt ignored and talked down to in their correspondence with district administration.
A few members of the public said they were so angry at the school board that they will not vote for future Renton School District levies or measures.
Renton resident and one-time City Council candidate Robin Jones hired Attorney Eric Stahfeld to address many of the same concerns other Tiffany Park residents brought forth, namely that the sale of property was “improper” because the process has been flawed, he said.
Stahfeld cited the district’s refusal to let subject experts go on the property besides the buyer, Henley USA, LLC. Stahfeld also pointed out that the district is a public institution and school board members are entrusted to make decisions on behalf of the people, something he claimed they weren’t doing based on their actions.
“You are standing in the place of voters and that’s what you’re to consider,” he said.
Tiffany Park resident David Beeden agreed with Stahfeld about the improper nature of the way the school board was proceeding and said he felt short-changed.
“I just feel that what the public has expressed has been blatantly ignored because of dollars,” Beeden said.
Erick Admick came to the meeting representing the 200 Airsoft gun enthusiasts who use the undeveloped Tiffany Park for their games. Airsoft guns fire non-metallic pellets.
“This is the perfect place where we have terrain and great neighbors around us that say, ‘hey you guys can play here,’” said Admick. “And we all have fun…”
Cynthia Garlough called the woods a magical place, unlike anything you’d find unless you drove several hours away.
“This is our home, this is our area and we will be deeply impacted by this,” said Garlough.
Some members of the public tried to get school board members to speak on the issue by asking them questions from the podium, but school board members did not reply. This made resident Renate Beeden ask whether the gathering was an actual public hearing as advertised or a school board meeting in which board members don’t have to answer questions.
In an email interview Thursday, Sheryl Moore, assistant superintendent of district human resources, cleared up the matter.
“Interested parties may submit written or oral testimony about the subject at hand, in this case, the sale of the property located in the Tiffany Park area,” Moore wrote. “The Board ‘admits’ (into the record) the evidence offered for and against the sale of the property and the advisability of the proposed sale, per the statute. The hearing is not intended for commentary, either for or against, by Board members, or for the Board to respond to questions.”
The next steps will be for the school board to consider the comments presented in the hearing at a future regular business meeting, which is open to the public, Moore said.
Moore was not sure when the discussion would be scheduled, but said the issue would be “announced as part of the regular agenda for the public business meeting as an action item.”
