Monroe negotiating with developer over wakeboarding, waterskiing park

MONROE — The city is negotiating with a developer who owes $22,566 in overdue rent for space to build a wakeboarding and waterskiing park at Lake Tye.

The City Council voted 6 to 1 on Tuesday to allow staff to take a new contract to H3O Development that gives the Sammamish-based company until Dec. 1, 2016 to pay.

Councilman Jeff Rasmussen said he voted against it because he wants the rent paid before the deal goes any further.

Under the proposed agreement, Monroe residents would get to wakeboard and waterski free of charge for 12 days during first three years the park is open to make up for the delayed payments. H3O would have to open the park by June 8, 2016, or the contract expires.

The proposed deal sets the for-profit business’ rent at $1,500 a month until Dec. 31, 2016. The charge for use of the city-owned lake goes up to $2,000 a month in 2017.

The City Council is expected to discuss the agreement with H3O owners at its meeting set for 7 p.m. Tuesday.

If approved, H3O would be able to start building a dock and installing a moving cable loop on the south end of Lake Tye by Oct. 31.

Instead of being pulled by a boat, wakeboarders and waterskiers hold lines that extend down from a moving cable that pulls them along.

The company would have until March 2018 to construct a 2,500-square-foot building on the lakeside to house a pro shop, an event space, offices and changing rooms. It also would have to put in more parking spaces and improve the walking paths around the site by that time, or face a fine of $70 a day.

Amy Nile: 425-339-3192; anile@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @AmyNileReports.

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