Scott Morris, DCNA president, read the following statement to Fire District 41 commissioners during a March 8 public meeting regarding a potential fire station at Big Finn Hill Park:

The Denny Creek Neighborhood Alliance (DCNA) is a Finn Hill-based neighborhood association with members and supporters from nearly 300 households.

DCNA was established in 1993 to preserve, protect, and restore the natural resources of the Denny Creek watershed and its surroundings. We have been active in forming the Finn Hill Park and Recreation District, in restoring O.O. Denny Creek, mapping the watershed, promoting a zoning ordinance to preserve trees and prevent erosion and preserving the Juanita Woodlands.

Last month The DCNA board of directors considered the fire district’s proposal to construct a new station in Big Finn Hill Park. We voted to express our opposition to that proposal at the public meeting March 8. We did so for one simple reason: green space – in this case, King County park land – must not be re-allocated for development simply because it appears to be difficult or expensive to find an alternative site.

Finn Hill is blessed with significant parcels of forest and wetlands; they are the defining features of this area. They are priceless recreational and educational resources.

Our woodlands and watercourses are already under stress due to increasing urbanization. If we continue to chip away at them, they will become disconnected patches of green space; their health fail and their attraction to hikers and bicyclists will vanish.

We recognize that Fire District 41 commissioners are responsible for providing adequate fire protection and emergency services at a reasonable cost. We recognize that any site the district considers will entail trade-offs, and that the choices they face are complex. We do not doubt that the district is addressing these matters in good faith.

But we feel strongly that that the woodlands in the park are not an acceptable site for a new fire station. We question whether the district has exhausted all other options. We need to hear more from you about each of the alternatives Fire District 41 has considered, whether it has pursued them in depth and what obstacles they present.

We hope the district will seriously consider additional alternatives that district residents may suggest.

I thank the district for holding the community meeting on March 8. We urge the district to keep the community advised about the process and the substance of its deliberations. DCNA will be happy to help disseminate information throughout the neighborhood and will be happy to meet with the district to discuss alternatives for a station – other than alternatives that would sacrifice our remaining woods and wetlands.

Scott Morris, DCNA president