April 19, 2012 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
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STAFF REPORT
The Mason County Board of Coun-
ty Commissioners invite the commu-
nity to celebrate the opening of two
new synthetic turf infields at Mason
County Recreation Area (MCRA).
At 5 p.m. on May 1, a short cere-
mony will be held with a "first pitch"
to commemorate the improvements
to the park, located at 2100 E. Johns
Prairie Road.
The county received a $275,500
grant through the Washington
Wildlife and Recreation Program
(WWRP) in 2011 that assisted with
the renovation of the fields.
The WWRP is a state grant
program funded from the capital
construction budget that provides
funding to protect habitat, pre-
serve working farms and creates
new local and state parks. Inde-
pendent experts rankthe appli-
cations based on criteria such as
the benefits to the public, level of
threat to the property or presence
of threatened or endangered spe-
cies.
For more information about the
MCRA dedication, contact John Ke-
ates at Mason County Parks, 427-
9670 ext. 669.
............... i+
Journal photo by Natalie Johnson
City Commissioner Mike Olsen proposed that the city work to enforce city code to solve a
,Ga.meboy
Advance
. Refinish problem with illegal parking in a vacant lot near Alder Street.
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By NATALIE JOHNSON
The area north of Alder Street in
downtown includes both residential
and commercial uses, which some
residents argue causes problems,
particularly with parking.
"How are we going to encourage
people to live in our city if we do not
take care of the neighborhoods?" said
Birch Street resident Tracy Moore.
In particular, residents are frus-
trated with parking on a vacant
residentially zoned lot near Seventh
Street and Alder Street in downtown
Shelton, which city staff admits vio-
lates city code.
"There's no question from the code
perspective whether or not parking
is allowed here," said Steve Goins,
city community and economic devel-
opment and public works director.
The cars parking in the vacant
lot often belong to staff and clients
of the Lewis Mason Thurston Area
Agency on Aging (LMTAAA), which
is adjacent to the lot. Both the LM-
TAAA building and the vacant lot are
owned by the same person.
However, letters exchanged be-
tween former city staff and tenants
and owners of that building appear
to allow parking on that vacant lot --
which is zoned as residential -- de-
spite its violation of cod.e.
~ • • "According to the legal advice staff
iclasmfleds@mas°nc°unty'c°m : has been given, there's substantial
426 4412 risk that a hearing examiner or court
" would find that the 1999 and 2000
letters are enforceable against the
Page A-2 - Shelton-Mason County. Journal -Thursday, April 19, 2012
real[y, rea[[y
disappointed that
this is going on
and on and on+"
city as a contract," Goins said.
In 1999 and 2000, the city, in a
series of letters with the landowner
and tenant, allowed the owner of the
land, Byron Debben, to create four
parking spaces for the commercial
building that now houses the LM-
TAAA, in the vacant lot, despite its
conflict with code.
However, parking occurs beyond
those four spots, which local resi-
dents say is a problem.
"I'm really, really, extremely dis-
appointed that this is going on and
on and on," Moore said. "It has never
been anything but an eyesore."
C~ty attorney Kathleen Haggard
commented on the issue.
"The real legal question is to what
extent the letters exchanged ...
would bar the city from taking action
to enforce the code," she said.
Haggard said the letters only ad-
dress four screened parking spaces
on the lot, and no additional parking.
She suggested that the city discuss
limiting that agreement to the term
of ownership by Debben.
"The city staff was just going by
the file and there was nothing in the
file that recinded that permission,"
Commissioner Dawn Pannell said.
Commissioner Mike Olsen argued
that the city should make an effort
to enforce city code, and disallow the
parking.
Olsen said the initial chain of let-
ters between the city and Debben
started with a letter from the city
asking Debben to cease un-permitted
work on the four original parking
spots.
"It was not a permitted activity
when he did it," Olsen said. "I don't
think any enforcement started but
that was the initial volley."
Neighborhood resident Bill Busac-
ca also asked the city to enforce the
code.
"What I'm saying is ... he's got-
ten away with a lot of nonsense and
it's never been enforced," he said.
"I think it's time to call a spade a
spade."
Jason Zittel, a representative
of Debben, addressed the commis-
sion, saying that Debben is willing
to work with the city to resolve the
issue.
Olsen put forward a motion to be-
gin the process of enforcing city code
in this case by discussing the ordi-
nance with the landowner, and set-
ting forward a time that the tenant
must be in compliance with city code.
"I don't feel that what the past
commission and city staff did was
proper. I stop short of saying it's ille-
gal," he said. "I do feel we were failed
by these actions and it's created a
situation where, where does it stop?
It needs to stop now."
Pannell seconded the motion and
it passed 2 to 1, with Mayor Gary
Cronce Voting against it.