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THIS SOLDIER PILE slide barrier is
being constructed as a way of catching
debris from mudslides at the intersec-
tion of Sunnyside Road and Highway
101. This area was unscathed by this
month's storm, but crews employed by
the state have cleaned up 16 mudslides
on 101.
Crew clean up and prepare
for landslides yet to come
A private company hired by the state has
hauled 1,100 truckloads of storm debris from 16
landslides onto and under Highway 101, and more
rain might mean more work down the road.
That was the word on Friday from Don Clotfel-
ter, maintenance manager for the Olympic Region
of the Washington Department of Transporta-
tion. He figures the tab from Wilder Construction
will be about $300,000 when all is said and done,
with much of that money reflecting the cost of le-
gally dumping approximatly 11,100 cubic yards
of gravel, mud and woody debris the company has
moved to clear the road between Hoodsport and
the Hamma ttamma River for the passage of cars
and trucks.
Much of the debris was deposited by this
month's storm on a stretch of 101 between Hood-
sport and Lilliwaup, where one weather watcher
reported counting 15 inches of rain on December
2-3. Particularly problematic were the bridges
that hoist tIighway 101 over rivers and creeks
that overran their banks and became choked with
the woody debris they carried downstream. As
late as Friday, which was 18 days after the rain
let up, Wilder was still working to clear a path
to Hood Canal at the mouth of Murray Creek at
Holiday Beach.
"The rain has turned offthe last couple of days,
but there was another shot last Wednesday that
continues to bring down a load and keep the clear-
ance minimal under our state bridges," Clotfelter
said )n Friday.
WITH THE COMPANY pulling up stakes on
Friday, state crews took over the excavation work
at Murray Creek. "We've got unstable slope loca-
tions along U.S. 101 that we monitor during the
rainy seasons," Clotfelter said. "We plan on stay-
ing in this area due to the volume of materials
coming down the rivers. We plan on continuing
to remove any further slide blockages with DOT
forces."
One slope that has held up under the strain is
the one above Sunnyside Road just north of the
Skokomish River Bridge. There was a mudslide
there in November of last year that closed a sec-
tion of Highway 101 for eight days, and in the
days before this month's storm state crews used
emergency funds to construct what transporta-
tion engineers call a "sQldier pile slide barrier"
that will function as "a debris catcher for future
slides" and make Highway 101 "safer and more
reliable."
The highway was closed at the bridge for a few
days after the rains of this December as Wilder
went to work in the area. "The river took away
the asphalt surface and it had to be repaired,"
Clotfelter said. At the same time the slope above
Sunnyside hung tight and the soldier pile slide
barrier was untested by this storm but stands
guard against others the future may bring. "It
just didn't happen to let loose, but it will in time,"
C]otfelter said. "Our geologist tells us there's
quite a bit of material there and so it's only a
matter of time."
The DOT has been working with the Wash-
ington Department of Fish and Wildlife under
emergency permitting rules that allow the kind
of work done it] Sund Creek and Murray Creek,
where heavy equipment has been used to remove
tons of storm debris. Under normal circumstances
the issuance of a hydraulic project approval under
rules of the State Environmental Policy Act can
take 45 days or longer, but state law allows for
the immediate issuance of emergency permits to
address an "immediate threat to life, the public,
property or of environmental degradation."
DEBRIS REMOVED from the roads was
dumped fbr a fee at a site owned by the Sheldon
family, Clotfelter said, with the cost of Wildes
services also covering the work the company has
done on guardrails damaged by the landslide.
As of last Thursday, officials reported that 72
sections of road were still blocked statewide. "We
are not yet able to estimate costs for storm emer-
gency response and repairs. We are still assess-
ing storm damage," a DOT bulletin said.
With estimates of storm damage in Mason
County at $18 million and rising, emergency hy-
draulic project approvals have been fast and furi-
ous. While the worst may be over, many streams
are still running high and there's more material
rushing towards the bridges of Highway 101.
"Time will tell how many times we're going to
have to muck them out," Clotfelter said.
A STATE WORKER checks out the new
slide barrier on Highway 101.
Horse course helps keep it clean
A free workshop on "Natural Alayne Blickle will showcase sales.
Ways for Managing Horse Prop- and explain different designs for Conservation districts are a
erties" will be held from 6 to 9
p.m. on Wednesday, January 9,
the Mason Conservation District
has announced.
Participants will learn how
to control dust, mud, bugs and
weeds naturally, while reducing
dependency on fertilizers, herbi-
cides and other chemicals.
The workshop will be held in
the office of the Thurston Conser-
vation District at 2918 Ferguson
Street SW, Building 1, in Tumwa-
ter. This program may be useful
to owners of cattle, goats, llamas,
alpacas and other livestock.
low-cost ways to put native trees,
shrubs and animals to work for
you on your property. She is the
creator and program director
of Horses for Clean Water, and
writes and travels around the
country providing education and
information on environmentally
sound horse-keeping practices.
Free bird-nesting and bat-
nesting box designs and excellent
resource books will be available
for review, as well as resource
information and details about
purchasing native plants at con-
servation district native plant
unique form of regional, non-reg-
ulatory government that match-
es local needs with technical and
financial resources to help land-
owners solve on-the-ground con-
servation issues. Consultng ser-
vices are available for free to all
county residents.
The workshop is sponsored by
Thurston and Mason conserva-
tion districts, with funding from
the Washington Department of
Ecology. For more information
send an e-mail to Karin Strelioff
at karinls@masoncd.org or call
her at 427-9436, Extension 22.
Vote on Brinnon
resort has been set
for early next year
By ALLISON ARTHUR to ensure that the project would
Port Townsend and employ green technology and that
Jefferson County Leader consumption of well water would
Jefferson County commission- be only an estimated 79 gallons
ers, overwhelmed with opinions per unit per day. He also talked to
and information about a proposed Commission Chairman Phil John-
resort at Brinnon, have delayed a son after the meeting.
decision on the project until next As for the economic impact,
year. Mann said the typical resort resi-
The proposal calls for amend- dent is expected to spend between
ing the Jefferson County Corn- $190 to $275 a day and that trans-
prehensive Plan to allow amas- lates to $125 million in direct
ter-planned resort to be developed sales, not including the value of
on 256 acres at Black Point near construction to the county.
the Mason-Jefferson County line. Former Jefferson County Plan-
The project would include a golf ning Commission members Den-
course, resort, additional commer- nis Schultz and Jim Hagen voiced
cial uses and residential additions support.
to the Pleasant Harbor Marina Brinnon resident Lisa John-
area for a total of 890 residential ston said she and others opposing
units, most of which would be oc- the project had been called many
cupied seasonally, names over the last few months,
The proposal is a precursor to including "vociferous minority,"
a more detailed project plan that "uninformed" and "inbred." She
would need to be submitted for urged countycommissionersnotto
more reviews and comments prior be swayed by threats of the Brin-
to any project approval. The Jef- non school closing or the economy
ferson County Planning Commis- Collapsing should the project be
sion has recommended approval rejected.
of the proposal to amend the corn- GEORGE SICKEL of Brirmon
prehensive plan. said the project would be one of
THE COMP-PLAN amend- the "best things ever for the com-
ment for the resort is only one of munity.
10 amendments currently under At the county commissioners'
consideration by Jefferson County December 10 meeting, Scalf told
commissioners. After discussing commissioners they need to delib-
their misgivings about a rezone erate on all 10 comp-plan amend-
for another project at their meet- ments together and evaluate the
ing on December 10, the commis- cumulative impacts the proposals
sioners pushed a decision on the will have on the county.
series of amendments to January Chairman Johnson said he .
14. They may also use another day was concerned about the amount
to consider the amendments. One of last-minute information he
county official is urging the corn- had been given from a number of
missioners to deliberate on the 10 sources, including an Olympia at-
proposed amendments together torney who is representing oppo-
to evaluate their cumulative im- nents of the resort proposal, and
pacts, others.
The commissioners heard some "I just need more time to digest
testimony on the Brinnon project it," Johnson said.
December 3, then continued the Commissioner David Sullivan
hearing that night until Decem- said he had read a lot of material
bet 6 because rainstorms that day Friday and Saturday, December
prevented some people from at- 7-8, and again Sunday, Decem-
tending, then decided December ber 9, and he too had questions
10 to delay action, about the resort proposal. He said
Unlike a public hearing in Brin- he thought he needed more time
non in front of the Jefferson Coun- to weigh the promises that were
ty Planning Commission in which being made against the possible
a number of people expressed con- risks. ...................
cern about the proposal disturb- SULLIVAN SAID he thought
ing rural character, a majority the Brinnon community was re-
of about two dozen people speak- lying on the county to deal with
ing December 3 in front of county issues, such as spelling out how
commissioners supported the pro- agreements between the propo-
posal and said environmental ira- nent and public agencies in Brin-
pacts could be mitigated, non, including the school district
The planning commission, in and fire district, would work.
recommending approval of the . "Taking time, being thoughtful,
estimated $300 million proposal, makes a better decision," Scalf
attached more than a half-dozen agreed.
conditions to its recommenda- Commissioners also noted that
tion. Those conditions are related the December 3 storm had an ira-
to water use, Hood Canal and pact on the process because people
greenbelts as well as the impact had called in wanting to comment
the proposed development would that night but were storm-bound.
have on public facilities and the Not only was that public hearing
local economy, continued to December 6, but the
Department of Community deadline for commenting on the
Development Associate Planner plans for the resort was extended
Karen Barrows announced at the to December 7.
December 3 hearing that his office The rsult was a deluge of corn-
is recommending approving the ments that commissioners said
application with one modification: they wanted more time to evalu-
that it be incorporated in the Brin- ate.
non Subarea Plan Alternative,
which includes what is known as
the Jupiter and Tudor properties
as well as property owned by the Correction:
Washington State Department of
Fish and Wildlife. Lake residents
BARROWS SAID the goal is
to realize the "greatest commu- don't want to be
nity involvement" through that
in
district
inclusion. The Jupiter and Tudor JarJt
properties would be outside the Shirley Willeiksen's remarks
control of The Statesman Group, at last week's meeting of the Ma-
a Canadian company proposing son County Commission were not
the resort.
quite as they appeared in last
"It's a community concept," week's edition of The Journal. She
DCD Director Al Scalf said after spoke of a petition she helped cir-
the public meeting on December culate recently. It had 347 signs-
3. He said the department's rec- tures in favor of removing the Ma-
ommendation would require the son-Benson Lake voting area from
community involvement, the proposed Metropolitan Park
Sandy Mackie, a Seattle attor-, District 1.
ney for The Statesman Group, led "We are not attempting to in-
s team of project consultants and volve any of the North Mason dis-
supporters December 3. Mackie trict nor the rest of the Grapeview
reiterated that water runoff is-
sues into Hood Canal could be voting district in our attempt to
disengage from this plan to put
mitigated, and he urged approval a 'Metropolitan Park District' for
of the rezone request. Mason County on the ballot next
Several consultants who had
worked on a draft environmental- year," she clarified.
Willeiksen pointed out that a
impact statement also vouched for metropolitan park district may
the prbject, collect a tax of up to 75 cents per
M. GARTH MANN, presi- $1,000 of assessed property valu-
dent of The Statesman Group, ation every year, indefinitely. She
which has its U.S. headquarters cited a a pamphlet distributed by
in Scottsdale, Arizona, presented the Aquatic and Wellness Commit-
a PowerPoint presentation titled, tee, which said it plans to take the
"Pleasant HarborMarinaandGolf full 75 cents per $1,000 allowed
Resort Think Green." He talked on properties in the proposed dis-
about water harvesting and vowed trict.
Thursday, December 27, 2007 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Page 27
THIS SOLDIER PILE slide barrier is
being constructed as a way of catching
debris from mudslides at the intersec-
tion of Sunnyside Road and Highway
101. This area was unscathed by this
month's storm, but crews employed by
the state have cleaned up 16 mudslides
on 101.
Crew clean up and prepare
for landslides yet to come
A private company hired by the state has
hauled 1,100 truckloads of storm debris from 16
landslides onto and under Highway 101, and more
rain might mean more work down the road.
That was the word on Friday from Don Clotfel-
ter, maintenance manager for the Olympic Region
of the Washington Department of Transporta-
tion. He figures the tab from Wilder Construction
will be about $300,000 when all is said and done,
with much of that money reflecting the cost of le-
gally dumping approximatly 11,100 cubic yards
of gravel, mud and woody debris the company has
moved to clear the road between Hoodsport and
the Hamma ttamma River for the passage of cars
and trucks.
Much of the debris was deposited by this
month's storm on a stretch of 101 between Hood-
sport and Lilliwaup, where one weather watcher
reported counting 15 inches of rain on December
2-3. Particularly problematic were the bridges
that hoist tIighway 101 over rivers and creeks
that overran their banks and became choked with
the woody debris they carried downstream. As
late as Friday, which was 18 days after the rain
let up, Wilder was still working to clear a path
to Hood Canal at the mouth of Murray Creek at
Holiday Beach.
"The rain has turned offthe last couple of days,
but there was another shot last Wednesday that
continues to bring down a load and keep the clear-
ance minimal under our state bridges," Clotfelter
said )n Friday.
WITH THE COMPANY pulling up stakes on
Friday, state crews took over the excavation work
at Murray Creek. "We've got unstable slope loca-
tions along U.S. 101 that we monitor during the
rainy seasons," Clotfelter said. "We plan on stay-
ing in this area due to the volume of materials
coming down the rivers. We plan on continuing
to remove any further slide blockages with DOT
forces."
One slope that has held up under the strain is
the one above Sunnyside Road just north of the
Skokomish River Bridge. There was a mudslide
there in November of last year that closed a sec-
tion of Highway 101 for eight days, and in the
days before this month's storm state crews used
emergency funds to construct what transporta-
tion engineers call a "sQldier pile slide barrier"
that will function as "a debris catcher for future
slides" and make Highway 101 "safer and more
reliable."
The highway was closed at the bridge for a few
days after the rains of this December as Wilder
went to work in the area. "The river took away
the asphalt surface and it had to be repaired,"
Clotfelter said. At the same time the slope above
Sunnyside hung tight and the soldier pile slide
barrier was untested by this storm but stands
guard against others the future may bring. "It
just didn't happen to let loose, but it will in time,"
C]otfelter said. "Our geologist tells us there's
quite a bit of material there and so it's only a
matter of time."
The DOT has been working with the Wash-
ington Department of Fish and Wildlife under
emergency permitting rules that allow the kind
of work done it] Sund Creek and Murray Creek,
where heavy equipment has been used to remove
tons of storm debris. Under normal circumstances
the issuance of a hydraulic project approval under
rules of the State Environmental Policy Act can
take 45 days or longer, but state law allows for
the immediate issuance of emergency permits to
address an "immediate threat to life, the public,
property or of environmental degradation."
DEBRIS REMOVED from the roads was
dumped fbr a fee at a site owned by the Sheldon
family, Clotfelter said, with the cost of Wildes
services also covering the work the company has
done on guardrails damaged by the landslide.
As of last Thursday, officials reported that 72
sections of road were still blocked statewide. "We
are not yet able to estimate costs for storm emer-
gency response and repairs. We are still assess-
ing storm damage," a DOT bulletin said.
With estimates of storm damage in Mason
County at $18 million and rising, emergency hy-
draulic project approvals have been fast and furi-
ous. While the worst may be over, many streams
are still running high and there's more material
rushing towards the bridges of Highway 101.
"Time will tell how many times we're going to
have to muck them out," Clotfelter said.
A STATE WORKER checks out the new
slide barrier on Highway 101.
Horse course helps keep it clean
A free workshop on "Natural Alayne Blickle will showcase sales.
Ways for Managing Horse Prop- and explain different designs for Conservation districts are a
erties" will be held from 6 to 9
p.m. on Wednesday, January 9,
the Mason Conservation District
has announced.
Participants will learn how
to control dust, mud, bugs and
weeds naturally, while reducing
dependency on fertilizers, herbi-
cides and other chemicals.
The workshop will be held in
the office of the Thurston Conser-
vation District at 2918 Ferguson
Street SW, Building 1, in Tumwa-
ter. This program may be useful
to owners of cattle, goats, llamas,
alpacas and other livestock.
low-cost ways to put native trees,
shrubs and animals to work for
you on your property. She is the
creator and program director
of Horses for Clean Water, and
writes and travels around the
country providing education and
information on environmentally
sound horse-keeping practices.
Free bird-nesting and bat-
nesting box designs and excellent
resource books will be available
for review, as well as resource
information and details about
purchasing native plants at con-
servation district native plant
unique form of regional, non-reg-
ulatory government that match-
es local needs with technical and
financial resources to help land-
owners solve on-the-ground con-
servation issues. Consultng ser-
vices are available for free to all
county residents.
The workshop is sponsored by
Thurston and Mason conserva-
tion districts, with funding from
the Washington Department of
Ecology. For more information
send an e-mail to Karin Strelioff
at karinls@masoncd.org or call
her at 427-9436, Extension 22.
Vote on Brinnon
resort has been set
for early next year
By ALLISON ARTHUR to ensure that the project would
Port Townsend and employ green technology and that
Jefferson County Leader consumption of well water would
Jefferson County commission- be only an estimated 79 gallons
ers, overwhelmed with opinions per unit per day. He also talked to
and information about a proposed Commission Chairman Phil John-
resort at Brinnon, have delayed a son after the meeting.
decision on the project until next As for the economic impact,
year. Mann said the typical resort resi-
The proposal calls for amend- dent is expected to spend between
ing the Jefferson County Corn- $190 to $275 a day and that trans-
prehensive Plan to allow amas- lates to $125 million in direct
ter-planned resort to be developed sales, not including the value of
on 256 acres at Black Point near construction to the county.
the Mason-Jefferson County line. Former Jefferson County Plan-
The project would include a golf ning Commission members Den-
course, resort, additional commer- nis Schultz and Jim Hagen voiced
cial uses and residential additions support.
to the Pleasant Harbor Marina Brinnon resident Lisa John-
area for a total of 890 residential ston said she and others opposing
units, most of which would be oc- the project had been called many
cupied seasonally, names over the last few months,
The proposal is a precursor to including "vociferous minority,"
a more detailed project plan that "uninformed" and "inbred." She
would need to be submitted for urged countycommissionersnotto
more reviews and comments prior be swayed by threats of the Brin-
to any project approval. The Jef- non school closing or the economy
ferson County Planning Commis- Collapsing should the project be
sion has recommended approval rejected.
of the proposal to amend the corn- GEORGE SICKEL of Brirmon
prehensive plan. said the project would be one of
THE COMP-PLAN amend- the "best things ever for the com-
ment for the resort is only one of munity.
10 amendments currently under At the county commissioners'
consideration by Jefferson County December 10 meeting, Scalf told
commissioners. After discussing commissioners they need to delib-
their misgivings about a rezone erate on all 10 comp-plan amend-
for another project at their meet- ments together and evaluate the
ing on December 10, the commis- cumulative impacts the proposals
sioners pushed a decision on the will have on the county.
series of amendments to January Chairman Johnson said he .
14. They may also use another day was concerned about the amount
to consider the amendments. One of last-minute information he
county official is urging the corn- had been given from a number of
missioners to deliberate on the 10 sources, including an Olympia at-
proposed amendments together torney who is representing oppo-
to evaluate their cumulative im- nents of the resort proposal, and
pacts, others.
The commissioners heard some "I just need more time to digest
testimony on the Brinnon project it," Johnson said.
December 3, then continued the Commissioner David Sullivan
hearing that night until Decem- said he had read a lot of material
bet 6 because rainstorms that day Friday and Saturday, December
prevented some people from at- 7-8, and again Sunday, Decem-
tending, then decided December ber 9, and he too had questions
10 to delay action, about the resort proposal. He said
Unlike a public hearing in Brin- he thought he needed more time
non in front of the Jefferson Coun- to weigh the promises that were
ty Planning Commission in which being made against the possible
a number of people expressed con- risks. ...................
cern about the proposal disturb- SULLIVAN SAID he thought
ing rural character, a majority the Brinnon community was re-
of about two dozen people speak- lying on the county to deal with
ing December 3 in front of county issues, such as spelling out how
commissioners supported the pro- agreements between the propo-
posal and said environmental ira- nent and public agencies in Brin-
pacts could be mitigated, non, including the school district
The planning commission, in and fire district, would work.
recommending approval of the . "Taking time, being thoughtful,
estimated $300 million proposal, makes a better decision," Scalf
attached more than a half-dozen agreed.
conditions to its recommenda- Commissioners also noted that
tion. Those conditions are related the December 3 storm had an ira-
to water use, Hood Canal and pact on the process because people
greenbelts as well as the impact had called in wanting to comment
the proposed development would that night but were storm-bound.
have on public facilities and the Not only was that public hearing
local economy, continued to December 6, but the
Department of Community deadline for commenting on the
Development Associate Planner plans for the resort was extended
Karen Barrows announced at the to December 7.
December 3 hearing that his office The rsult was a deluge of corn-
is recommending approving the ments that commissioners said
application with one modification: they wanted more time to evalu-
that it be incorporated in the Brin- ate.
non Subarea Plan Alternative,
which includes what is known as
the Jupiter and Tudor properties
as well as property owned by the Correction:
Washington State Department of
Fish and Wildlife. Lake residents
BARROWS SAID the goal is
to realize the "greatest commu- don't want to be
nity involvement" through that
in
district
inclusion. The Jupiter and Tudor JarJt
properties would be outside the Shirley Willeiksen's remarks
control of The Statesman Group, at last week's meeting of the Ma-
a Canadian company proposing son County Commission were not
the resort.
quite as they appeared in last
"It's a community concept," week's edition of The Journal. She
DCD Director Al Scalf said after spoke of a petition she helped cir-
the public meeting on December culate recently. It had 347 signs-
3. He said the department's rec- tures in favor of removing the Ma-
ommendation would require the son-Benson Lake voting area from
community involvement, the proposed Metropolitan Park
Sandy Mackie, a Seattle attor-, District 1.
ney for The Statesman Group, led "We are not attempting to in-
s team of project consultants and volve any of the North Mason dis-
supporters December 3. Mackie trict nor the rest of the Grapeview
reiterated that water runoff is-
sues into Hood Canal could be voting district in our attempt to
disengage from this plan to put
mitigated, and he urged approval a 'Metropolitan Park District' for
of the rezone request. Mason County on the ballot next
Several consultants who had
worked on a draft environmental- year," she clarified.
Willeiksen pointed out that a
impact statement also vouched for metropolitan park district may
the prbject, collect a tax of up to 75 cents per
M. GARTH MANN, presi- $1,000 of assessed property valu-
dent of The Statesman Group, ation every year, indefinitely. She
which has its U.S. headquarters cited a a pamphlet distributed by
in Scottsdale, Arizona, presented the Aquatic and Wellness Commit-
a PowerPoint presentation titled, tee, which said it plans to take the
"Pleasant HarborMarinaandGolf full 75 cents per $1,000 allowed
Resort Think Green." He talked on properties in the proposed dis-
about water harvesting and vowed trict.
Thursday, December 27, 2007 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Page 27