Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Sewer Letters Received By Some Residents - 9/30/08

Sorry For the Late Update. "When are you going to provide an update on the sewer letter?" "When are you going to report on the Illahee Community meeting that was held on Sunday?" "This is a travesty for the county to give us no information and ask for a response by October 2." "Is someone going to request a hearing?" "Who is going to provide us information on sewers and the costs?" "Can you give us an example of a letter and where do we send it?" These are some of the responses to the sewer letter received by some Illahee residents last week and questions that were asked on Sunday.

What to do? Many residents in Illahee received a letter on Friday (9/26/08) advising them that stormwater and sewer lines being proposed for the Timbers Edge project was being routed near them. Others who lived near the proposed sewer line did not receive the letter. And many others, who are outside of the planned sewer lines, did not receive the letter and are wondering what this update is all about.

Timely Mailing? The letters were dated September 18, 2008 but were received by Illahee residents on Friday, September 26, 2008. That means it took 9 days to get a letter from Port Orchard to Illahee.

4 Day Response Time? Moreover, the letter requests a response from those living along the storm water line and the proposed one mile path of the sewer line to respond in writing by October 2, 2008, or in 6 days (4 working days) on a subject most don't know anything about as the impacts of what is being planned was not presented.

14 Days Notice Required? It is interesting that from what we understand, a 14 day minimum notice is required. One can only wonder what happened to providing residents proper and timely notice of such an important issue as the running of stormwater and sewer lines through a community.

Notice of Major Infrastructure Plans. One would expect more than just a timely notice of a major infrastructure plans for stormwater and sewers that have long and far reaching impacts for a community. One would expect a community meeting especially for sewers where the county explains their sewer plans to the community at large.

County Sewer Studies/Plans Available. We understand the county has had consultants working on sewer plans for areas around the county and that there is an approved plan for the area, which includes Illahee. In fact, we heard the county is including it in the Illahee Community Plan as it gets ready for final approval.

Meetings Requested. The Illahee Community Club hosted a Timbers Edge update meeting on 9/28/08 and the consensus of the residents in attendance was that they wanted to know from the county just what was being planned for Illahee, not just for this development, but also what the studies and long term plans are.

State Mandate for Public Sewer Meetings? One of the residents thought there are state requirements for public meetings for these kind of major infrastructure projects. They said RCW 36.70A.140 "Comprehensive plans - Ensure public participation" requires public meetings and that the sewer plans being developed are a continuation of the Comprehensive Plan Update from last year that was sent back to Kitsap County by the Growth Management Hearings Board. They felt that with there being sewer infrastructure plans, and a planned sewer project extending a mile through Illahee, that a public meeting was required.

What to do? The often repeated question is - What do we do now? The group that just met on Sunday suggested several things.

1. Inform our County Commissioner and the Department of Community Development about the lack of adequate and timely notice, well short of the 14 day requirement. Josh Brown is our County Commissioner and his phone number is 337-7146. Larry Keaton is head of DCD and his phone number is 337-7181. Their email addresses are noted in the Cc addresses.

2. Request the county schedule a stormwater and sewer infrastructure informational meeting to provide the community with needed information so residents can make an informed decision whether another Timbers Edge hearing is needed to discuss stormwater and sewer issues related to that project. Following the informational meeting let the county send out the Timbers Edge hearing notice in a timely manner such that meets the minimum 14 day requirement.

Get Legal Advice! The Illahee Community Club has retained attorney Ryan Vancil to represent them regarding the Timbers Edge development plans. Attendees at the Sunday meeting requested that Mr. Vancil be asked as to what the community should do next on the sewer issue. We have includes him as an addressee to this update and will pass on to the community any advice he provides.

Jim Aho

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Wildlife Update - 9/27/08

Send in Your Wildlife Reports. The wildlife updates are the reason many have requested to be on the Illahee Community Update list. We will try to keep these updates coming, but we need your input. And, don't hesitate to remind us as we receive many emails each day and sometimes important items get overlooked.

Bird Data Near Gilberton Creek. Vic Ulsh recently spoke with Kate Kuhlman of Great Peninsula Conservancy (GPC). GPC is working on potential grant opportunities which could lead to their acquisition of property at/near the mouth of Gilberton Creek. As you know, this creek was severely altered during last December's major flood event. GPC already owns land along this creek. They are contemplating additional land with hopes of habitat restoration work. One area of information which they are looking for assistance is any bird inventory data, including shore birds, in this area. Might anyone in the Illahee Community have any insight on bird activity near Gilberton Creek? Please provide feedback to Vic Ulsh at (360) 479-6900 or vic@bradleyscottinc.com

How Many Salmon Were There In Illahee Creek? The other day we noted that the community was trying to restore salmon to near historic levels and someone asked whether Illahee Creek was a significant salmon stream and just what were the historic levels. The text below is the answer we provided and now others are trying to talk with other old timers to see what they remember. Let us know if you have any additional historical fish information or information of on whether Dr. Schutt had salmon in his reservoir.

When I got involved with Illahee Creek that was one of my first thoughts was what was this stream like before the area was settled. Was this small stream, that flows year round, ever a significant salmon stream?

It does have a history of people getting salmon from it. Ed Fischer, who is now 94 years old, tells about going to LaMotte Creek (Illahee Creek) to get salmon for his mother to smoke and can. Other old timers talk about residents filling up wagons with salmon from the creek. Dr. Ray Schutt (who started the Schutt clinic) put in a small dam on the creek, which then was referred to a Schutt Creek. (Seems like the creek was named by whoever lived at the mouth, until it was finally officially named Illahee Creek.) There were reports of lots of fish and deep pools along the creek corridor during those intervening years, though evidently not the salmon runs of the earlier years.

Illahee Road was put in in the 1930's with two 36" culverts which were noted by some as being salmon barriers. They were replaced in 1999 with a box culvert 14' by 9' which was slowly been filling up with sediment. During the December 3, 2007 storm the culvert filled up almost to the top and was recently cleaned out by the county.

I don't think Illahee Creek was ever a big producer of salmon like some of the other creeks. Because it is a small stream it was likely very easy for early settlers to clean out the salmon. Ed Fischer said they would simply "scoop" the salmon out of the creek.

The salmon I have personally seen in the stream are chum and coho, and some pretty good sized ones at that. When the county cleaned out the culvert I got a chance to watch them move some of the coho fry from the upstream net past the work area and I, like the workers, were surprised by the numbers considering the Dec 3rd storms impact on the creek and culvert. Another of the old time residents who died a year ago and was in his 90's was Meredith Jones, a sheet metal planner and estimator, who talked about watching steelhead follow spawning salmon to eat their eggs. Something that can only probably be seen in small streams like Illahee Creek.

I think the reason for it not being a top producer is of its small size and short length, coupled with the fact that it was probably decimated early on by the locals taking too many of the easily accessible fish.
There have been a number of fisheries biologists who have looked at Illahee Creek over the years. The latest was part of a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant. They recommended the Schutt dam be taken out or broken up. They said the sedimentation problems have filled up the pools necessary for good salmon habitat. And they recommended that beaver be used to help with getting more pools in the creek. We will soon get another report regarding getting control of the stormwater surges as part of a Department of Ecology grant. Lots of action for a small stream, but if we don't do something we will end up with another road washout like happened with Gilberton Creek.

Owl Reports. We heard from residents near the 3rd Street wetland areas that they regularly see owls in the area, along with deer.

Squid Report. The squid being caught at the Illahee Community Dock the other night were plentiful, but small.

Cutthroat Jumping. Another report by a waterfront resident noted that cutthroat have been seen jumping along the shoreline.

Nudibranch at Brownsville Marina. This might be a new term for many. These are "soft-bodied, shell-less marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks, which are noted for their often extraordinary colors and striking forms." We saw one earlier this month at the Brownsville Marina and thought it worth including in this update, see attached photo. Jeff Adams of the UW Sea Grant program identified it for us as "Giant nudibranch - Dendronotus iris - to 12" long," and "...ideal underwater video subject, for either its feeding lunge at a tube-dwelling anemone or its entrancing dance in the water column, well off the bottom." Picture credits go to Bob Stephens of Knoxville, Tenn who was on the boat with us and had his camera ready. 

Jim Aho

Friday, September 26, 2008

Timbers Edge Update Meeting on Sunday - 9/26/08

Update Meeting Requested. Many of you have asked us to report how the Timbers Edge SEPA appeal is progressing. You are also asking if the funding is still coming in and some are asking if more money is needed. And then there is the issue of a new sewer line being run through historic Illahee, approximately one mile in length, that will impact the community. Many residents along the route received notices today (Friday) from Kitsap County of the proposed sewer line.

Meeting Scheduled. The Illahee Community has decided it is time for another meeting and has scheduled a meeting for Sunday (9/28/08) afternoon from 1:30 - 3 pm at the Sylvan Way library to discuss the issues and provide updates. They wanted to note that they tried to have a meeting last weekend but could not find a place to hold it.

Expert Witness Reports. The Community Club was unable to schedule several expert witnesses for the Timbers Edge hearing that was held on 8/28/08, primarily because they wanted to find the best experts available, and those people happen to be in high demand and are extremely busy and their calendars are scheduled out months in advance. The Hearing Examiner left the record open for expert reports until September 30, 2008. One expert is currently out of the country and is working on his report in Africa. We have included a pdf copy of one of the expert witness reports as an attachment to this update. We were quite impressed with his credentials and then the substance of his report.

Jim Aho

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Community Plan Approved - 9/23/08

Planning Commissioners Approve Illahee Plan. The Planning Commissioners approved the Illahee Community Plan on Tuesday morning by a vote of 7 for and 1 against. The Commissioner against the Plan was against the concept of community plans in general.

Survey Results. The results of the on-line survey were given to the Commissioners and the comment was made that 98% of the respondents approved of the community plan. We were given a copy of the responses to the questions after the meeting, which will be posted later on the county's website. The responses were interesting to read and they indicate diverse opinions, but nevertheless they were overwhelmingly in support of the Community Plan. We will provide a link later on the www.illaheecommunity.org website.

Tax Title Strip Issue Discussed. Several of the commissioners were concerned that "tax title strips" should not be given special status and the new language in the Plan, that went through county legal review, was questioned regarding its intent. The majority of the commissioners eventually voted to keep the language in the Plan as written.

Tree Preservation. One of the commissioners asked about the Tree Preservation Program and also asked why the Heritage Tree section was voluntary, thinking it should be mandatory. When it was explained that the community wanted a voluntary program rather than a mandatory program the issue went away.

Thanks to Katrina Knutson. Our planner through this process has been Katrina Knutson, who has been very diligent to make sure the public process was followed, and that everyones voice was heard. In the process she took some flak and abuse from both sides. She also helped guide the county's reviews, which covered a number of different departments. And once she had a document that satisfied the community and the county, she had to present it a number of times to the Planning Commission and respond to their questions and inquiries. She made sure no person or group dominated the conversations or the process. We think she was fair and impartial and worked for consensus and the desires and good of the Illahee Community. We couldn't ask for anything more and so we want to give this special note of gratitude and thanks to Katrina on behalf of the Illahee Community. Thank You!

One More Approval Needed. We now need to get the Illahee Community Plan approved by the Board of County Commissioners. Like with the Planning Commission, another public meeting will be held for people to express their views or concerns regarding the Plan. We will let you know the date. There is still the possibility of opposition at this public meeting, but with a 98% approval rating by those responding to the survey, coupled with the approval of the Planning Commission, we should be in a good position for approval, though as people know, anything can happen, especially at public meetings.

Plan is on the County Website. The Plan is on the county website under Subarea Plans, and then Illahee. There are a few minor edits and corrections that need to be made and the map in Figure 6.1 will need to be replaced with the approved map. We have requested several paper copies of the Plan be placed at the Sylvan Way Library once the minor edits are completed. We will also have it on the illaheecommunity.com website soon.

Jim Aho

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Miscellaneous Items - 9/21/08

Lengthy Update. We just looked over the contents of this Update, which is rather lengthy, and wish we were reporting on wildlife items instead. On the other hand, all these issues eventually affect wildlife in the area so they are important, just not the kind of issues anyone wants to spend much time on. We are looking forward to the day when items such as these are behind us.

Gilberton Creek Culvert Replacement. The Gilberton Creek culvert replacement project is progressing nicely. The 10 foot diameter culvert is installed and seems almost 200 feet long. We walked through it but by the time we got to the middle it is so dark we could barely see where we were walking. The bottom of the culvert is filled with sediment and rocks mimicking the stream bed upstream and downstream. There is a nice link at the illaheecommunity.com website to a Kitsap Sun video of the construction that has taken place.

Illahee Creek Culvert Cleanout. Kitsap County crews spent nearly two weeks cleaning out the sediment that had filled the Illahee Creek culvert. They also redirected the stream channel that had migrated south and was rechannelizing following the Dec 3rd storm, back into the old stream channel. We heard they encountered a significant number of fish in the process, moving them past the work area as the fish migrated downstream into a capture net. We checked the opening upstream at the culvert inlet following the cleanout and it was 56 inches rather than the 19 inches it had been before the cleanout work began. On Sunday 9/21/08 the sediment had already increased 18 inches at the culvert inlet and the clear opening was 38 inches. There evidently were some issues with the work going on as we heard the Department of Fish and Wildlife put a stop work order out and called for an investigation and we are waiting to hear officially what those issues are.

Raised Flood Plain. Many of those who look at the situation at the Illahee Creek culvert wonder what can be done when the flood plain raises like it did during the December 3rd storm, reportedly 18 inches. When the storm raised the flood plain it nearly filled the culvert and did fill the old stream channel such that a new channel was formed to the south of the old channel and next to the new house structure. The county is hoping by cleaning out the culvert and redirecting the stream (by cleaning out the sediment that filled the old stream channel), that this will prevent a complete failure of the culvert.

Solution or Temporary Fix? - The problem that many see is that sediment is still being flushed down Illahee Creek by unchecked stormwater and will likely fill up the newly dug out culvert and stream bed. The problem is the flood plain upstream of the culvert has also raised by a like amount, possibly around 18 inches, and it becomes impossible to dig out the whole upstream flood plain. And thus the reason continually digging out the culvert sediment is considered a temporary fix.

Long Term Fixes Required. The consensus of many is that the sedimentation problems of Illahee Creek need to be resolved as soon as possible. The Port of Illahee grant with the Department of Ecology will soon identify long term fixes required to control the sedimentation problems. Sedimentation control is the first long term fix that needs to begin once the corrections are identified. The second concurrent long term fix is a likely culvert replacement or a bridge structure along with a corresponding raised road bed, which are the only known long term options identified to date when working with a raised flood plain.

Hearing Notice on McWilliams Road. We have been advised that there is a new hearing notice posted on McWillams Road. It evidently is for another reasonable use permit to go into the wetland buffer area north of McWilliams road where the vehicles are parked. This is the wetland area at the headwater of the North Tributary to Illahee Creek. This tributary supplies about a significant portion of the baseflow to Illahee Creek and residents in the area are wondering why we have wetland regulations since all the requests to go into the buffer areas seem to be approved. After watching what happened to the 3rd Street wetlands the residents aren't sure wetlands get any protection by the county. The hearing scheduled for Sept 25th at 10 a.m. in the Commissioners' Chambers in Port Orchard. Residents are reportedly looking at the file contents sometime before Thursday's hearing and if we get a report from them we will pass it on.

New Sewer Notice & Hearing? We think there will be a sewer hearing notice going to residents along the proposed sewer route that extends from the Timbers Edge project to the Illahee North sewer pump station. The county failed to give notice of the sewer line that is part of the Timbers Edge project and now has agreed to let adjoining residents know of the sewer line. The county is also giving the residents a 14 day time span should a property owner along the route want to request a hearing, as long as the request is in writing.

Should Residents Request a Hearing? Since the county staff has already recommended approval the running of a sewer line through Illahee, does it do any good for residents to request a hearing? Some residents feel they have no say, while others are wanting more information about what is being proposed and wonder how this will affect them now and in the future. And, some say what is being planned is inappropriate. Bottom line is that only the residents along the route will be able to request a hearing on the sewer and stormwater plans.

Another SEPA Appeal? The sewer notice will likely also note that a SEPA appeal can be filed with a $500 fee. The Illahee Community Club wants residents to know that the Club has already filed a SEPA appeal with the county on this project, which includes the sewer plans. The hearing was held on August 28th, with many of the Club's expert witnesses preparing written reports because they were unavailable for the rushed hearing, and are to have their reports in by September 30th. There is no reason for residents to file another SEPA appeal as far as we can determine. If residents are unfamiliar with the Club's appeal, they can contact any of the Club's board members.

Illlahee Community Plan News. We heard several of the Planning Commission members toured Illahee on Friday morning, in preparation for their deliberations on the Illahee Community Plan which is to take place on Tuesday, September 23rd, beginning at 9 am in the Commissioners' Chambers. The Planning Commission public comment period is over but the public can attend the meeting to watch the deliberations. The Planning Commission will then make a recommendation to the County Commissioners, who will have the final say on the Plan. For anyone that is available, this may be an interesting meeting to attend to see how the Planning Commission views the Plan and also to see how they will vote. Note that we were hoping the final plan would have been available on the county website by now. We will have someone at the county on Monday morning who will hopefully be able to pick up a paper copy and also an electronic copy for posting on the Illahee community website, which is www.illaheecommunity.com.

Woods View Decision on Monday. The Illahee Community has been watching the Woods View project proceedings in South Kitsap with a number of Illahee residents attending the various hearings. The County Commissioners will be giving their decision on this project on Monday evening (9/22/08) at 7 pm. They have asked us to stand with them as a sign of support at the meeting. Their website address is www.bccg.org for more information.

Jim Aho

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Responses to Last Update - 9/16/08

Another Update Requested. We again have been asked to update the community, but this time in response to the Update that was sent out on Monday.

Sensitive Update? Many times we send out updates with no responses, but this time we received phonecalls and emails, so something we wrote was sensitive or misunderstood, and in this case evidently both.

People Were Upset! We had people who liked the Update and those who were upset that we sent it to Kitsap County personnel and that we included sensitive financial information.

Some Liked It. Not only did some residents like the Update, they also wanted to send in checks to help with the effort.

Upset With It Going to the County. Others were upset that we supposedly gave the county ICC appeal strategy information. They feel the county is working hand in hand with the developer and are not watching out for the interests of the community. Some of the Illahee residents attending the hearing were surprised when they were told that Ron Templeton was not a county attorney as they watched county staff personnel concur with him over and over during the hearing. Ron was the applicant's attorney.

Note: The attorney confusion is understandable as we have seen this behaviour before. We understand the staff's desire to promote a development they have been working on, but we feel they should be neutral once the project gets to a hearing. Up until the time of the hearing they have been the recipients of the developer's side of the story, and even after SEPA comments are received, any changes are based on the developer's interpretation. It isn't until the project is somewhat finalized that the community finally gets a chance to see what it looks like, and in this case for two weeks, if all the files are available.

The Rest of the Story. Once the community gets a chance to see what the project impacts are they then have a short opportunity to present their side of the story. After all, they have to live with the results of a development for years, and from just the effects of stormwater, Illahee residents have little confidence that the county has their long term interests at heart. This is where the community wishes the county would take a neutral stance. Up until the hearing everything on the project is filtered through what the developer wants to do. The hearing is when the community gets a chance to comment on the project and the effects on the community. The community has only a few days available to look at the projects impacts, pay the appeal fees, and expects a fair hearing to present its side of the story, without seemingly fighting both the developer and the county. The community thinks at this point the county should step back and listen to the "rest of the story," wanting what is ultimately what is best for both, but also realizing the community should have a majority say since they have to ultimately live with the project.

Sensitive Financial Information. And there were those upset that we had included sensitive financial information. Some felt the email that we saw was privileged information. Some felt that it gave a message to the county and developer that the community was not receiving enough funds to continue the appeal. On the other hand others we amazed at the amount of money that had been raised in such a short time considering the community does not have any rich benefactors and all the money is coming in in relatively small gifts and some from monthly contributions.

Differing Interpretations. We were surprised at the differing interpretations of the financial information and thus the main reason for this follow-up Update.

A Clarification of Yesterday's Update Regarding Finances. In yesterday's Update, we had no intention of sending a message that the community was even considering abandoning its appeal. We stated that the ICC was sending out another appeal for funds, and that the funds were coming in. Raising funds to continue to litigate this appeal will likely be an ongoing process and the community is responding. The ICC only wanted to make sure people got the message that funds had come in and to let everyone know that the cost of a lawyer and expert witnesses were substantial and they appreciate the community's past and future support.

Community Desires Reiterated. It is clear from the responses we are getting that while there are some who would like to stop the project, the majority just want it done right, primarily with a lower density and less impact to the stream and the aquifers.

A Lengthy But Necessary Response. This is a lengthy response to all those who reacted positively or negatively to the previous update, and we hope this helps put things into perspective. We do try to listen to your comments. Please keep them coming, especially when you disagree.

Jim Aho

Monday, September 15, 2008

Timbers Edge Report - 9/15/08

Report Requested. We have been asked to report on what is happening with the ongoing Timbers Edge hearing that started on August 28th. We attended a recent strategy meeting and have some pertinent news and information to share.

Record to Remain Open Until September 30th. The hearing record was agreed to be kept open because not all of the Illahee Community Club's expert witnesses were not available for the hearing. The dates agreed upon were for the Illahee Community to submit their expert witness reports by September 30th. The applicant would then have until October 15th to rebut those comments, and closing arguments would then be submitted by October 30th.

Sewer Plans Not Properly Noticed. The Illahee Community Club (ICC) contended that the sewering of Illahee was not properly noticed as the Timbers Edge notice only went to those within 400 feet of their project areas. The Hearing Examiner asked the two lawyers to work out how they wanted to handle the County's oversight, which was done with a "Stipulation" document.

Notice to Property Owners Coming? The stipulation was signed by the lawyers on September 4th and states that notice should have been issued to the property owners along the sewage and storm water lines for the project. It further calls for a 14 day period after notice is given, for property owners to comment and a possible hearing will only scheduled if a property owner so requests. The ICC is waiting to see if the county has agreed to the stipulation document, and then needs to see if any property owner(s) request a hearing.

Expert Witness Reports. Because of the pending September 30th deadline the ICC is actively working with experts to obtain expert reports. While a month to contact these people and request reports seemed more than adequate during the hearing, it is a relatively short time span for many professionals who are booked up months in advance. They nevertheless appear at this point to have some commitments to have some reports by the September 30th deadline.

ICC Traffic Expert. At the August 28th hearing, the ICC's traffic expert, Robert Bernstein, reported significant traffic safety issues with the project, which the residents who live along Fir Drive were well aware of. In legal cases it takes the experts to tell the Hearing Examiner what the impacts are and if they are significant, as was accomplished by Mr. Bernstein. 

Other Experts? The ICC is looking at other expert witnesses to cover the areas of fisheries biologist (secured), geological engineer (discussing price), stormwater engineer (secured), hydrologist (a commitment, but currently on travel), waste water engineer (ongoing discussions), culvert/bridge design engineer (still searching for one), and architects (possible contacts identified).

Residents Upset and Responding. The ICC folks tell us Illahee residents decided to fight the development because of the small lots and tightly spaced houses and their concerns for their neighborhoods and Illahee Creek. They also noted that the residents have committed financially to the effort.

Thank You For Supporting the Appeals!!! The ICC thanks the community for the moral encouragement and financial support for these appeals.

Let the ICC Know Your Thoughts. The ICC Board of Directors would like to know what your thoughts and comments are regarding these legal actions and any other thoughts on what you would like to see the Illahee Community Club accomplish. You can do so with letters to the ICC, P.O. Box 2563, Bremerton, WA 98310 or simply respond via email to this update, and we will pass the information on.

Jim Aho

Friday, September 12, 2008

Planning Commission Meeting - 9/10/08

Planning Commission Meeting. The Planning Commission heard public testimony regarding the Illahee Community Plan on Tuesday evening (9/9/08). There were only a couple of Illahee residents who spoke, though others were in the audience and ready to speak if they thought it necessary.

Decision on September 23rd. There were few comments or questions for the speakers and the Planning Commission will deliberate and come to a decision at their next meeting on September 23, 2008. The next step will be a public meeting before the County Commissioners.

No Opposition. Someone commented that after nearly 3 years of working on the plan, sending it out to the community for comments at every opportunity, and incorporating nearly every comment, and then giving it to the county to go through their public process, that there shouldn't be any opposition, and there wasn't.

Thanks to the County Planners. The community thanked Katrina Knutson and Jonathan Pavy for all their work in getting the Plan through the first stage of the public and county processes. The second stage will be a public meeting before the County Commissioners.

Personal Comments. My personal comments, after working with the community on the Plan from the very beginning, are as as follows:

I thank the Port of Illahee and specifically Dennis Sheeran for co-chairing the initial efforts that got the Illahee subarea planning process started.

I thank all those Illahee citizens who responded to that first questionnaire that appeared in their paper boxes and door steps, for their thoughtful responses and suggestions.

I thank the nearly 100 residents who indicated on the questionnaire that they would be members of a Citizens Advisory Group to work on the Plan.

I thank all those who wrote, modified, edited and otherwise contributed to the various drafts that were prepared over the past almost three years.

I thank those who continued on with the process through the county's Citizen Advisory Group to see the Plan to completion.

I thank all those individuals who contributed financially to cover the expenses such as printing costs of the various drafts of the Plan, along with the help received from the Port of Illahee, the Illahee Forest Preserve, and the Illahee Community Club. As the county knows those printing costs are considerable.

I thank Laurie Jones, our Illahee website administrator, who posted copies of the Illahee Plan on our website, illaheecommunity.com, thereby making the Plan available to more people.

I especially thank our primary editors of the final draft copy that was given to the county, Mary Ann Wright and Vicki Bartlett. They did an unbelievable job of making things read and look right.

I thank the county for accepting so much of what the community prepared and wrote.

I thank the county commissioners, especially in 2006, who patiently listened to Illahee citizens come before them with studies supporting zoning requests, and for their granting the majority of them.

I thank past County Commissioner Patty Lent and the county planning staff who first met with us for the support of the various maps that were needed for the Plan. Without the maps we would not have been able to proceed.

I thank Cindy Read for the excellent job of preparing the numerous maps that are in the Plan that really tell the Illahee story.

I thank the current commissioners and specifically Josh Brown for including the Illahee Community Plan to be reviewed in 2008.

And finally, I thank the people of Illahee for their community spirit and insightful thinking that brought forth a Plan that represents the will of the majority of Illahee citizens.

Jim Aho

Monday, September 8, 2008

Miscellaneous Items - 9/8/08

Tuesday Meeting. The Planning Commission's public meeting to review the Illahee Community Plan is Tuesday evening, September 9, 2008 in the Commissioners' Chambers in the County Administration building in Port Orchard.

Meeting Start Time? The meeting begins at 6:30 pm but we are unsure exactly when the Illahee Plan will come up. The county's website notes the Illahee Plan will be discussed at 7:30 pm. If we find there is a better schedule we will provide another update.

Can't Make The Meeting? We have been contacted by a number of people who have indicated they cannot make the Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday for a variety of reasons and have asked us if they should send an email to the Planning Commission. We asked the question and presume the best way is to email our county planner, Katrina Knutson, to indicate your support of the Plan. Her email address is KKnutson@co.kitsap.wa.us.

Gilberton Creek Culvert Progress. There has been significant progress with the Gilberton Creek culvert replacement at the Gilberton Creek washout along Illahee Road. Last week the first half of the culvert was installed, and we presume the other half is being installed today, Monday.

Illahee Creek Culvert Cleanout. The County has been working to cleanout the Illahee Creek culvert that nearly filled up during the December 3, 2007 storm. They are also cleaning out the stream channel that filled up with sediment and created stream passage issues for fish. The hopes are that this will prevent a washout of the culvert once the winter storms begin.

Illahee Creek Salmon. The County has encountered a relatively large number of salmon inhabiting Illahee Creek and are moving them around their work areas to the lower part of the creek. We looked at one of the salmon fry and thought is was a chum salmon, but after talking with fisheries biologists believe they are coho salmon getting ready to go to the salt water after spending nearly a year in the stream.

Jim Aho

Upcoming Sept 9 Planing Commission Meeting - 9/4/08

Meeting Reminder. This is a reminder that the Illahee Community Plan will be discussed at the next Planning Commission Meeting.

Public Meeting for Community Input. This is a public meeting and an opportunity for the public to express to the Planning Commission their thoughts on the Plan.

Meeting is September 9th at 6:30 pm. The Planning Commission meets on Tuesday evening the 9th of September beginning at 6:30 pm in the Commissioner's Chambers of the new County Administration Building in Port Orchard.

Two Items on Agenda. Note that the Planning Commission will also be discussing the Waaga Way extension during the meeting so depending on how many people are attending that portion of the meeting, the seating my be tight for awhile.

Please Attend if Possible. It is important that as many Illahee residents as possible attend the meeting to show your support of the Plan that has taken nearly three years, and input from many citizens, to complete.

Final Draft Copies Available Soon. We have heard that CDs of the plan will soon be available, along with a number of paper copies for review at the reference desk of the Sylvan Way library, and that the final draft version will also be on the county's and community's websites.

Questionnaire Still Available? We also think the questionnaire will be available until September 9th for those who have not completed it yet.

Comments? As always, your comments are welcome.

Jim Aho

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Miscellaneous Items - 9/2/08

Sept 9, 2008 Planning Commission Meeting. The Illahee Community Plan will have a public hearing before the Kitsap County Planning Commission one week from today, on Tuesday (9/9/08) evening at 6:30 pm (with the Illahee Plan tentatively scheduled to start at 7:30). The Plan was briefed to Commission members on 8/26/08 by Katrina Knutson. The auditory recording of that briefing (21 minutes into the recording) is available at the county website under the Planning Commission. This is the first of two public hearings on the Plan, the second being before the County Commissioners. It is important to show community support for the Plan since opponents will often wait until public meetings to voice any discontent.

Amazing Illahee Wildlife Story. This story about a deer and raccoon working together was amazing and we wanted to share it with the community.

Just a note to say that "my big buck" payed another visit to my yard this week. He is just fantastic…tall,3 prongs and happy to trim my blackberries for me. So what if he takes a few nibbles of the roses and honeysuckle as he works his way through my yard! Not long ago he paired up with a raccoon in a real Bonnie and Clyde act. He led the way out of the greenbelt followed closely by the coon. They strolled over to my neighbors apple tree which the coon proceeded to climb and shake the apples down for the deer to eat! I am also just under the flight path for the bald eagle that roosts above RueVilla. How wonderful it is to live in this beautiful area. ......


Timbers Edge Update. We have been getting some inquiries regarding what the next steps are for the Illahee Community regarding the Timbers Edge development and more specifically, what is happening with the hearing that was held on the 28th of August. We are collecting comments from those who attended the hearing and others and will put the information together later.

Save Illahee Signs. We noticed several "Save Illahee" signs the other day. We just found out Judith Krigsman has 12 remaining signs available for $12 each.

New Sewer Trunk Line Through Illahee. The Timbers Edge development calls for the running of a public sewer main through Illahee, from approximately Nobles Lane, down Fir Drive, and then north through historic Illahee, to the Illahee North sewer pump station. There was no public notice of this pressurized trunk line except for those parcels around the Timbers Edge development area and the stormwater outfall located near the mouth of Illahee Creek. The Illahee Community Club feels that the residents affected by the public sewer line also need to be notified as County Code states that those within 200 feet of a public sewer are required to hook up, even though that law is not currently being enforced. This issue was briefly discussed at the Timbers Edge hearing and is to be discussed amongst the lawyers and county this week.

Major Impacts Require Public Notice and Hearings. When impacts to the community of this magnitude are being planned the community needs to given public notice and an opportunity for public hearings to understand the impact on affected residents and the community at large.

Jim Aho