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£17 U 00TA ST {'(~-"
Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012 Week 40 1 The Voice of Mason County since 1886 --- Published for Mason County and Judy Graft of Shelton -- $1
game
Law goes into effect Oct. 1, 2013
By GORDON WEEKS
gordon@masoncounty.eom
Journal photo by Gordon Weeks
A rusted shopping cart sits near Goose Lake last week. Plans for the proposed 600-acre
Shelton Hills development includes designating a buffer around Goose Lake. After a cleanup
funded by the state Department of Ecology, the city of Shelton will take over ownership of Goose
Lake from the Rayonier Corp., and plans to develop such amenities as trails and docks.
600-acre proposal could include
1,600 units, 50-acre business park
By GORDON WEEKS viewed online by clicking on
gordon@m, asoncounty.com. Shelton Hills Development
Information at the city's
website.
Residents' have two moreCollecting public input
days to voice any initial for the city's draft prepara-
environmental concerns tion of an Environmental
about the proposed 600- Impact Statement (EIS) is
acre Shelton Hills develop- the first step toward approv-
ment, which could include al of the proposed develop-
as many as 1,600 dwelling ment west of U.S. Highway
units, a 50-acre business 101. Shelton Hills stretches
park, 68 acres of commercial from the East Wallace Knee-
property, a new school, six land Boulevard interchange
neighborhoods parks and a south for about 1.5 miles to
sports park, and a wetlands the C Street overpass.
open space. The draft EIS is expected
Friday is the deadline to take four to six months to
to send emails and letters complete, and then the pub-
about the environmental lic will have another period
impacts of the proposed de- of 30 to 45 days to comment
velopment by the Hall Eq- on the findings before the fi-
uities Group to the city at nal EIS is written. The city
steveg@ci.shelton.wa.us., hired the consulting firm of
deliver in person or send by EA Blumen to prepare the
mail to Steve Goins, City EIS, but the city will over-
of Shelton director of eco- see the process and is re-
nomic and community de- sponsiblefor the document.
velopment, 525 W. Cota St., Hall Equities Group
Shelton, WA 98584. The de- hopes to break ground for
velopment proposal can be the development next year.
Graphic courtesy of the city of Shelton/Hatl Equites Group/Loving & Campos Architects
The concept plan for the 600-acre Shelton Hills
development includes a 50-acre business park,
68 acres of commercial property, as many as
1,600 primarily single-family residential
dwellings, a new school and seven parks.
sets, at a public presenta- "We're excited about getting
tion Sept. 26. started next year."
If approved, construction The development is a
would be completed in three "game changer" for Shelton,
phases: the first phase cov- said Shelton City Admin-
ers the land south of the in- istrator Dave O'Leary. For
terchange, the second north the city, "this is the biggest
of the interchange, and the project in a generation," he
third is a mixed-use office said.
"We consider this a 20- component. Among the potential en-
year project, frankly," said Farrell stressed that the vironmental elements that
IIIIU! !I!!IIUU!!UII, .ran.on .arrell .all .q proposed concept.lan is not will be studied for the
uities Group's senior vice set in stone, are the geology of the land,
president and director of "There will he changes," .... ....
8 , 2 development-northwest as-said Farrell; who added; See Development On page A'7
Despite the protests of fireworks sellers, the Shel-
ton City Commission on Monday voted unanimously
to ban the sale and use of fireworks within city limits.
The ban will not take effect until Oct. 1. 2013.
meaning fireworks sales and use will be allowed on
two more days: the next Fourth of July, and from 6
p.m. Dec. 31 until 1 a.m. Jan. 1, 2013.
According to state law, the city must give notice of
the change in law one year in advance. After that. the
sale or discharge of fireworks will be a misdemeanor
crime.
Shelton joins other regional towns that have enact-
ed a fireworks ban, including Lacey and Olympia.
Two former Shelton mayors, Scott Hilburn and
John Tarrant, wrote letters supporting the ban. The
letters were read aloud at Monday's meeting by Com-
missioner Dawn Pannell.
'~-hen I,was in office, I Worried about the additional
risk of fire from a backyard fireworks display acciden-
tally going bad," Hilburn wrote. "We five in a beautiful
part of Washington, surrounded with lots of trees and
fuel materials on the ground. The risk of a disastrous
fire, and resulting harm to the citizens, is something
we all need to be concerned about."
Tarrant wrote that a ban is "the best path."
"If you choose to maintain the status quo, you will
continue to allow unwanted or (un)needed fire dam-
age, threats to public and private properties, the con-
tinuance of extreme noise for several days on either
side of the two 'legal' days of usage, that'impairs both
people and animals with threats of personal injury or
trauma," he wrote.
See Fireworks on page A-7
Candidates square off
in series of debates
By NATALIE JOHNSON son County Commission
natalie@masoncounty.com candidates.
"This debate format we
" believe is unique in Ma-
Candidates for all son County," Myer said.
three Mason County "I'm interested to see how
Board of Commissioner it comes off."
positions participated The debate was spon-
in a series of debates sored by the North Mason
Thursday evening in the Community Voice, the
Hawkins Middle School North Mason Chamber
gym in Belfair. of Commerce and Mason
Moderator Joel Myer Web TV.
of Mason County PUD 3 Each candidate had
said this was potentially two minutes to respond
the first debate-style can-
didate forum ever for Ma- See Debates on page A-7
Sex offender registers as homeless
By NATALIE JOHNSON
natalie@masoncounty.com
Joseph Milton Honore was re-
leased from custody this week after
he was arrested on Aug. 8 for failing
to register as a sex offender.
He registered this week as a tran-
sient/homeless sex offender living in
Shelton.
Honore is required to register as
a sex offender because of first-degree
rape convictions in 1974 and 1978
Although he was sentenCed
the 1974 offense, Honore only
Joseph
-Honore
in Oregon.
to 11 years for
served four years
See Offender on page A-7