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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022/02/15 - Belfair EIS Public Comment McKenzie Smith From: Ken VanBuskirk <kenvanb@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2022 7:10 AM To: McKenzie Smith Cc: Sharon Trask; Kevin Shutty; Randy Neatherlin; Kell Rowen; Tim Whitehead Subject: Item 10.3 Public hearing 2-15-2022 Caution: External Email Warning!This email has originated from outside of the Mason County Network. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender, are expecting the email, and know the content is safe. If a link sends you to a website where you are asked to validate using your Account and Password, DO NOT DO SO! Instead, report the incident. Comment to item 10.3 Public hearing to consider adoption of the Planned Action Ordinance for the Belfair UGA,Amendments to the Mason County Comprehensive plan;Belfair UGA subarea plan,and amendments to title 17 Belfair UGA zoning code. Ms. Smith, or Ms. Rowen, please acknowledge receipt at the 10.3 public hearing. Commissioners , County Staff and all Consultants are to be commended for all the work and efforts they have put in to these endeavors. I have had the opportunity to interact with many and appreciate their respectful diligent work. One of the first EIS's I ever commented to was the original 2007 Belfair Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. I along with Mr. Gary Parrot submitted quite a bit of comments and suggestions, some were adopted some weren't. The same is true today. I have provided many comments on all of today's items under consideration. I was happy to see many of my comments were recognized and addressed through clarification and correction to the SEIS to include: Tribes, adjacent jurisdictions, and other elected bodies included in the distribution list. Corrections to UGA boundary and zoning in existing documents. Identification of the full extent of the CARA, water resources, and hydrology and steep slopes in the Union river valley. Recognition of the City of Bremerton's Casad dam and its affect on the hydrology of the river. Federal regulations and laws for protection for golden and bald eagles recognized. I have repeatedly asked the BOCC since 2005 that the UGA boundaries be amended to remove a portion of the NW corner of the UGA where the CARA and several named streams and wetlands exist I was excited to see this possibility in the original SEPA scoping document and commented on that item. The answer I got in the SEIS response was that it was removed from scoping document because of"Counties long standing plans to extend sewer to that area" I would ask that this response be investigated and wonder where this is documented in any capital facilities plan or other plan. Please recall that the County applied for a grant with DOE over 10 years ago and after public uproar pulled request. Several things I would like the Board to consider amending or following up on. . 1 Change the Planned Action Ordinance map to only consider the Eastern portion of UGA. Reduce the UGA in the Union River valley. Note that the Romance Hill connector is not supported by the community and in my opinion is not a viable tsunami evacuation route. Note that there are still streams in Union River valley, used by WDFW "experts" that dont exist. County code prohibits dry cleaners in CARAS yet we still have one in UGA. Archaeology site listed in UGA is misrepresented. The Port of Allyn owns site and failed to make any comments to Belfair UGA plan or EIS regarding this or anything else. Thank you, Ken VanBuskirk 2 McKenzie Smith From: Cheryl Bradley <CherylBradley@bpkitsap.com> Sent: Monday, February 14, 2022 5:37 PM To: McKenzie Smith; Randy Neatherlin Cc: Kell Rowen Subject: EIS AND SEWER and ZONING Caution: External Email Warning!This email has originated from outside of the Mason County Network. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender, are expecting the email, and know the content is safe. If a link sends you to a website where you are asked to validate using your Account and Password, DO NOT DO SO! Instead, report the incident. To whom it may concern, As I read the EIS and all 199 pages am I seeing that at the time there was 1 BELFAIR CITIZEN? Did that not get anyone to think MAYBE the community doesn't know?Or how could we get this out better beside the newspaper( all that you are required by law )? Or does it even matter to anyone?This was stated to have the community vision captured? I fail to see that and so does everyone I have told since I found out considering seeing this with the lack of comments or emails from members of the community. Am I reading this correct?This would change zoning and increase costs for sewer? If so,That means more expensive everyday life stuff for folks who live here.The more residents the more big stores and less small business can survive. I worry about growth happing TOO fast and TOO much at one time for a community that is not highly populated....(yet) and at high poverty level last time I checked. I wouldn't want what sounds good and looks good on paper,to turn to lots of low income in the future. Such as mass apartments rather than single family residential.They both bring different things to the community residential housing vs apartments. We already have a need for affordable homes, everywhere needs affordable homes at this point. Per the entire plan of SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH TO BELFAIR with all options you jump from plan 1 with 1200 population growth to 4441 or 5509?Where is the 1200 to below 3000 or less option at here?That growth rate in a population of 4564/4348 (per World Population Review and Washington hometown locator even less on census site). Meaning-The population increased at a rate of 16%from 2010 of 3931, and if hybrid 3 happens that means you will DOUBLE it in the same amount of time. Is that smart growth? Water, deeper wells will offset flows from Salmon streams and tribal interest has been interesting to read. I'm sure you have to build to the max to get the State funds. I unfortunately, know how this will all go. Nothing will change and plan 3 hybrid will go through and Bye, Bye, to what we all knew as Belfair in Mason county.The ones whom wish to leave will take their money and spend it elsewhere and find refuge in no bright lights and big buildings. Commissioner Shutty made a comment in the Harbor news article ( I just found while researching the EIS) about people working where they live, he stated 1/2 of mason county residents work outside the county.There is a reason and unfortunately,you missed the mark on that Shutty. We do, so we can come back to our small community at night/day and feel like we are in a small peaceful place and not a city. Sit on our porches and have coffee and enjoy the simi quite of a rural county on a Saturday with our grandkids and children. Knowing if we run to the store at 8pm there is hardly anyone in it. We are able to look outside at night and see the stars and not the glare of massive town or commercial lights. It's quite a bummer that the next generation for life here will not know what that feels like.A slower pace of life, is worth a lot when you can truly wind down and enjoy home. But, what does that matter right?What does the community see for Belfair? Do you really know? Did you really hope they would let you know? Did it even really matter to get anyone to get involved?Quality not quantity? 1 Do we want to look like everyone else same old buildings style no criteria to keep buildings similar style?Just toss it up? Be different then every other town out there?Why not?? Rural living, that is the reason we moved here and bought land here.This now will change all that. It may even get me to sell it all and move as well as others.The mason county life that we all who cherish it and have, will be gone with this fast growth and tall buildings full of apartments and mass commercial. It used to be a great thing to come down the hill in Belfair and feel as though you we in a small MT town almost, to go home and enjoy the lack of bright lights and city noise. Now, it is a depressing entry with graffiti, concrete, and bright lights and will continue it sounds like.We all know that it will get built as fast as possible just in time for the market to slow.The community wants growth but, responsible growth that will not flood our already high property taxes (property values that have jumped hundreds of thousands in the last 6 years alone. PER HOME). I know that there are a few deep pockets here in this county.We are a "land rich" county to the state and if you do not build you loose funding on whatever level....school etc. But, What about what the COMMUNITY REALLY wants?The ones paying the taxes here so Belfair can be Belfair? I think the communication has been very poor on this between the community members and the Folks in charge of this planning. All this being said, I LOVE where I live and always have. It breaks my heart and many others in your community that this is happing.This being SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH without community involvement and the thought of county commissioners loaning our tax dollars to a land owner in the tune of 4.5 million dollars. I am also concerned about the "Public Facility"zoning. Do you have plans to incorporate Belfair? I hope not. I would rather pay for more Sheriffs. SO, where is the community vision?And, WHO was the community members to base this off of? I really can't see how Belfair can facilitate the impact in a small area for that population and commercial in Hybrid 3 plan. Sounds like Belfair will be responsible for bringing in the counties money flow.The smallest part of mason county to boot. Folks live here because we don't want to live in the city, we want to come home at night and love where we live not hear it or see cities. Communication is key. We are Mason county and we can do better. Thank you for your time. Cheryl Bradley Helping "YOU" make the choice. z McKenzie Smith From: Karissa Byrne <kbyrne2027@hotmail.com> Sent: Monday, February 14, 2022 5:54 PM To: McKenzie Smith Subject: EIS AND SEWER ZONING METTING TUESDAY 15, 2022 Caution: External Email Warning!This email has originated from outside of the Mason County Network. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender, are expecting the email, and know the content is safe. If a link sends you to a website where you are asked to validate using your Account and Password, DO NOT DO SO! Instead, report the incident. To whom it may concern, As I read the EIS and all 199 pages am I seeing that at the time there was 1 BELFAIR CITIZEN? Did that not get anyone to think MAYBE the community doesn't know?Or how could we get this out better beside the newspaper( all that you are required by law )?Or does it even matter to anyone?This was stated to have the community vision captured? I fail to see that and so does everyone I have told since I found out considering seeing this with the lack of comments or emails from members of the community. Am I reading this correct?This would change zoning and increase costs for sewer? If so,That means more expensive everyday life stuff for folks who live here.The more residents the more big stores and less small business can survive. I worry about growth happing TOO fast and TOO much at one time for a community that is not highly populated....(yet) and at high poverty level last time I checked. I wouldn't want what sounds good and looks good on paper,to turn to lots of low income in the future. Such as mass apartments rather than single family residential.They both bring different things to the community residential housing vs apartments. We already have a need for affordable homes, everywhere needs affordable homes at this point. Per the entire plan of SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH TO BELFAIR with all options you jump from plan 1 with 1200 population growth to 4441 or 5509?Where is the 1200 to below 3000 or less option at here?That growth rate in a population of 4564/4348 (per World Population Review and Washington hometown locator even less on census site). Meaning-The population increased at a rate of 16%from 2010 of 3931, and if hybrid 3 happens that means you will DOUBLE it in the same amount of time. Is that smart growth? Water, deeper wells will offset flows from Salmon streams and tribal interest has been interesting to read. I'm sure you have to build to the max to get the State funds. 1 I unfortunately, know how this will all go. Nothing will change and plan 3 hybrid will go through and Bye, Bye, to what we all knew as Belfair in Mason county.The ones whom wish to leave will take their money and spend it elsewhere and find refuge in no bright lights and big buildings. Commissioner Shutty made a comment in the Harbor news article ( I just found while researching the EIS) about people working where they live, he stated 1/2 of mason county residents work outside the county.There is a reason and unfortunately, you missed the mark on that Shutty. We do, so we can come back to our small community at night/day and feel like we are in a small peaceful place and not a city. Sit on our porches and have coffee and enjoy the simi quite of a rural county on a Saturday with our grandkids and children. Knowing if we run to the store at 8pm there is hardly anyone in it. We are able to look outside at night and see the stars and not the glare of massive town or commercial lights. It's quite a bummer that the next generation for life here will not know what that feels like. A slower pace of life, is worth a lot when you can truly wind down and enjoy home. But, what does that matter right?What does the community see for Belfair? Do you really know? Did you really hope they would let you know? Did it even really matter to get anyone to get involved?Quality not quantity? Do we want to look like everyone else same old buildings style no criteria to keep buildings similar style? Just toss it up? Be different then every other town out there?Why not?? Rural living, that is the reason we moved here and bought land here. This now will change all that. It may even get me to sell it all and move as well as others. The mason county life that we all who cherish it and have, will be gone with this fast growth and tall buildings full of apartments and mass commercial. It used to be a great thing to come down the hill in Belfair and feel as though you we in a small MT town almost, to go home and enjoy the lack of bright lights and city noise. Now, it is a depressing entry with graffiti, concrete, and bright lights and will continue it sounds like. We all know that it will get built as fast as possible just in time for the market to slow.The community wants growth but, responsible growth that will not flood our already high property taxes (property values that have jumped hundreds of thousands in the last 6 years alone. PER HOME). I know that there are a few deep pockets here in this county. We are a "land rich" county to the state and if you do not build you loose funding on whatever level....school etc. But, What about what the COMMUNITY REALLY wants?The ones paying the taxes here so Belfair can be Belfair? I think the communication has been very poor on this between the community members and the Folks in charge of this planning. All this being said, I LOVE where I live and always have. It breaks my heart and many others in your community that this is happing.This being SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH without community involvement and the thought of county commissioners loaning our tax dollars to a land owner in the tune of 4.5 million dollars. I am also concerned about the "Public Facility "zoning. 2 SO, where is the community vision?And, WHO was the community members to base this off of? I really can't see how Belfair can facilitate the impact in a small area for that population and commercial in Hybrid 3 plan. Sounds like Belfair will be responsible for bringing in the counties money flow. The smallest part of mason county to boot. Folks live here because we don't want to live in the city, we want to come home at night and love where we live not hear it or see cities. Thank you for your time. Karissa Byrne 3 MCCULLOUGH HILL LEARY, PS February 14,2022 VIA EMAIL Board of Mason County Commissioners c/o Kell Rowen Commission Chambers 411 N 5s'St Shelton,WA 98584 Re: Belfair UGA, Planned Action Ordinance Public Participation Dear Commissioners: We represent stakeholders in the Belfair area who have been monitoring the County's work on the Belfair Planned Action Ordinance ("PAO") over the last two years.We urge the Board to adopt the PAO,zoning amendments,subarea plan amendments and development regulation amendments. The County's public outreach program has far exceeded the requirements of County Code and the Growth Management Act("GMA");the public has had ample opportunity to review and comment on the PAO and related amendments,and the County has thoroughly addressed all comments. This planning effort was initiated in early 2020 by the Board of County Commissioners,who directed staff to engage BERG consulting and prioritize this item on their work plan. In May 2020, the County held a kick-off meeting with the consultant team and County staff,which included discussion of a public engagement plan, consistent with Growth Management Act("GMA") and County Code requirements. From August through October 2020,the Cunty conducted stakeholder meetings with interested agencies,property owners and community groups and created a website and online community survey. In November 2020,the County issued an EIS Scoping Notice,which was published,posted to the website,and sent to affected agencies,Tribes,and other interested parties.Also in November,the County distributed 2,500 post cards to business throughout Belfair,notifying them of upcoming meetings.Finally,a Community Workshop was held on November 19,2020. Public Workshops were held by the Planning Advisory Commission ("PAC'D in March and April of 2021,and the draft EIS was published on April 29,2021.A public hearing was held on May 17, 2021.Based on comments received at that meeting,the PAC tabled the vote and issued a notice of extended comment period and extended scoping.The PAC held a Special Meeting on June 7, 2021to address the scoping comments.Two BOCC briefings occurred in September 2021,and a 701 Fifth Avenue • Suite 6600 • Seattle,Washington 98104 • 206.812.3388 • Fax 206.812.3389 • wwwmhseattlecom Board of Commissioners February 14,2022 Page 2 of 2 Supplemental DEIS was issued on October 28,2021 that contained additional analyses required to address the public comment.Two more PAC workshops were held in late 2021. Throughout this time,the staff briefed the BOCC fifteen times,with the latest briefings occurring on January 3,January 10,and February 7,2022.The County's outreach efforts have been extraordinary, especially in light of the challenges presented by the pandemic. In sum,it is out opinion that the County's public outreach program has gone above and beyond GMA and Code requirements.The proposal should be approved. 7Sin ely, Co rtn Flora a, ' 0• SQUAXIN ISLAND TRIBE February 15, 2022 SENT BY ELECTRONIC MAIL Kell Rowen Community Development Administrator Mason County Community Services 615 W.Alder Street Shelton,WA 98584 Dear Ms. Rowen: I have a few comments on the Final Belfair Planned Action EIS(February 2022)for consideration at the 2/15/2022 Mason County Commissioner's meeting. Thank you for the discussion that led to changes in the Final EIS. Due to the significant growth in groundwater use and wastewater production predicted in this Final EIS(p. 2-15) associated with the Alternative 3 Hybrid, and its effect on Coulter Creek and its tributaries,the Squaxin Island Tribe expects Mason County to follow through with the mitigation offered in the Planned Action Ordinance. Notably,the Ordinance and its attachments include the requirement for household hook-up to public water systems and the County's commitment to involve the Tribe in comprehensive water and wastewater planning. The Tribe is ready to assist the County in this planning process to best protect the instream flows of Coulter Creek. The Tribe's first request is to set a date for a water and wastewater planning discussion with myself and you and/or your team. This meeting should be scheduled within 30 days of the Ordinance being adopted. Comments 2, 3, and 4 on p. 5-18 of the Final EIS include several qualitative suppositions about the significance of impact on Coulter Creek of deep wells versus shallow wells, and also return flow. They are unquantified suppositions.The existing Kitsap Groundwater Model is a quantitative tool to assess all pumping and return flow, and it needs only supplemental information to inform comments 2, 3, and 4. Please note that the USGS Kitsap Groundwater Model should be a tool and a topic in our future discussions. Sincerely, Erica Marbet Water Resources Biologist Squaxin Island Tribe Natural Resources Department • 200 SE Billy Frank Jr. Way • Shelton,WA 98584 360-426-9781 o = February 14, 2022 Board of Mason County Commissioners 615 West Alder Street Shelton, WA 98584 Project: Belfair UGA Planned Action EIS, Subarea Plan and Code Revisions AHBL No. 2160497.30 Civil Engineers Subject: Public Comments on Planned Action EIS, Subarea Plan Update, and Revisions to Title 17 for the Belfair Urban Growth Area Structural Engineers Dear Commissioners: Landscape Architects I am submitting comments today on behalf of Jack Johnson and Steve Johnson, owners of Riverhill properties (located in the northern portion of the Belfair Subarea) and Clifton Heights properties (located in the southeastern portion of the Subarea). Note that we also commented Community Planners during the PAC public hearing process. Our comments and staff responses are provided on page 5-17 of the Final EIS packet(online it is page 109). Land Surveyors We have reviewed the Planned Action EIS, Subarea Plan Update, and Revisions to Title 17 for the Belfair Urban Growth Area (UGA). As owners of a significant amount of undeveloped land Neighbors within the Belfair UGA, Jack and Steve Johnson have an interest in the proposed changes. In general, they are supportive of the Planned Action EIS and the corresponding update to the Subarea Plan and Title 17 revisions. They request, however, that the following comments be taken into consideration by the Board of Commissioners (BOCC) prior to adoption: 1. It appears Alternative 3 (Alt. 3)was originally the preferred alternative and that additional environmental review has created a new preferred alternative called "Alternative 3 Hybrid" (Hybrid). There is one significant difference between Alt. 3 and the Hybrid, in that the"Riverhill Properties LLC" property (located in the northern portion of the UGA) has a proposed zoning designation of Medium Density Residential under Alt. 3, versus Single Family Residential under the Hybrid (see Figures 1 and 2, below). We request BOCC support for Alt. 3 so that the Riverhill property has a designation of Medium Density Residential for the following reasons: a. Connection to public water and sewer requires a significant cost to extend the utility lines to the property. A higher density would allow for the extension costs to be feasible. This higher density has a greater public benefit due to the extension of public utilities and (required) payment of connection charges. b. The extension of public water and sewer, which can only be afforded through a higher density development, provides an environmental benefit. The property is located within a wellhead protection area and the wells would be protected through connection to public sewer and water. TACOMA 2215 North 301h Street Suite 300 Toam,WA%403350 25IM2422 TEL www.ahbl.com Board of Mason County Commissioners February 14,2022 2160497.30 Page 2 ■o C. The property is suitable for the proposed Medium Density Residential zoning designation, given that it is located within the UGA and would be adjacent to other Medium Density Residential property to the west and Business Industrial Zoning to the east. One of the goals of the Planned Action EIS process was to address transitions between zones and the modification of the Riverhill properties to R-5 would serve that goal. HYBRID ZONING �Rs, 1 � Figure 1 —Hybrid Proposed Zoning 3 ZONING ri• r; y AA. a Figure 2—Alt. 3 Proposed Zoning 0©DO Board of Mason County Commissioners ■ February 14,2022 2160497.30 Page 3 ■1 �■ d. It is not clear why the Riverhill properties were singled out for the reduced density when the adjacent properties to the west were not also reduced in density and there is such significant increase in density throughout the UGA with the various upzoning that is proposed. We request similar consideration as other properties in the northern portion of the subarea. It is our understanding that the resulting increase in density from R-4 to R-5 on the 45-acre Riverhill properties is somewhere between 15 and 25 lots (depending on many factors). This increase in density is nominal in consideration of the overall density increases in the UGA and the analysis the consultant team has completed for the EIS. The change is significant enough, however, to make the property feasible to develop from an infrastructure cost standpoint. Please approve the Planned Action EIS with the R-5 (Medium Density Residential)zoning for the Riverhill properties. Thank you to the consultants and County staff for their hard work on the Planned Action EIS and thank you to the BOCC for your consideration of our request and for this opportunity to comment. Sincerely, Lisa Klein,AICP Associate Principal LK/Isk c: Jack Johnson Steve Johnson Q:\2016\2160497\30_PLN\Working_Files\Belfair Planned Action EIS\BOCC Hearing\20220214 BOCC Hearing comment Itr(Belfair PA SEIS Comments)2160497.30.docx 13© O McKenzie Smith From: Randy Neatherlin Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2022 7:24 AM To: McKenzie Smith Subject: FW: Belfair Sewer extension - I am in favor of the extension He Sent this to my personal email again Sent from my Verizon,Samsung Galaxy smartphone -------- Original message -------- From: Randy Neatherlin <rneatherli@aol.com> Date: 2/11/22 7:53 PM (GMT-08:00) To: Randy Neatherlin <RandyN@masoncountywa.gov> Subject: Fw: Belfair Sewer extension - I am in favor of the extension Caution: External Email Warning!This email has originated from outside of the Mason County Network. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender, are expecting the email, and know the content is safe. If a link sends you to a website where you are asked to validate using your Account and Password, DO NOT DO SO! Instead, report the incident. Sent from the all new AOL app for Android ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: "brad carey" <liberty2011 @live.com> To: "rneatherli@aol.com" <rneatherli@aol.com> Cc: "Harold Carey" <hcarey1@mindspring.com>, "Carey, Jeff, Delta Systems, Inc." <jcarey5876@gmail.com>, "Earl.iddings@gmail.com" <earl.iddings@gmail.com>, "'Angie Wade"' <wade.angie@g mail.com>, "Woody Flynn" <rawhidehaulin@msn.com>, "Celeste Carey" <speer1990@hotmail.com>, "Ken VanBuskirk" <kenvanb@gmail.com> Sent: Fri, Feb 11, 2022 at 12:26 PM Subject: Belfair Sewer extension - I am in favor of the extension Randy, Thanks for taking my call this morning. I had to use my Colorado phone to get you on the phone, but at least we had a 30 second discussion. i I understand you don't like me because I exposed your wrongful conduct when you force flipped the Counties denial of the Grump Ventures SM6 gravel mine—to an approval, knowing along it was violating the Diminishing Assets Doctrine. The fact that you hide from public view in your garage, in violation of the PRA,the infamous"green folder" that contained the written SM6 denial, which led to the County being misinformed as well as the public, and ultimately was reversed and ratified by both the Hearings Examiner and Judge Zilly in Federal Court, is not my fault. It is your fault. It was not an accident—right?You knew what you were doing and you did it to conceal the evidence from the public—in favor of the gravel mine proposal, rather than the law. And how much time and money did your actions cost the County and taxpayers? If I would have done what you did, I would have apologized and resigned from public office. You did neither. Our own organization spent over$100K to intervene and help defend the County against Grump when they sued the County for about$112 million dollars in damage. You need to own this and not attack your fiends like me that held you accountable—right? Just because we won the case at both levels and help the County win for all the citizens and taxpayers, does not mean we have forgotten your misdeeds. You will only be free of your crimes once you apologize and ask for forgiveness. Regarding the Sewer extension. The reason I am involved, is that your at it again.You did not learn your lesson. You are still out there spreading falsehoods by omitting critical information that would convince a reasonable minded person to be in favor of the third phase of the sewer project.This project has been planned and vetted by your staff for several years. And now you claim foul in your misinformation rant? Uncle Randy, look, if you now say we need more time to evaluate and inform,your crazy. This could only mean you have been asleep at the wheel while al this was going on. But I know different. You yourself already advised me this was the correct approach when we spoke several years ago, so why the change? Bad blood with a certain land owner? Hmm... I have also experienced this from you when you apposed of our land rezone application in Allyn a couple of years ago. Remember?You, of course were wrong and look at Allyn UGA grow now! You have extreme difficulty in separating your duties and responsibilities as a commissioner, from your childish motives to even a score. You abuse your privilege we extend you in office.The office you hold is a privilege we extend to you and is not to be used for your personal and abusive conduct. Right? There is more than one right way to install the sewer extension—right? I think you would agree there are always other ways to accomplish the sewer extension. Sometimes we get it right, sometimes we get it close to right, and sometimes we get it wrong. In this particular situation, brains much smarter than you or I, have done the difficult task of researching all the numbers and data to allow the Commission to perform by making the correct decision based upon the hard work of the paid experts! Their hard work and planning is required under the GMA and UGA plan. For once, it all fits together nicely. We will manage growth where the community wants growth. Urban sprawl will be reduced. Randy, if your not going to resign, then please ignore your beef with one or two citizens and respect your experts findings and vote to approve of the sewer extension as presented. Please! This approval event should be a "blue ribbon" cutting ceremony for all.Your support and approval on the merits, will go a long way to restoring our professional and personal relationship. 2 Please enter my email to you into the record for both the upcoming EIS hearing and the resumed Sewer Hearing. Thank you, Brad 360-801-1500 Sent from Mail for Windows 3 McKenzie Smith From: Jack Johnson <jjc@hcc.net> Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2022 3:00 PM To: McKenzie Smith Cc: jc@hcc.net Subject: Belfair UGA HIS Follow Up Flag: Follow up Flag Status: Flagged Caution: External Email Warning!This email has originated from outside of the Mason County Network. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender, are expecting the email, and know the content is safe. If a link sends you to a website where you are asked to validate using your Account and Password, DO NOT DO SO! Instead, report the incident. McKenzie Would you distribute this email to the commission and staff. Thanks, Dear Commissioners, I am writing this email asking to postpone action on the Belfair Final Environmental Impact Statement. As a stake holder I do not feel public involvement by meetings or committee's has occurred. Before this important decision becomes final please delay the decision and have public forums and workshops to get input from the community. I was on the Belfair Sub-Area planning committee when the Belfair UGA Master Plan was created and wrote in November 2003. It involved over a year of public meetings and citizens representing many interests within the Belfair UGA. I have not found this the case in the current process.The public have been left out of this process. Sincerely, Jack Johnson (360)731-7101 jjc@hcc.net i McKenzie Smith From: :30 on BI <flybi112@aol.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 9, 2022 10:02 AM To: Kevin Shutty; Sharon Trask; Randy Neatherlin; Mark Neary Subject: urge more public forums/input regarding additional housing/changes to Belfair GMA Dear Commissioners, As a resident of the Belfair area (Trails End Lake). I want to have more public forums/meetings regarding the additional housing impacts being considered in changes to zoning GMA for the Belfair area. I'm a retired N Mason teacher, still subbing in our schools. Our elementary schools are already crowded, with portables being used extensively= no running water, students having to walk through hard rain to go back to main buildings to use the bathrooms, and etc. How would additional housing effect the schools? N Mason doesn't have money to build new elementary schools and state aid is not adequate. I also hope any revisions will address the water run off effecting the quality of the streams and rivers feeding the Hood Canal and how poor water quality negatively effects salmon recovery. We must make sure hillsides are stable= leaving big trees is important! By the way I am upset the E Trails Rd keeps sliding; it is dangerous, especially considering school buses and emergency vehicles use that route! What's being done to extend Razor Rd through to State Highway 106? Thanks you for your consideration and looking forward to hearing back, Michael Siptroth 360-275-8441 1 McKenzie Smith From: diane hartley <covistas@yahoo.com> Sent: Friday, February 11, 2022 1:07 AM To: McKenzie Smith; Kevin Shutty; Randy Neatherlin Subject: Comment for 2-1 S-22 hearing Caution: External Email Warning!This email has originated from outside of the Mason County Network. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender, are expecting the email, and know the content is safe. If a link sends you to a website where you are asked to validate using your Account and Password, DO NOT DO SO! Instead, report the incident. To: All Mason County Commissioners: This is to support Option 1 of the proposed plans for developing Belfair. As I understand it, this would allow 480 new residential units and I extrapolate from the other options approx. 1,200 new residents. I assume this in addition to the units that are already under construction. An article in the Shelton-Mason County Journal 2-3-22 titled "Health board has good hospitalization news", stated that if all construction goes through in Belfair, there will be 614 new housing units (with corresponding residents of about 1,475). That brings us to over 1,000 residential units and approx. 2,600 residents already underway to be added to Belfair. That is a lot for a small community to absorb. On top of that, you have all of the construction taking place in Allyn that adds traffic to already inadequate roads. None of the plan documents address the overall road situation, which such planning should do.. A lot of studies and planning documents have been generated about this, but I find no plan to truly fix the traffic congestion that will grow even worse if you proceed with options 2, 3 or the hybrid.. While the freight corridor will enable some traffic to bypass the Belfair downtown corridor, it does not address what will happen in Allyn as traffic flows increase from both the freight corridor and the SR3 traffic that comes from Belfair. There is no plan I see to add lanes going south to Shelton, The more growth the commisioners vote to support, the more important it becomes to add lanes. This cannot be done in Allyn without destroying a fair amount of the business district and SR106 has the same limitations as far as adding additional traffic lanes. We have traffic congestion now that grows far worse between Memorial and Labor Days. The only solution I can think of would be to go over the hill toward Mason Lake where the power lines run. That would likely be far too expensive and politically challenging to achieve. I was troubled that the plans allow 6 years to address traffic congestion. That feels like a"kick the can down the road" plan to be passed on to another commission like the sewer system mess was passed on to you. In addition to the traffic issues, there are issues with rights of landlords to manage their properties that could halt any desire for a developer to put up rental units. Between eviction moratoriums and limits on rental increases being implemented in the Puget Sound area, interest in developing rental housing may disappear, especially as infrastructure costs are to be paid by the developer. Look at the Shelton Springs project that was never built. There was comment from Ms. Hirschi that some of the property slated for development was not in the UGA. The only change I saw proposed was exchanging some State forest land for land not far from Romance Hill Road. Is that what she was referring to? If not, does this include a further expansion of the UGA? 1 I was quite surprised at the extent the downtown business district was to be changed, particularly the Clifton Road/Old Belfair Hwy/SR3 triangle. Without forcing out a number of businesses and leveling existing construction, I don't know how that plan could happen. Do the businesses in that area know what is planned?A used car business and gas station/mini mart doesn't fit the pedestrian friendly plan. Too much growth too fast could be very detrimental to Belfair and Mason County. This really does affect the whole county, so I hope the Mason County Commissioners will proceed very cautiously to avoid causing irreparable damage to a geat community in a beautiful area. Diane Hartley Grapeview 360.275.4835 z McKenzie Smith From: Marilyn Corrigan <mkcorr87@gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2022 10:22 PM To: Mark Neary; McKenzie Smith; krowan@masoncountywa.gov Cc: Randy Neatherlin; sharont@co.mason.wa.us; kevins@co.mason.wa.us Subject: Belfair Growth Plan Caution: External Email Warning!This email has originated from outside of the Mason County Network. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender, are expecting the email, and know the content is safe. If a link sends you to a website where you are asked to validate using your Account and Password, DO NOT DO SO! Instead, report the incident. Dear Ms Rowan, Thank you for the distribution of the Belfair'Final Planned Action for the Belfair Growth Plan and the limited opportunity to discuss it in this week's Commissioners Meeting. . ( I am hoping it will not be voted on next week, but presented with an opportunity for more community understanding) I appreciate all the work you and staff and consultants have done on this plan over the last few months and years. I know it was many hours of consultation and research. Please don't feel it was for naught! Studies of this sort, as you know, are difficult to put together, likely only understood by the participants, and hard to communicate. I am sure it was difficult and maybe unfair to be questioned at the last minute. I am a resident of Belfair, but not in the Urban Growth Area. I apologize for not being more aware of this document and its development. However, I am entreating you and the Commissioners to provide an open Forum to present this to the greater Mason Co community. It would help to bring us all up to speed and assure us we are all heading in the right direction -or at least understand the direction we are headed!!! Please understand, I am asking for information from you and the staff, not leveling criticism or opposition -and I want to know that the Commissioners are truly informed, not posturing for the public! Belfair Citizen, Marilyn Corrigan i McKenzie Smith From: Judy G Scott <ssconstruct@hotmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, February 8, 2022 12:12 PM To: McKenzie Smith Cc: Kell Rowen Subject: Commissioners on EIS Follow Up Flag: Follow up Flag Status: Completed Dear Commissioners, I must first state that I am stating my opinion personally not as a Port of Allyn commissioner, however, with that being said. On our Feb 7th meeting (Port of Allyn)I requested to put on the agenda and the commissioners statements were "we need more information to comment." Hence, my point, North Mason area needs more public forum and information to assess the potential changes. I am a stakeholder in the EIS process. I was notified but as a life long resident in this community. There needs to be more information and public process in this kind of decision. "Zoom" meeting may be convenient but it is not enough for good input. I recently receive the flyer, however it does not give enough time to respond with enough thoughtful responses. I was very pleased to hear that an EIS process was going to be done for potential developers, but how did the "rezoning" get in the mix and being pushed so quickly. I find it somewhat dismaying that the term "do nothing" as the first choice a misleading statement. It implies that those that support the growth levels with the zoning as it is are negative in their wanting to plan for growth. A more appropriate term should be "no Changes" . It is imperative that you make no decisions for rezoning at this point. Sincerely, Judy Scott Belfair UGA resident Residential and commercial property owner Judy Scott Re&ReaLEstBraker ssconstruct@hotmail.com 360-731-5298 i McKenzie Smith From: Brenda Hirschi <brendahirschi@comcast.net> Sent: Tuesday, February 8, 2022 1:48 PM To: Kevin Shutty; Randy Neatherlin; Sharon Trask; Mark Neary Subject: EIS for Belfair Planned Action Ordinance and Associated Amendments......... Dear Commissioners and Mr Neary: We are reaching out to you today to ask you to postpone your decision on the subject Public Hearing scheduled for February 15. We need more time to understand the full impact of this large document and the changes it would permit. We hope that you will take into consideration that two years of normal time isn't the same as two years with COVID's impact on our lives. We simply aren't living normal social lives. The other outreach that we'd like you to consider is extending to the rest of the county the same courtesy and information given to the 750 members of the Belfair community via the post card mentioned at your February 7 briefing. We live not far from Commissioner Trask off Lynch Road and frequently travel on Highway 3 to Kitsap County and the Narrows Bridge. Increased traffic through Belfair is a problem now and we'd like to know more about what impact we might expect. Please consider postponing the public hearing and set up workshops for the public to have an opportunity to better understand the three alternatives and ask questions. We thank each of you for your public service and recognize that you and the employees of Mason County have been through tough times during this pandemic. In fact, many members of our community have experienced illness and loss of friends and family. Now is a time for patience and grace. Sincerely, Brenda and Dean Hirschi 360-701-1932 i