PORT TOWNSEND — A request made two years ago that the county create two no-shooting areas in the Ocean Grove neighborhood east of Beckett Point will get a hearing next month.
Jefferson County commissioners voted April 17 to conduct a public hearing on the proposal at 10 a.m. May 22 at the Jefferson County Courthouse, 1820 Jefferson St., Port Townsend.
Homeowners requested two no-shooting zones through a petition signed by about 65 out of about 75 homeowners and presented to the county in March 2015, said Dan Nasman, manager of the Ocean Grove Homeowners Association.
In some cases, a petition would be enough to form the zones, but one of the areas lacked a sufficient number of voters, said County Commissioner David Sullivan.
That meant the proposal would need county approval, he said.
Homeowner associations can adopt no-shooting covenants without recourse to the county, Nasman said, “but it’s difficult to enforce covenants. If you have no-shooting zones designated by the county, it’s easier to enforce” since it becomes the responsibility of law enforcement.
Nasman said he is pleased to see action being taken now. In September 2016, he delivered a letter to the county commissioners in which he said his patience was wearing thin.
So why did it take so long to process the request to the point of conducting a public hearing?
“It’s really a capacity issue,” Sullivan said.
He said that in 2009, the county lost 31 employees from 2008’s peak of 311 after the Great Recession.
“We’re still down 30 people,” he said.
The Ocean Grove neighborhood includes about 80 homes from Cape George Road southeast of Beckett Point. The place was padded out in 1965 and is about 75 percent built out now, Nasman said.
Nasman said the neighborhood is densely populated and contains a 20-acre green belt.
“A person walking a dog or hiking there should not be exposed to hunting,” he said.
Commissioners could take action after the public hearing.
According to county code, the county is allowed to implement a no-shooting area if there is a reasonable concern that humans, pets or property could be jeopardized should a firearm be discharged in the area.
The county must have Native American tribes with treaty hunting rights in the area sign off on the formation of no-shooting areas.
Sullivan said the proposal has been mostly supported, though there have been some public comments against the area in past county commissioner meetings.
“We’ll see what we hear when we have the hearing,” Sullivan said.
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Jefferson County Editor/Reporter Cydney McFarland can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 55052, or at cmcfarland@peninsuladailynews.com.
Executive Editor Leah Leach contributed to this report.
