PORT TOWNSEND — Environmentalists argued for more shoreline protection from development while others urged Jefferson County officials to leave its regulations alone during this week’s final public hearing on the county plan.
More than 100 people — 54 of whom commented — crowded into the Jefferson County Courthouse Superior Courtroom on Wednesday for a public hearing before the county Planning Commission on the Shoreline Master Program update.
With the Wednesday hearing, the county’s public period closed on the matter.
The three county commissioners — who will have the final say on the updated ordinance, which county officials say is mandated under the Shoreline Management Act — will conduct a public hearing Aug. 24.
Planning Commission deliberations will continue at 6:30 p.m. July 1 at the Washington State University Extension Spruce Room in Port Hadlock.
Environmental-protection supporters called for deeper county home-building buffer zones of up to 150 feet from marine shorelines plus 10-foot setbacks, as originally proposed.
Property-rights advocates called on county leaders to leave alone the existing 30-foot buffers from the high-water mark.
The draft version of the plan now proposes 50-foot setbacks from marine shorelines, the change having been made after wide-scale opposition was aired to planning commissioners and county Department of Community Development staff.
Pristine shorelines without development are proposed to have more stringent 150-foot buffers.
A 100-foot buffer proposed on lakes remains in the proposal.
Jurisdictions across the state are required to complete their updates by 2014.
Those supporting larger buffers include representatives of environmental organizations, 10,000 Years Institute and Olympic Forest Coalition, with members in Jefferson and Clallam County.
Those opposing deeper buffers included property-rights advocates, Olympic Stewardship Foundation and Futurewise.
‘Deeply concerned’
“We are deeply concerned about the changes made,” said Connie Gallant, a Quilcene resident board member with Olympic Forest Coalition, which she says has about 200 members, half of whom live in Jefferson County.
Gallant said the group is worried that smaller buffers would not adequately protect bluffs, shellfish beds, fish and wildlife.
Jill Silver, Port Townsend executive director of 10,000 Year Institute, said the group believes that the original 150-foot buffer is appropriate.
Silver was a member of the county’s shoreline technical advisory committee that originally proposed the buffer.
‘Over the top’
On the other end of the debate, Jim Hagen, speaking for Olympic Stewardship Foundation of Jefferson County, called the current shoreline ordinance draft “over the top.”
“It is not true that by law you have to approve it,” Hagen told the Planning Commission. “This is really a Cadillac when a Chevy will do.”
He suggested that the 50-foot shoreline buffer remain, with the possibility of extending it upward as needed in the future.
Dean Patterson, a shoreline planner representing Futurewise, said extending buffers is “contrary to good land-use practices.”
Futurewise is a statewide public interest group that Patterson said tries to ensure that local governments manage growth responsively.
Other shoreline topics addressed included offshore fish-farming pens, mining near rivers or shorelines, forest practices, vegetation, habitat, permit requirements, shoreline designations, water quality, shore armoring, beach stairs, mooring buoys, public access and climate change causing sea levels to rise.
Some residents questioned why the program does not address the economic impact on the county, but county officials said there is no legal requirement to include such a review.
Taxes
County Assessor Jack Westerman III on April 1 told the Planning Commission that some properties could see changes in value and taxation under the updated shoreline master program, but not extensively.
“But even if the value of their land goes down, the county will still get the same amount of taxes” from other sources, Westerman said.
The ordinance permits off-shore aquaculture operations, such as salmon pens, with strict language against prevention of fish escaping pens and spreading disease to native species.
Shellfish farmers — including a representative of Taylor Shellfish Co., which has a hatchery on Dabob Bay and employs about 40 in Jefferson County — praised the Planning Commission for providing assurances they said would best protect the seafood resource.
Bill Dewey, representing Taylor, said the new tone has changed in a way that would not stifle the industry.
He also commended the Planning Commission for addressing the overabundance of boat moorage buoys in Mystery Bay at Marrowstone Island, which could threaten the rich shellfish beds there. No pollution has been found, but authorities fear leakage from boats could cause a problem.
The proposal affects about 6,200 shoreline parcels and about 3,200 property owners on more than 250 miles of marine shore and 22 miles of lake shore.
The regulations will get final approval from the state Department of Ecology, but not until 2011, county officials have 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.
