PORT TOWNSEND — County commissioners Monday tabled action on deferring permit fees for private, nonprofit Sunfield School.
The school is requesting deferral of a $7,483 fee assessed by the county for the processing of its binding site plan.
The matter is scheduled to be addressed at the commissioners’ next regular meeting, at 9 a.m. Monday, June 6, in their chambers, 1820 Jefferson St.
After the deferral action, County Administrator Philip Morley said the board chose not to address the matter until legal questions were resolved — specifically whether the board is authorized to grant the waiver.
The school, located on 81 acres in Port Hadlock, has 110 students from preschool to the seventh grade and intends to expand to the eighth grade in the next school year.
The school, which is now operating out of modular buildings, has plans to construct a permanent facility for both the school and early learning center.
The site plan was submitted and approved five years ago but was not completed because of economic conditions, according to Jake Meyer, the school’s organizational director.
Aside from the fee waiver, the school is looking for approval of the site plan, which would allow it to complete construction whenever it has the funds to do so.
Approval of the current site plan expires June 26.
Meyer said there is no projected amount for construction as it depends on when the project will be completed.
While the school is requesting a waiver for the application fee, it intends to pay the permit fees for the construction when it occurs, according to Meyer.
In a letter to the commissioners, Meyer said the benefits brought about by the school’s programs offset any potential loss of fee revenue.
“We believe this will be mitigated not only by the sum of permits already applied for and approved but even more so by the larger permit fees coming to the county once our buildings are on line,” he wrote.
While several people spoke in favor of deferring the fees during Monday’s public comment period, one speaker was opposed to the action.
Tom Thiersch, a resident of Jefferson County, said he didn’t think county funds should be used to support private enterprises, even if they are nonprofit.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
