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Planning
Commission (August 5) --by
Dixie A. Walter
Once again the Eatonville Planning Commission postponed
reviewing sections of the Comprehensive Plan because Town Planner Mart Kask
was unable to attend the meeting. Commission Chair Steve Lind said Kask,
“Is out of the country due to a death in the family.”
Public Works Director Jamieson Van Eaton announced,
“A short course on planning, including comprehensive planning and
land use, is scheduled for Monday, August 19.” The class will be held at
the Eatonville Community Center from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Speakers will be a
land use attorney and Mart Kask.
Eatonville’s water woes may be alleviated somewhat. Public
Works Director Jamieson Van Eaton was guardedly enthused, “It’s my good
fortune to be able to report to you that we think we found water in the
amount of approximately 150 gallons per minute from a recovery well.”
Other business included discussion about the skateboard park
and where to put it, remote toilets for Smallwood Park, questions about the
school district’s compliance with zoning and conditional use, fair
enforcement of town ordinances, sign size at The Country Mouse quilt shop,
and whether or not persons living outside the town limits should sit on the
planning commission.
Van Eaton gave the planning commission a detailed report
concerning the uneasy status of Eatonville’s water supply. Van Eaton
explained, “Basically the town has a maximum water right per day. That’s
averaged every day per year.” Referring to a July 2 report he prepared for
the council, Van Eaton pointed out, “Our water rights averaged per day are
468,904 gallons per day every day this year. Our usage in 2001 was 316,967.
“By the year 2015 we will
exceed our water rights. Our maximum production is approximately 725,000
gallons per day, estimated.”
According to Van Eaton, “Our maximum peak production is really not
so much in question because we have the sand filters. And we’re capable of
producing a lot of water in the summertime…”
Continuing he said, “Our reservoir capacity shows we have 550,000
presently. By 2010 we’re going to need more reservoir capacity. Right now
we have plans to build a reservoir up on Hilltop. We still have land
acquisition negotiations with the landowner before we can proceed with that.
“We have a loan from the Public Works Trust Fund in the
amount of $425,000 that I will be presenting to council soon.”
Van Eaton showed graphs to the commission but cautioned that the 1997
numbers “are not accurate” and informed the group that he would update
the figures. He said, “In 1995 we used sixty-six percent of our water
rights and I can tell you right now that we’re using about seventy-three
percent or so.
“Our per capita consumption averaged at 186 gallons per day.
That means every individual in town is using 186 gallons. If we don’t
conserve water we’re going to hit our water rights ceiling in
approximately 2005. If we do conserve we can get to 2015.” These figures
take future growth into consideration.
The public works director clarified Eatonville’s water
rights; “Our real water rights are 525 acre feet, that averages out to
486,400 gallons per day every day of the year. That water right is the
Mashell River surface water limit established by the Department of Ecology.
It’s supplemental to our two wells, and our two wells have 610 gallons per
minute.”
The town is permitted to use the Mashell River surface water
if the wells can’t produce enough water. However, Van Eaton warned, “Our
water rights from the Mashell are actually relinquishable if we don’t use
them. But that’s not an issue right now because we are nearing our
capacity.”
Commissioner Dave Babcock asked who issues water rights. Van Eaton
answered, “The State Department of Ecology is in charge of our water
rights. The Town of Eatonville’s water rights go back quite a number of
years and they’ve been perfected to some extent over the years and
reissued.
“Once water rights are issued,
one of the requirements is, if you don’t use what water rights you have
you’re subject to losing them…if you haven’t used water for five years
you have no rights.”
Commissioner Jim King questioned the possibility “of getting our
water rights increased as our population increases.” Van Eaton stated, “The Growth Management Act suggests that we should strive to increase our water rights to plan for our growth twenty years out…Requesting water rights and receiving them is a damned mess.
“Municipalities
throughout Washington have been applying for water rights, to find that it
takes years and years to get them granted by Ecology.
“If you want to apply for water rights from surface water
you can forget it. It’s not going to happen because that encroaches on
endangered species salmon.”
Van Eaton continued, “That’s why the town is under a bilateral
compliance agreement with the Department of Health to find a new source of
water. Because it’s recognized that surface water is not a suitable supply
for a municipality.”
Babcock questioned the amount of water lost. Van Eaton said,
“We’ve had consultants come in and study that for us, determine a number
and suggest how the town could minimize leaks. I think it used to be as high
as thirty percent for a year or two. Now it’s under six percent, or such a
small amount we can’t measure it. I know it’s been a challenge for the
town to find those leaks and fix them.”
Eatonville Mayor Harold Parnell gave a brief history of water
use and leaking pipes. “During the hot days of summer the town used to go
over a million gallons a day. I was head of the water department on the
council at the time. The grass was green all over the place and you could
hear water running.
“We did have a lot of wooden mains throughout town and in my time
we tried to locate and redo a lot of them. Just before I left the council we
started putting in water meters. After people had to start paying for water,
consumption took a nosedive.”
Commissioner Bobbi Allison
asked Van Eaton, “When you bring back the updated figures are you going to
include the over 200 lots that the town has approved for building?” We
have approximately 200 lots as well as just vacant lots in town. Are we
going to be able to service those?”
Van Eaton responded, “Yes, I am making that correction. The numbers
I was going to update haven’t been updated since 1997. The question you
pose is one we all have on our minds and it’s information we all need to
look at.” Grins
Pierce, commissioner, asked Van Eaton, “Has anybody even talked with the
State Ecology Department? Since we’ve used the Mashell River for such an
historically long time, is there mitigation that could be met?”
Van Eaton replied, “That’s a valid question and certainly
one that has crossed by mind. I sit in on meetings that are pretty much pro
Department of Ecology. I bite my tongue. These people actually want us to
relinquish our rights on the Mashell.”
He added, “I had a pretty straightforward discussion with some of
those folks, because I’m trying to get a feel for what will really impact
the town if we go to a filtration project for water from the Mashell River.
“Basically these folks are prepared to step in and
micro-manage what we are doing here. If we have any water rights we’re not
using they will want us to relinquish those rights for the salmon. I said
‘I can hardly believe you are saying this to me,’ but they did. So
it’s very problematic to do anything on a watershed body of water.”
Continuing, Van Eaton explained, “It’s a raging, ongoing battle
between the GMA (Growth Management Act) and Ecology. GMA requires twenty
years of planning for growth, and Ecology doesn’t care a flip whether or
not you plan for growth.
“So it’s an ongoing problem and one that a lot of folks
are battling. That’s why I like to got to the RWA, Regional Water
Association, and hear about some of the other communities. What we need to
do is find a new source of water. We need to interface with the Department
of Health in order to rewrite our agreement with them.
“Our agreement now says we’ve got a timeline to identify ground
water, and if we don’t identify water during this timeline, we filter from
the Mashell River…I say ‘Do we have a basis for reevaluating our
agreement with you?’ Their reply is, make it make sense to us, make it
reasonable and we’ll talk to you. That’s where we are right now.”
Lind said, “I notice Tacoma, Seattle and some other King
County municipalities are in the process of building a pipeline from the
river in anticipation of a growth of their water rights. Do you know
anything about that?”
Van Eaton answered, “No, I really don’t. I know that
transmitting water over a distance is something that’s being considered
more and more. I note that Port Townsend transmits water forty miles. Their
system is pretty old, but it’s good and it works for them.
I can only imagine that
the farthest we would want to transmit water would be about one or two
million dollars worth of distance, which might only be three or four
miles.”
Van Eaton told the commission that the council has authorized
“us” to analyze quantity and quality of water found in the recovery
well. He said, “At this point the recovery well is the second best well we
have in town. And it’s only a recovery well, not a production well. I’m
going to ask the council and mayor to approve the request to develop this
well. We hope to get 150 gallons per minute. And possibly do two or three
wells in the same vicinity.
Van Eaton cautioned, “This doesn’t necessarily imply that
we’ve got water to grow. At this point our objective is to find
replacement water, and to find a new source of water to replace our
contaminated surface water in our current wells.”
Babcock asked, “What if we go over our water rights? What authority
do they have to deal with this?”
Van Eaton answered, “I don’t know, but I would suspect it would
have something to do with ongoing litigation. The Department of Health will
fine us $5,000 a day if we don’t follow our agreement with them. That is,
to find a new source of water.
“I do know there are municipalities in the state that have
exceeded their water rights and are just telling Ecology to go fly a
kite.”
Allison reminded the commission, “they pay people at the Department
of Health to monitor our water rights and our usage.”
Regarding the continuing question of where to move the
skateboard park, Van Eaton stated, “The skateboard committee findings of
June 19 recommend considering Alder Street as a possible site.” Van Eaton
also noted, “One suggestion from a council member was that we ask the
skateboarders to form a club and become responsible, before we really do too
much more on skateboard park funding.”
Van Eaton gave the commissioners an update on the subject of
Smallwood Park. “We’ve reinstated the Smallwood Park grant. It requires
that I put together some figures and forward it on. It’s going to be a
reduced amount simply because our matching funds are only going to take us
so far. And there’s no other funding available in the budget or anywhere
else.
“So we’ll just squeeze out of it what we can. It’s my hope to
get some asphalt paving into and including the parking lot, get a couple of
remote restrooms, a bunch of picnic tables and barbeque grills and that’s
about it for now. It’s always something we can pursue later on.
Commissioner King inquired
about the used asphalt, “Is that clean or could we get zapped for having
contaminated asphalt?”
Van Eaton responded, “I think that’s ground asphalt which is good
for many uses. That’s a good question because it is within two hundred
feet of a waterway.”
King said, “I know when they brought it [asphalt] in for the first
two weeks it reeked. I walk there every night; that’s how I know. What
kind of petrol or oil is in there?”
Lind asked about the remote bathrooms. Van Eaton replied,
“I’ve done some extensive searching for bathrooms that can be remote.
And I found them priced right. They will be cleaned out by my crew on a
regular basis.”
Van Eaton said the remote toilets are nearly the same as those at the
golf course, referring to Tanwax Greens. “They are pretty nice. They
aren’t like Porta-Potties at all. They are more permanent.”
From the audience Bruce Rath addressed the commission and the
director of public works. “I have a comment on Smallwood Park and the Van
Eaton cabin. I was just wondering if the planning commission had a plan for
any of these parks, so that maybe you could incorporate them and make one
big park.” Rath also asked if the town could “eventually get a foot
bridge across the Mashell.”
Commissioner Babcock mentioned the “Van Eaton cabin [future
museum] is not designated park area at this time.”
Regarding Rath’s comment, Van Eaton declared, “I’ve asked
Ramona [Sheppard, public works secretary] to make some calls to different
areas beginning with Pierce County, to find out if they have a planner that
could come in and give us a conceptualization of usage so that we might see
what it looks like…We have to have a concept to build on.
Commissioner Mike Williams questioned the timeline for the
Smallwood Park grant. Van Eaton told him, “I need to identify the level of
funding the town expects. I’m going to ask that construction not begin
until next year.” Adding, “I really haven’t had the time I would like
to spend on Smallwood Park.”
A discussion of composting toilets followed. Van Eaton said,
“I think it’s got to be a design that’s bulletproof, so to speak, to
the public. Something that’s not subject to vandalism any more than
possible. I would therefore think composting facilities could be more
expensive and more subject to vandalism.”
Rath pointed out,
“You didn’t answer any of questions.
Is there a plan in place for either site for a park? It seems we don’t
have a plan…I was thinking the planning commission could get together and
come up with a plan, whether it’s rustic dug-out canoes lying around down
there with picnic tables, or whatever. But we need a plan first.”
Commission Chair Lind noted, “Sometime within the next two
months we should be taking up the park plan as part of the Comprehensive
Plan. I would think we would first identify the areas, etc., in a general
manner. How specific we get from there may depend on coordination with Mr.
Van Eaton and being able to get the county planner on board.”
Rath responded, “My whole idea was that you guys should be planning
now. Mr. Van Eaton went out and got money for us. And now there’s no plan
to spend it. He’s got to do something with the money or give it back.
“Waiting two months
doesn’t make sense to me. We should have a plan in place. It doesn’t
matter how simple or complicated it is; we should go in some direction.”
Van Eaton commented, “You can’t build a house without blueprints
and we don’t plan on doing that. The council wants to see a plan before we
proceed. Public works must see a plan before we proceed. I’m not building
anything until I know it’s going in the right place.”
Commenting further,
Van Eaton said, “Our first attempt is to get free help. That’s what we
are trying to do now. Because we are spending county money we think there
may be a county planner to help us spend county money. If that doesn’t
work out we would hire somebody and pay a professional to have it done.”
Lind, “Often these things come to us in folders from staff. Staff
being Mr. Van Eaton and Mart Kask.” He asked Rath if that answered his
question “a little bit more?”
“Everybody should go out in the community and ask what do you guys
want at this park. What do you want it to look like? Instead of some generic
thing, you want people’s ideas for the park. It’s got to be creative.”
Rath continued, “Here’s what bothers me. I went down and
donated a day with my Cat one time. Russ Blount [former public works
director] handed me some kind of a colored-up piece of paper. It wasn’t
much of a plan. I said, ‘Where’s this and where’s that?’ Blount said
‘Just never mind, just knock some of that brush down.’ So that’s what
we did.
“There were work parties and work parties. What I would like to see
is a good, laid-out park. Then a lot of people in this community would
volunteer their labor, machinery, or whatever it took to build the park.
Rath added,
“But when you go down there and they hand you a little piece of paper that
says nothing, it kind of turns people off as far as donating time and
money.” In support of Rath’s statement, Mayor Parnell acknowledged,
“That’s really true.”
Allison explained, “In my experience it’s not uncommon for a
municipal government to have the planning commission Rath appoint a
subcommittee to actually do what Bruce [Rath] is suggesting. It would
consist of staff, a few citizens and a couple of planning commissioners.
Maybe that’s the answer. We know Jamieson’s tied up as tight as he could
be. We are tied up with the comp. plan. It would give citizens a chance to
have their say. But even if we did that we would still have to have a public
meeting.”
Van Eaton discussed
the land use application for a mini-warehouse storage unit at 675 Center St.
East. The property belongs to the Carriage House. Mayor Parnell reminded the
commission, “It’s where the late Dual Drane [former mayor] used to have
his welding shop.”
According to Van Eaton the area is zoned C2, general commercial.
“And the use for a mini-storage warehouse is not included as a permit by
right under C2 zoning. But it is allowable by conditional use. So everything
is on track for this to come before the planning commission the first Monday
in September. And there will be a public hearing September 15.”
There was also an application for a short plat division of one
lot into two at the 800 block of “Eatonville Highway.”
Van Eaton said, “The application sits on my desk for processing. I
need to go to public review for mitigations, determinations of
non-significance which means there are wetlands involved, so it will also
need a public review process. It’s administrative so I take care of that.
It’s routine.”
Mike Jeffries complained because the Eatonville Police would
not respond to a neighbor’s call. According to Jeffries, “They [police]
told him they can’t come out there because they think the town limits end
at the Mashell River, and actually they end considerably south of there.”
He brought up the Vision Plan, “Part of that was a park plan and a number
of things, such as the property being vacated by *Baydo [Chevrolet] being a
town plaza.”
Allison asked if there was, “Any update about the school
district’s purchase of a house at 209 Orchard St. They are applying for a
conditional use permit. It is my understanding they have to apply for the
other four homes and a church which they converted for their conditional use
permit. Does the code require this?”
Lind, “Commissioner Allison is referring to the school purchase of
property zoned SF3. It’s the same zone for the school, but it’s also
down here in the residential lots.”
So far the school district has not applied for conditional
use. “The question of prior usage of the properties or something defined
as conditional use in our code, is a question I don’t have the answer
to,” Lind said. Adding, “I’d have to research when it was done and why
the planning commission wasn’t involved. I don’t know what the planning
commission can do after the fact.”
Allison clarified the school issues, “I spoke to the town
attorney, Bob Mack, this afternoon, and he said it was our responsibility as
a municipality to require the school district to apply whether or not they
did these uses prior. It doesn’t matter how long ago they did it.
“It’s still up to the town to require that the school district
conform and live by the code we have. So the burden
is
on the commission to require the school to apply for a conditional use
permit.”
Explaining further Allison
said, “I also checked with the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s
office and spoke to their legal department about this issue. I was told they
don’t get involved with local school district problems. However, they did
tell me they do require school districts to abide by zoning codes put forth
by the local municipality in which they serve.
“She said it was up to the town to require the school
district to follow the proper procedures. More and more people are hearing
about this and are coming forward. They are not pleased about it. The news
is spreading and they are upset.”
Mayor Parnell noted, “They first started with the Larry Smith
property on Mashell Ave. And have since bought quite a few other properties.
Did they come to the planning commission on anything at all?”
Several commissioners answered, “No.”
Commissioner King asked,
“Are you saying even after the fact they would have to apply concerning
the Smith house?”
Allison responded, “They will have to do the Smith house, the
former Assembly of God Church, Mrs. Monahan’s house. Then you’ve got 211
Orchard, the former Belcher house. And 209 Orchard which they just
purchased, which belonged to Mrs. Lawyer.”
According to Babcock, “I came down a couple of weeks ago and
asked who has the authority to give a non-compliance permit. I was wondering
if you came up with an answer?”
Van Eaton asked, “Is it non-conformance?” Babcock said he meant
non-conformance rather than non-compliance.
“That is something the
Board of Adjustments decides.” Babcock
stated, “I’ll put it all on the table. Because people came to me and
said how can a business be running in a residential area? I was told by the
old mayor that they were granted a non-conformance permit. My recollection
is that when they asked for the variance the planning commission said,
‘No, you can’t do that.’ And they went ahead and put the business in
anyway.”
Rath wondered, “Why does one person have to meet set back
requirements and other people don’t? Why do some people put in sidewalks
and others don’t? You’ve got to comply with the rules. I see some people
do follow the rules and some don’t. Some put up signs and some don’t.
What happens is everybody feels like we’re not being treated equal.”
“The council has the final say. They should appeal to the
council,” said the mayor.
Allison asked, “Now you are
referring to the quilt shop [The Country Mouse] at 755 Eatonville Highway W.
They should appeal to the council.”
Mayor Parnell noted, “They aren’t hurting anybody out there.”
He then pointed to Rath and flatly stated, “I think you want the land
don’t you? That’s what I hear, you want the land.”
Rath called the area “swamp land.”
Commissioner Mike Williams remarked, “That’s the problem
with the planning commission. Every person who comes in has a personal
problem as to why they need special consideration. And we seldom uphold the
zoning code. Maybe what we need to do is have a Board of Adjustments that is
not related to the town so they can make the hard decisions we can’t
make.”
Chairman Lind said, “I would note one thing. According to our
board, if the uses have not taken place for six months, then those rights
expire. I don’t know if the six-month rule applies to the one we are
talking about now. But it might temper some of the thinking we’ve talked
about here.”
Lind also asked Babcock about a court ruling requiring The
Country Mouse to remove their sign. Babcock said they had until Sept. to
remove the sign in question.
Lind stated, “So our judicial branch has spoken on this and has
come down with a ruling.” Babcock explained, “We only went to court for
non-compliance for the sign. And there’s a business being run there. It
doesn’t bother me but it bothers the people that live out there to have
something that isn’t within the rules.”
Mayor Parnell suggested the new massage “outfit” should be
brought up also. Babcock replied, “They are within compliance. They have
always been in business and are grandfathered in.” The mayor reminded
Babcock, “the apartment house has a big sign over it.” To which Babcock
responded, “It’s not the planning commission’s job to go out and
enforce the ordinance,” later adding, “We need to be aggressive in
enforcing the laws.”
At this point Mayor Parnell
said to Babcock, “I’ve been looking into the fact that commissioners
living outside the town limits should not be eligible for a seat on the
planning commission.” Addressing Babcock, who doesn’t live in town, the
mayor suggested he move into town. And added, “I’m going to see if I can
change the ruling that commissioners can live outside the town limits.”
Lind observed that this issue was governed by state law. Allison
explained, “Actually it reverts back to the local municipality who sets
the guidelines, how they choose to have it read. So it’s back to the
council to set the ordinance.
Commissions present were Bobbi Allison, Dave Babcock, Jim
King, Steve Lind, Grins Pierce, Sharon Van Hoof and Mike Williams. Missing
the meeting were Barbara Samora and Richard Ames.
The next regular meeting
of the planning commission is Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. in the judge’s chambers at
the Eatonville Town Hall.
*EatonvilleNews contacted Baydo Chevrolet to ask about the
business’s rumored imminent move from town. At this point it appears the
car business will not be leaving Eatonville in the near future. At least one
employee has been asked to stay in town and work for Baydo, which indicates
they may stay in Eatonville at least for awhile. The owner is the person who
knows the details, and he’s away on vacation.
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