TACOMA — Clallam County and a woman suing the county over her proposed 32,000-square-foot and 27-bathroom bed and breakfast have agreed to have a neutral third party determine whether the building proposed is a bed and breakfast or a hotel — delaying the trial until 2020.
Attorneys for the county and for Judy Lee asked United States Magistrate Judge David Christel to delay pre-trial deadlines by six months and postpone the June 18, 2019, trial date for six months.
Christel granted the request, delaying the jury trial until Jan. 13, 2020. Mediation on the case must be complete by Dec. 2, 2019.
County Commissioner Bill Peach called the move a “step in the right direction.”
In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Tacoma in December, Lee of California alleges Clallam County Department of Community Development Director Mary Ellen Winborn has worked to thwart her plans to build her dream home — a 32,000 square-foot, four-story “bed and breakfast” that features five bedrooms and 27 bathrooms — along the banks of Sequim Bay.
She purchased 5 acres at 695 E. Sequim Bay Road in 2016 to “make her home into an attractive bed and breakfast to allow others to enjoy the area,” according to the lawsuit.
It would be larger than the Quality Inn & Suites in Sequim and the Clallam County Public Utility District headquarters in Carlsborg.
Court records say Clallam County recently agreed to appoint an independent third-party to review Lee’s development proposal.
All parties agree that it would be premature to continue the lawsuit until the independent review is completed. The outcome of the review could affect the parties’ claims and defenses, the motion says.
Clallam County officials met with the prosecuting attorney’s office in executive session Tuesday to discuss steps forward.
According to the county, Lee has provided a list of three possible neutral reviewers. The county needs to narrow that down to its preferred choice.
Peach said the county will look into the three choices before making a decision. He expected a decision within the next week or two.
He said officials have an idea of which of the three consultants the county prefers, but they wanted to more thoroughly vet them before making a decision.
He said the three neutral parties suggested are each private consulting companies.
“We’re just going to take this one step at a time,” Peach said. “The next step is we’re going to identify the work to be done.”
Chief Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney David Alvarez said that if Lee disagrees with the consultant’s decision, she would be able to file a land use petition with Clallam County Superior Court.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.
