Save Vancouver Streets wants the public to have bigger input on future projects, and a vote by the people whenever the city wants to eliminate a current lane of traffic on Vancouver’s major streets
Paul Valencia
Clark County Today
Save Vancouver Streets is still fighting the City of Vancouver.
The group filed a notice of appeal of a trial court decision that led to its initiative not being allowed to move forward and be placed on a ballot for a future election.
The initiative would have required a popular vote for any project that closed an existing lane of traffic for use by transit, pedestrians and/or bicycles. The city’s Complete Streets campaign has taken away several lanes of vehicle traffic in a number of locations in recent years and there are plans for the elimination of more lanes of traffic in the future.
Save Vancouver Streets collected more than 6,500 signatures in support of the initiative and presented the certified initiative to the City Council, as required in the Vancouver City Charter.
The city then claimed the initiative was legally invalid, and took no action on the initiative.
Save Vancouver Streets sued. The case was heard in May, and in late June, the judge ruled in the city’s favor.
According to a press release from Save Vancouver Streets, those who support the initiative believe there is precedence in their favor. In Rental Housing Association v. Federal Way, a court of appeals stated that only a judicial body, not a city attorney, could review legal validity.
“Save Vancouver Streets, respecting the will of over 6,500 residents of the City of Vancouver, has decided that the City Council has left us no choice but to proceed with this appeal,” the release noted. “It is fundamentally wrong for the City Council to choose to ignore the voices of residents and their desire to have a say.”
The appeal will be filed in the Washington State Court of Appeals Division II. If successful, the initiative could be placed on the ballot at a future election.
The appeal is being handled for Save Vancouver Streets by Jackson Maynard with Maynard Law PLLC.
- Battle Ground shooting suspect arrested, second suspect still outstanding
Theodore Seaman, 44, was arrested for Drive-By Shooting; a second suspect fled on foot and has not been located. - High school football: Odd schedule leads to early start to league play in 4A GSHL
The 4A GSHL’s six-game schedule forces all four teams to play each other twice, a first since 2015. - High school football: Skyview takes down Camas for first win in rivalry since 2011
Adarius Sparrow caught three touchdown passes, including two in the fourth quarter, to seal Skyview’s 38-21 win over Camas. - Camas School District Legislative Advocacy Committee to host Candidate Forum
Six candidates from two federal and state districts will answer education questions at Discovery High School on Oct. 5. - Vehicle drives into Camas townhouse
A vehicle backing into a parking stall jumped a curb and struck a Camas townhouse, causing extensive damage but no injuries. - Business profile: Cowlitz Indian Tribe now running the steakhouse at ilani, ‘Sovereign’
Sovereign, the new fine-dining steakhouse at ilani, marks a major milestone in the Cowlitz Indian Tribe’s move toward self-operating all restaurants at the casino. - Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet
Amtrak’s 300-passenger Airo trains debut Sept. 30 on Cascades route, adding seats but not speed or frequency.