As a consultant working with the K2 Commons developers Dick Sontgerath and Truman O’Brien, I have heard praise for the project as well as concerns and complaints. I encourage anyone who has a question or concern to bring it up. You might find that there are ways to both address your concerns and support the project.

Based on suggestions from others and myself, Sontgerath and O’Brien have made a number of changes to the project. In fact, they have been extremely open to new ideas as they recognize that the success of the project is dependent on it filling a niche for all of us.

I have heard some people worry that the K2 site will end up turning into a retail mall. The current proposal includes little to no retail proposals other than possibly a small cafeteria. To address this concern, I suggested to the developers that they consider making a public commitment to limiting retail to no more than 20 percent of the square footage of the project. They readily agreed to make that commitment.

Some people seem to oppose K2 Commons at least partly because it is change or because it is a relatively larger development. This makes me think of some people who opposed the idea of logging on Vashon. Some people opposed the logging of Agren Park until they were made aware that we all rely on logging and that in some cases there can be ecological benefits from logging. The Forest Stewards did such a fine job managing the logging at Agren that most people can’t even tell it was logged. Many people are now very thankful to have the Forest Stewards around to sustainably manage some of the logging on Vashon.

Hopefully the K2 Commons project can also be a good example of a sustainably run set of businesses and non-profits.

To me, putting into action a truly complete, sustainable vision for Vashon requires taking actions to create more local jobs. Local businesses and local jobs mean less commuting off-Island, which in turn means less consumption of climate-altering fossil fuel. Even the World Bank now states that more locally driven economies have to be part of the solution for a future with shrinking oil supplies and changing climate. A sustainable world is not a world without us; it is a world with us, where we never stop getting better at integrating all aspects of our lives into that world.

Another concern of some is that the K2 Commons development is a big project with a big impact.

In my many years of resource efficiency consulting on projects, I have come to believe that a lot of it comes down to what the alternatives are. In this case the ecological impact of redeveloping the existing K2 site would be far less than the impact of developing a new site or sites.

It would have far less impact on stormwater, the aquifer, soil, plants, wildlife and more. In fact, there are plans to reduce some of the current impacts and carry some elements very far in a sustainable direction.

I read a letter to the editor in the Feb. 13 issue of The Beachcomber from someone wondering if there might be harmful dust still at the site. Having had allergies all my life and asthma a few times, I have great empathy for the letter writer’s concerns. I have spent many hours walking both inside and outside the site at K2 and never once had any kind of reaction. In my 25 years of resource efficiency audits at commercial and industrial sites, the K2 site is one of the cleanest I have ever seen.

A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment was completed for the site in May 2007 and updated in December 2007. The K2 Commons developers have an agreement with K2 that K2 will share in the cost of a more detailed Phase II study. In 1995 K2 was given the Governor’s Award for Pollution Prevention and Sustainable Practices.

A sustainable world is not a world without us; it is a world with us, where we never stop getting better at integrating all aspects of our lives into that world.

I have encouraged Sontgerath and O’Brien to try to find one or more green businesses or clean technology companies, with a solid business plan or a profitable existing business, that could also be very good prospects for creating more jobs on the Island. 

For the right company, the quality of life on the Island would have huge appeal. Obviously, having a profitable large anchor tenant or condo owner would allow for prices to be low enough to make it more attractive for the nonprofits who are considering being part of the project.

I have enjoyed being engaged in this process. I think the K2 Commons project is an opportunity to enhance our community and create a model of environmentally sensitive development. I think you will find that Dick and Truman will directly face questions, and they will work on solutions.

— Michael Laurie is a consultant on energy conser-vation, water efficiency and stormwater control issues.