SEQUIM — We’ll take the money instead of the weed patch, the City Council decided during its Monday night meeting.
The council unanimously approved the Francis subdivision, a 7.65-acre, 25-lot housing development south of Miller Road just east of Emerald Highlands.
In doing so, it opted to collect a monetary contribution to the city’s open space fund — in lieu of the typical piece of land set aside as open space within the development. The contribution will be half of the appraised value of one of the subdivision’s lots.
That contribution, to be paid by developers Doug and Leslee Francis, will amount to about $40,000, Doug said.
City code requires developers to set aside 10 percent of each subdivision as open space.
The City Council made the exception in the Francises’ case for two reasons: Those 10-percent swatches often turn into unsightly weed patches, and the city could use an infusion, instead, into its fund for future acquisition of open space for parks.
