NORDLAND — The public comment period on a proposed marijuana growing and processing business on Marrowstone Island has been extended to Monday.
The Department of Community Development will accept comments from anyone who has previously commented on the proposed project or anyone who signed in at the public hearing June 27.
More than 80 community members attended that hearing, which had to be moved to the Jefferson County Superior Court courtroom to accommodate the crowd.
A decision by Jefferson County Hearing Examiner Stephen Causseaux was expected within a few weeks of that hearing, but a decision had yet to be rendered as of Thursday.
The hearing included hours of testimony, mostly by Marrowstone residents who were against the proposed business.
The proposal came from Austin Smith of Olympus Gardens. Smith submitted requests to the county in March for a cottage-industry permit and conditional-use discretionary permit to build a 10,080-square-foot, 24-foot-tall greenhouse on his property at 9272 Flagler Road in Nordland on the north end of Marrowstone Island.
These types of permit usually do not require a public hearing. But because community members raised concerns, with more than 100 comments submitted on the issue, a public hearing was set.
Concerns were broached about potential contamination of local streams and groundwater, the industrial size of the operation, the possibility of noise and light pollution, and how the facility could affect the value of surrounding properties.
Many community members argued that due to its size, and the fact that Smith didn’t plan to live on the property, the proposed plan did not comply with the Marrowstone Community Plan, which is dedicated to maintaining a “rural” community.
Kevin Cocker, the project manager who spoke on Smith’s behalf during the June 27 hearing, said Smith had gone above the legal requirements to ensure his planned facility was secure and environmentally friendly.
Cocker also said the project proposal aligned with the Marrowstone Community Plan because it is an agricultural industry.
The comment deadline was extended by 14 days from the original deadline, July 17.
Comments can be emailed to nallen@co.jefferson.wa.us or mailed to the Jefferson County Department of Community Development, Attn: Nicole Allen, 621 Sheridan St., Port Townsend, WA 98368. Mailed comments that are postmarked by Monday will be accepted.
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Jefferson County Editor/Reporter Cydney McFarland can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 55052, or at cmcfarland@peninsuladailynews.com.
