PORT TOWNSEND — A Port of Port Townsend proposal to rezone 24 acres of Jefferson County International Airport property for light industry received resounding support during a public hearing Monday before county commissioners.
But one big player — the city of Port Townsend — said it opposes the rezoning in the unincorporated airport area.
Those voicing support at Monday’s public hearing included adjacent landowner Bill Marlow of Port Hadlock, Planning Commissioner Bill Miller, county resident Craig Durgan and former Port Director George Yount.
Port Commission Chairman Herb Beck, who is ending 37 years on the port board after losing his re-election bid in November, said he has supported such a proposal at the airport for more than 27 years.
“We need a place to create jobs and opportunity,” Beck said.
City’s objections
The city of Port Town-send came out against the proposal, stating in a letter delivered Monday to the port and county commissioners that the city “does so out of valid concern to protect its economic base.”
“The proposal has been pitched as supporting jobs and as being eco-friendly,” City Manager David Timmons states in the letter that port Executive Director Larry Crockett said he received Monday morning, just hours before the county commissioners’ afternoon hearing.
“Nothing supports these assertions. There are no standards that define how ‘green’ or ‘eco-friendly’ uses will be evaluated or determined,” the letter said.
The county commissioners agreed Monday “to hold the record open” to give the port and city time to work out their differences before the county commissioners consider final approval of the proposal next Monday in their chambers at the county courthouse, 1820 Jefferson St.
Additional public comment will be accepted until then, Morley said.
Law firm hired
The city has hired a law firm, Foster Pepper of Seattle, which in another letter questions the port’s actions and legal grounds on behalf of the city.
David Wayne Johnson, county associate planner handling the port rezoning proposal, said the port has been planning the rezoning at the airport for five years.
“They are simply following through with what they proposed in 2004 . . . and that’s never been challenged,” Johnson told the commissioners.
The port then proposed developing a site as part of its airport master plan with the county.
Rezoning, not building
Johnson said the port was only asking for the rezoning and not to build anything.
Erik Toews, port planning consultant, told the county commissioners that “neither the facts, nor the law, nor logic supports the city’s position.”
Carolyn Lake, the port’s private attorney, agreed, saying state law and the county’s actions thus far support the proposal.
The county Planning Commission on Oct. 7 approved the port’s proposal 5-2. The planning commissioners who voted no said they wanted to know more about water availability.
Jefferson County Public Utility District officials have said a PUD well on the site would provide adequate water supply.
The port wants to develop sites of an acre or more on the property that could allow up to 10 businesses to locate there, possibly generating as many as 100 jobs, Crockett said.
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
