BRINNON — Community members took a firsthand look last week at a model of the proposed Pleasant Harbor Resort and listened to a presentation by the president of the Statesman Group, which intends to build the facility.
Some liked what they saw. Some didn’t.
“We believe this project will be successful in the revitalization of the local economy and will create a legacy for local residents they can pass on to their children,” said Garth Mann, president of the Statesman Group, as he showed a three-dimensional model of the proposed project to about 45 people in Brinnon on Friday.
“If you don’t create employment opportunities for your children, an area eventually dies,” he said.
Mann said the $300 million 252-acre project will provide that base for Brinnon, which he described as an economically depressed area without a strong financial base.
“I think this will have a positive impact on the community and help our local economy,” Brinnon resident Steve Petrick said after the presentation.
Sue Bond felt differently.
“I strongly oppose the construction of the resort,” she said.
“There are a lot of educated people who have chosen to retire here because they finally can do what they want with their lives.
“This development is the kind of thing that we were trying to get away from.”
She said the planned resort is out of character for Brinnon.
“This is too big a project for Brinnon,” Bond said. “And they are using a 1980s time-share model, which doesn’t work here.
Project opponents acknowledged that Statesman owns the land and can do what it wants but feel that ownership carries responsibilities.
“This land has some geological formations that you can’t find anywhere else,” said Barbara Moore-Lewis.
“I don’t know why they want to destroy all this unique land so a few old people can play golf.”
The gathering was intended to separate facts from hearsay, the Statesman Group said.
Marina manager Diane Coleman said Saturday that the presentation “went well and cleared up a lot of misconceptions that are floating around.”
“After yesterday’s meetings so many people told us they didn’t realize what the resort was all about,” said Mann in a statement e-mailed to the Peninsula Daily News.
“They were glad to hear what was said because there are so many misrepresentations of the facts being told in the community and they can’t wait for this to happen.”
The resort would include a golf course and a hotel that would be open to the public, but it is a new membership plan that would set it apart from other facilities and will guarantee its success, Mann said.
The plan would entitle members to stay seven nights per year at any of the company’s resorts for the rest of their lives after paying a fee of $10,000, Mann said.
Food and travel are not included in the membership fee, but a reservation system provides discount coupons for specialty restaurants in the area.
Mann said his company was convinced the vacation business will continue to thrive despite the economy, which he said is improving.
“The economy is starting to recover in ’11,” he said.
“People are continuing to spend a lot of money on vacation, and when they look at the big picture, they will see this is a good deal for them.”
The federal government recently denied an application from the Statesman Group to take part in a temporary visa program to attract foreign investors who could gain permanent visas after two years by putting $500,000 into the project.
Mann said Friday that the application was submitted for a third time and that the government “had a lot of their facts wrong” when considering it.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
