May 12, 2011 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
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Romance Hill residents argue for fairness
By ARLA SHEPHARD During the hearing, ev-
ery member of the public al-
Following a public hear- lowed to testify questioned
ing prior to the board's reg- why the board did not pro-
ular meeting, the Belfair vide or present any infor-
Water District commission- mation about the annexa-
ers voted on Tuesday to be- tion, and some residents of
gin the annexation process Romance Hill argued that
for two properties, citing their neighborhood's an-
long-term financial benefits nexation, an issue that has
to its customers, spanned more than a year,
The 45-acre Riverhill should be considered at the
Properties on the north same time.
end of the Belfair Urban "I request that this meet-
Growth Area could see up ing be postponed until we
to 130 new homes in the have more information,"
• next 10 years, said devel- said ratepayer Kim Wilson.
oper Jack Johnson, who =I am also opposed to this
answered questions during annexation until the other
the hearing about his appli- annexation ahead of this
cation, can be resolved."
The smaller, adjacent Last year, the county
Blue Star Properties is also denied the water district's
being considered for annex- attempt to annex Romance
ation, in order to make the Hill because the district
properties contiguous with presented a proposal that
the water district, included every parcel ex-
ceptthatofGregandLorie "1 understand everyone's "This is not a hearing on
Waggett, a former candi- R0manceHill."
date for water district com- During the regular meet-
missioner and a former frustration ... but we're ing, which Phillips recess~
water district employee, re- once for 15 minutes due
spectively, individual and we don't to "disruptive behavior
"All of our discussion to- _JLL'_ __ and [Commissioner] Mike
day that would be germane have anym,ng to say [PopeJ: the board voted
[is] just that of these two = a two-to-one to move ahead
properties," said Commis- about what nappeneo at with the Riverhill and Blue
sion Chair John Phillips. Star annexations.
During the public testi- Romance Hill.I# "I do support [the annex-
mony of Ken VanBuskirk, ation], but I won't support
who filed a lawsuit last it without the annexation of
month against the district Pope, who is also a litigant public records requests [so] Romance Hill," Pope said.
for allegedly not makingagainst the district in a sep- I would be glad to explain "I think it's wrong... I think
available the documenta-arate public records case anything that needs to be we need to do Romance Hill
tion on the plans for the not involving Riverhill. explained." the justice it deserves."
Riverhill annexation, Phil- In answering the public's Manager Dave Tipton Pope also voted against
lips said that VanBuskirk questions, Johnson saidsaid that the annexation, the district renewing its
should not address the that his original applica- which Johnson is payingChairman Circle member-
board without a lawyer, tion for annexation pre- for in terms of building the ship with the North Mason
"Ken, since you sued thedates that of Romance Hill. water lines out to the prop- Chamber of Commerce for
Belfair Water District and "I understand everyone's erty and gifting the district $1,000 and argued that the
we're the defendants ... we frustration," he said. "But easements, would save board was missing vouch-
shouldn't be talking direct- we're individual and wewater district customers ers 3020 through 3054,
ly to each other," Phillips don't have anything to say a quarter-of-a-million dol- which he said were not ac-
said. about what happened at Ro- lars. counted for in his commis-
Phillips also denied mance Hill ... I understand "It's completely positive sioner's packet for approval
the comments of Bonnie that there's [unresolved] to the district," Tipton said. this month or last.
City considers partn
rship with conservation district
By NATALIE JOHNSON special emphasis on the Oak-
land Bay watershed and that's
This summer, the city of our interest with the city," Bo-
Shelton may follow the exam- lender said. "Over that period
pie set by numerous other local of time, these initiatives have
jurisdictions and partner with a value of well over $1 and a
the Mason Conservation Dis- half million and we'd like to see
trict for storm water manage- some of them happen in the city
ment. if that's possible."
Conservation district man- The conservation district re-
ager John Bolender met with cently received funds designat-
the city commission Monday ed for storm water issues, LID
afternoon during its study ses- development, code updates,
sion meeting to discuss a pos- staff training and education
sible interlocal agreement to and outreach, allowing it to
consult the city on storm water partner with the city, he said.
and low impact development "Unlike last time I was to
(LID). visit with a couple of you corn-
"The district has imple- missioners five or six years ago
mented literally dozens of LID there is no cost to the city as-
projects throughout the county sociated with district servic-
for the past several years with es provided through such an
agreement," Bolender said. "I
want to emphasize no cost."
The district has worked with
many local jurisdictions in the
last several years, including
Mason County, the Port of Shel-
ton and Mason County PUDs 1
and 3.
The conservation district is
currently working with PUD
3 to install rain gardens and
native plants at its new Johns
Prairie Facility, which Bo-
lender said would save the
PUD more than $400,000. The
district also recently planted
native plants and installed a
rain garden at the Oakland Bay
Marina, worth $20,000.
"We've had a good track re-
cord for the past couple ofyea~s
with these other folks," he eaid~
• ' ....": L;-',
Journal photo by Natalie Johnson
The Mason Conservation District hopes to work with the city
of~helton to preserve Oakland Bay, seen above at low tide.
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Page A-2 - Shelton-Mason County Journal-Thursday, May 12,2011
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