Miscellaneous - 5-14-11

Where Are The Updates?  We have been asked about when the Updates will resume, so it must be time to continue them.  We had a nice trip around the Baltic Sea, visiting and touring in Germany, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark.  We were surprised at the low salinity and lack of tidal fluctuations in the Baltic Sea.  After the trip I ended up with pneumonia and have finally recovered enough to want to sit at my computer.  Not too many items to report so should be able to catch up with all I know in this Update. 

Fawn Reports.  Two sets of twin fawns have been reported, with one being hit by a car last Saturday just south of University Point.  Some gardeners are reporting daily and nightly visits by deer and are realizing they need to get nets up if anything is going to survive.

Gosling Report.  Not as many young Canada goose goslings reported, possibly because some of the seagulls are reportedly getting them when they are really small.  We have seen this ourselves a few years ago where the goslings were swimming in a line between the two parent geese, and a seagull quickly swims up and takes a gosling before the adult geese can react.

Baby Possums.  We had two reports of strange looking rat type creatures, which of course were small baby possums.  These babies are cute when they are small and we have been surprised that cats seem to leave them alone. 

Humming Bird Report.  We received the following email regarding a large hummingbird:

Today 5-4-11, I saw or at least what I thought was the largest Hummingbird I have ever seen around this area (off of Wise Street). It seems to be about 4 or 5 inches long. Has a dark hood with white stripe from back of eye to back of head. Body is green, but may have dark/ Dk Blue back. I think at times you can see a red spot on the forehead area.  It perches on on top of a 40 to 50 foot ceder tree of a neighbor. Attached are photos taken through a telescope. I could not ID this bird. See attachment.

Beverly Deitch Obituary.  Received the following note while on our trip and heard a number of Illahee residents attended the memorial service.

Just to let you know that Bev Deitch has passed away.  Her obituary appeared in the Kitsap Sun this morning (Thursday) . We are saddened to learn of her passing. 

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/apr/27/beverly-ann-deitch-77/

Commissioner Brown's May Newsletter Mentions Illahee Film.  There is a nice write-up about what is happening in Illahee in Josh Brown's May newsletter, which can be read by clicking on the following link:  

http://www.kitsapgov.com/boc/Newsletter/May%202011%20Newsletter.pdf

Garden Tour?  Have not had a chance to find out if a determination has been made about an Illahee garden tour this summer.

Jim Aho

Commissioner's Meeting and Annexation Issues - 2-12-11

Commissioner Agenda Items.  We noticed two Kitsap County Commissioner agenda items of interest to Illahee that we wanted to pass on.  The link to the agenda is:  http://kitsapgov.com/boc/2011%20Agendas/Regular%20Meeting/2011_2-14-11%20AGENDA.pdf

Rolling Hills Golf Course.  The first agenda item of interest is a contract amendment to the Rolling Hills Golf Course agreement.  When the contract to accept the gift of the golf course didn't complete in December it had us worried, but we understand everything has now been worked out and we are glad to see this item on the agenda.  We have been told that March 18th is the date to hold open in our schedules, so we think this will be the date of the actual transfer, but we will tell you more when we find out.  Below is the agenda item to be discussed at the Commissioner's meeting.

Contract amendment with Rolling Hills Golf Course Partnership (KC-

343-10-A) to accept gift of Rolling Hills Golf Course. Fiscal Impact: N/A. 

Staff Contact: Nancy Buonanno Grennan, 337-4403.

Comprehensive Plan Changes.  Every year changes can be made to the County's Comprehensive Plan, but they need to be identified early (most are already listed and any new itemssome by March 8th) so they can go through the lengthy public process.  The notice of this amendment process is made by a resolution that will discussed on Monday.  The agenda item for this is:

Public hearing to consider a Resolution providing the initial docket for 2011 

potential amendments to the Kitsap County Comprehensive Plan, Land Use and 

Zoning Maps, and Corresponding Development Regulations. Fiscal Impact: 

N/A. Staff Contact: Scott Diener, 337-4966

Interesting Kitsap Sun Article.  We read with interest the following linked article (along with the comments) as this is something Illahee could face in the future:

Island Lake residents cool to idea of being part of new city of Silverdale

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/feb/11/island-lake-residents-cool-to-silverdale/

Incorporation & Annexation Discussions.  We find the discussions of incorporation and annexation both interesting and concerning as Illahee's southern region is in the East Bremerton urban growth area, and its center and north part in the Central Kitsap (Silverdale) urban growth area.  Theoretically this could mean the Illahee Community could be split up with one area eventually being annexed to Bremerton, and the other larger area eventually being annexed to Silverdale (presuming it will someday become its own city).  Or if the Barker Creek corridor is recognized as an urban separator between Bremerton and Silverdale, could it become part of Bremerton?  The problem becomes more complex when school districts are considered as Illahee is split between the Bremerton and CK school districts.  As you can see the issues are complex.

Experts At Feb 23 Community Meeting?  There have been suggestions that experts give us their thoughts at the Illahee Community Meeting being held at the library on the evening of February 23rd.  We agree and want experts who can talk about the Growth Management Act, our urban growth boundaries, and what the annexation issues and laws are.

KRCC Citizen Input.  One Illahee resident gave a response to the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council suggesting Illahee be removed from the urban growth area.  Is this another possibility?  Would this resolve Illahee's dilemma of being in two urban growth areas?  This is another question we would like to have the experts respond to.

Sent From Minnesota.  This update is being sent from Minnesota where the temperatures have been chilling but finally are today above freezing.

Jim Aho

Two Monday Meetings - 8/23/10

Newspaper Articles Re Golf Course Gift.  There were a number of newspaper articles this week regarding the Rolling Hills Golf Course Gift, including an editorial in Sunday's Kitsap Sun, see the link: 

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/aug/21/our-view-more-reasons-to-applaud-the-rolling/    Also, we were impressed by the article in Saturday's Kitsap Sun by Brynn Grimley who had a great understanding of just why the golf course gift was especially appreciated by the Illahee Community.  The link to her article is: http://pugetsoundblogs.com/peninsular-thinking/2010/08/19/rolling-hills-more-than-a-golf-course-to-illahee-community/

Two Important Monday Meetings.  How can it be that after months with no Illahee meetings, that two important meetings that residents should attend, are scheduled on the same evening, Monday, August 23, 2010?

Quarterly Illahee Community Meeting.  The quarterly meeting of the Illahee Community Club schedules its meetings on weeknight evenings at the library and also asked Kitsap County reps to present information on the Shoreline Master Program update, which will begin at 6:15 pm.  This should be a great opportunity for residents to have an input in what they want for their shoreline areas.  They will also likely discuss the petition drive that stalled and is projected to resume soon.

County Commissioner's Meeting Also Meets Monday.  The reason that there should be a representation at the Commissioner's meeting that meets at 7 pm in Port Orchard is that they will be signing the agreement to accept the Rolling Hills Golf Course on Monday.  We just received a draft copy of a letter to the editor they want someone to read at Monday evening's meeting - someone who is not planning on attending the meeting at the library.  We took the liberty of printing the draft copy below, though remember it is still a draft.   

        August 23, 2010

Letter to the Editor:

        Thank you Don Rasmussen and Kerma Peterson, for your extraordinary and especially generous gift of the Rolling Hills Golf Course!  

Illahee has become a recreational destination in Kitsap County and the greater West Sound area in a large part because of your work in establishing a premier and affordable community golf course.  While Illahee’s unique topography has limited development, it has fostered some incredible recreational opportunities such as the golf course, Illahee State Park, the Illahee Preserve, and the Port’s Community Dock, making this area and Kitsap County a great place to live. 

The Illahee Community appreciates your incredible gift and forward thinking that preserves Rolling Hills as a golfing jewel for future generations, and at the same time ensures the continuation of the “meals on wheels” program for seniors throughout the area.  Your gift will also help us eventually control of the storm water surges that pollute Illahee Creek and Puget Sound.

Thank you Don and Kerma, and also Commissioner Josh Brown for working with you to make it happen!

Barney Bernhard, for the Illahee Community Club

Help Requested.  If anyone could help out by attending the Commissioner's meeting in Port Orchard on Monday evening, and at the end of the meeting during the public comment time, read the above letter or a similar version, it would be greatly appreciated.  Let us know if you can help and we will pass the information on the the ICC officers.

Tall Ships At Brownsville.  We were fortunate to be out boating by the tall ships on Friday and took some pictures, including the one below.  

Jim Aho

Possible Appeal of BOCC Decision? - 11/2/09

Commissioners' Denial of Community Appeal. On October 26, 2009 the County Commissioners signed the denial of the Community's appeal of aspects of the Timbers Edge project. Once that document was signedthe community has 21 days in which an appeal can be submitted.

Will the Community Appeal the Decision? That is the question that has been asked by many as the article in the Kitsap Sun said the residents were upset with the decision.

Decision Up To Community. It appears, from the information sheet being distributed, that the Illahee Community Club Board of Directors is leaving that decision up to the Illahee Community.

What Happened That Was Upsetting? That is the other question we have been asked and we will attempt to answer it. We know the commissioners did not address all the issues raised by the community, which was one problem. The second appears to be, what has been described as the "wishy washy and weasel word" language of the new condition proposed by the developer and essentially repeated word for word in Commissioner Brown's added condition to the project. Evidently the Community had suggested more definitive language and an added condition, but their request was totally dismissed or ignored. They expected that at least one of their recommendations to be included in the final writeup since Commissioner Brown requested the Community comment on the Developers new proposal. And what was worse was when Commissioner Brown chastised their lawyer for not commenting on the new proposal, which led many to wonder if Commissioner Brown had even read the Community's input. They feel without definitive language in the proposal there are no assurances Illahee Creek's baseflow will be protected. We think that is a fair summation of what happened, based on talking with those who attended the hearing and our viewing of the recordings on BKAT. We have taped the meetings in case anyone is interested.

Mailed Written Decision? We think the written decision will soon be received by the parties of record. We obtained a pdf file of the decision and have attached it to this email for those who won't get it.

Community Appeal Letter. The letter being distributed and sent out to residents and others interested in what is happening in Illahee is provided below. It is self explanatory. It will be interesting to see what the community decides to do.

Jim Aho

ILLAHEE COMMUNITY CLUB - P.O. BOX 2563 - BREMERTON, WA 98310

TO OUR NEIGHBORS ~ The recent decision by our Board of Commissioners approving the Timber’s Edge Project isastonishing. Not seriously considering many issues the ICC brought forth in our appeal on behalf of the residents of the Illahee Community is unacceptable. The Commissioners added modified conditions, but then used ambiguous unenforceable language (with the goal of, with the intent of, to the extent feasible), and then discounted the other six appeal items, and possibly far more serious issues to many residents, such as road and traffic safety, possible storm water runoff, and Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO) standards.

The Illahee Community Club (ICC) voted to continue to support the community’s desires with the Timbers Edge project providing sufficient financial support is received or pledged.

The estimated cost for this next round of legal endeavors will be roughly $15,000, and somewhat less if we only appeal to the Shorelines Hearings Board (SHB). In order to reach this goal, we are in need of immediate and pledged financial contributions. According to our attorney, we have 21 days to respond with legal action once the Board of County Commissioner’s written denial has been received by our counsel. The appeal deadline date appears to be November 19, 2009.

We need to advise everyone that this will not stop Timbers Edge, but rather will hopefully allow it to be further conditioned to minimize its negative impacts. We also hope it may help convince the developer to acknowledge the community’s desires and build a lower density development as stated in our Proposal Letter to him. As stated by an Illahee resident “If Mr. James would accept the Community’s proposal, the Illahee Community will help him sell his homes.”

The ICC Board has already pledged nearly $1,500 to show their support. Several have committed to $30 a month for 6 months, while others have pledged outright gifts of $200 & $300. If just 75 families gave $200 we would meet our goal. If 25 gave $200 we should have enough for the SHB appeal.

Any contribution is appreciated during these tough times. And we thank you now for anything you are able to give!! We would like all of you to become Active (voting) Members in the ICC. A yearly membership per individual or family is only $10, and in joining us you can add you name to the many who support our vision and purposes.

Our annual meeting will be November 14, 2009 starting at 1:30 pm at the Sylvan Way Library. Timber’s Edge issues will be addressed at this meeting along with other community issues.

Should by some magnanimous decision by Mr. James, the developer, agree to the community’s desires and build a lower density development with sustainable environmental choices, we would only need a portion of the pledged funds to pay the legal fees to that point, with any remaining going to support those issues which we have defined by our vision and purposes.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ICC is a non-profit organization. All contributions are tax deductable, as allowed by law.

Financial support in the amount of $_____________ is pledged to the ICC.

We Pledge this: Monthly _______ ( 6 months) Monthly ________ (12 months)

One Time Contribution $ ________________

Name _________________________________ Email ____________________________________

Address _______________________________________________________ Zip Code __________

Phone Number __________________________

PLEASE MAIL THIS TO THE ICC (to address above) OR BRING TO THE ANNUAL MEETING.

COMMENTS APPRECIATED AND DESIRED

Legal Issues Update - 9/28/09

TIMBERS EDGE

 

Timbers Edge Decision?  There was NO decision at Monday evening's County Commissioner's meeting, much to the disappointment of those in attendance, on both sides. 

 

Discussion Focused on New Conditions Proposed by Applicant.  Seems Commissioner Brown wanted to make some modifications to two of the Hearing Examiner's Conditions based on a new proposal by the applicant at the Hearing 4 weeks ago.  He had been working with DCD staff to come up with new language to reflect the applicant's new infiltration proposal.

 

Copies Passed Out.  When the discussion began, Commissioner Brown had copies of the modified conditions passed out to the other Commissioners and to those in the audience.  It was difficult to review the new conditions on such short notice since we didn't have copies of the old conditions, though we think we understand it now.  The explanation of what was happening, was not clear to many of the Illahee residents attending, and it also appeared to take the other Commissioners by surprise.

 

Attorney Comments.  Following some discussion, the attorney for the applicant (Timbers Edge) and the attorney for the appellant (the Illahee Community Club) were allowed to comment.  Mr. Templeton, the Timbers Edge attorney, basically agreed with the conditions but we felt back-peddled on some items.  We wanted to review his comments this evening, but the meeting was not on BKAT as scheduled, and was therefore not recorded by us.  Mr. Ryan Vancil, attorney for the Illahee Community Club, said the language of the modified conditions was not very clear as to what would be allowed and went on to say that issues like this should go back to the Hearing Examiner, where they can be properly discussed.  He also reminded the Commissioners that this new modification covered only one of the issues of concern to the Illahee Community.  Based on the discussion that followed, it appears Mr. Brown had picked this one issue out as his primary focus of the appeal, and didn't appear to be concerned about any of the other issues.

 

Friday Deadline.  The two sides were given until close of business on Friday (10/2/09) to respond in writing to the new conditions that were proposed.

 

Copy Provided.  We have scanned the handout as an image attachment and will try to get a more readable copy later.

 

 ILLAHEE BEACH NOURISHMENT

 

Thursday (10/1/09) Illahee Beach Nourishment Hearing.  The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) HPA Appeals Coordinator, Lisa Wood, has scheduled the Illahee Community Club's informal appeal to Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 1:00 pm at the WDFW field office in Port Orchard, which is at 502 High Street, Suite 112.

 

Letter Attached.  We have attached the letter regarding the hearing.  We also hope to have time to provide the community more information on what is being proposed, but right now our attention is on responding to the curve thrown us at the Commissioners meeting.

 

Jim Aho

Appeal Hearing Report, Finally - 9/4/09

Commissioner Hearing 8/24/09.  We are slow in reporting on the Illahee Community Club's appeal hearing before the County Commissioners that took place the evening of August 24, 2009.  There were approximately 30 Illahee residents in attendance, with some of them wearing the bright orange Illahee tee shirts that were passed out during Illahee Day's cleanup event.  Below and attached are photos taken at hearing. 

 

Attorney's Briefs and Arguments.  We felt booth attorney's did a good job in presenting their clients cases.  It was interesting that the developer's attorney highlighted an exhibit that came in after the hearing, while the record was being held open, as the basis for possible new mitigation, which the community felt was a new argument since they never got an opportunity to respond to it.

 

New Argument Raised at Hearing.  What we and the community found most disturbing at the hearing was that a new argument was allowed to be raised by the developer at a closed record hearing.  Attorney for the developer, Ron Templeton, offered up the new mitigation possibility during his presentation time, and followed it up with an email to the Commissioners the following day. 

 

Community's Response to New Argument.  We received a copy of the Community's response to the new argument, which has in it the mitigation proposal presented by Mr. Templeton.  The Community's response brief reads as follows:

 

         At the hearing on the matter noted above on Monday, August 24, 2009, the Applicant Timber’s Edge (“Applicant”) introduced a new argument proposing new mitigation measures for the project.  The purpose of this brief is to provide clarification regarding process for the Applicant’s new argument, and does not address substantive issues addressed at the hearing. 

         At the hearing the Applicant argued that the project should be conditioned by two new mitigation conditions: 

1.                  The Applicant will design and install a stormwater system that will result in no material reductions in base flow of Illahee Creek as a result of site development.  This will be accomplished through the maintenance of groundwater recharge contributions from the project substantially equivalent to pre-development levels.

2.                  In addition, to the extent reasonably feasible without jeopardizing the stability of the slopes abutting Illahee Creek, the Applicant will infiltrate as much groundwater as is reasonably possible.  Thus, if safely and reasonably feasible, the Applicant will infiltrate 100% of the project groundwaters, thereby completely eliminating the need for the stormwater outfall on the Massano Property.

This language was proposed for the first time during oral argument before the Commissioners, and was submitted in writing the day after the hearing via email with the following additional comment from the Applicant’s counsel: “I am attaching the Revised Conditions the Applicant proposes to insure there are no adverse impacts to the Illahee Creek base flows.”

         This argument was raised for the first time on appeal to the Commissioners, and is therefore not part of the record before the Commissioners for review.  Information not in the record is not allowed as part of the Commissioners’ hearing.  KCC 21.04.120 (E). The Board of County Commissioners is limited to hearing the appeal“on the established record.” Id.  The mitigation proposed by the Applicant is not a part of the established record and therefore should not be considered by the Commissioners.

         New arguments raised on appeal are generally not considered at the appellate level.  Boehm v. City of Vancouver, 111 Wn.App. 711, 722, 47 P.3d 137 (2002) citing King County v. Wash. State Boundary Review Bd., 122 Wn.2d 648, 670, 860 P.2d 1024 (1993).  For an issue to be properly raised on appeal, it must have been raised before the Hearing Examiner.  The purpose of this is to avoid “hearing by surprise,” by having new arguments introduced during hearings that the opposing party has not had an opportunity to address or adequately argue.  This is especially to be avoided in a complex case such as this, where any new proposal will undoubtedly impact other aspects of the project and other conditions already established for the project.  

         In addition, past practice by the Commissioners in a case where new mitigation has been proposed by an applicant has been to remand the project back to the Hearing Examiner. As indicated by Commissioner Bauer at the hearing on this matter, a recent case before the Commissioners involving a Montessori school was remanded to the Hearing Examiner to address proposals from the applicant in that case to mitigate some of that project’s impacts. Remanding a question like this to the Hearing Examiner is appropriate, because it allows time for proper analysis of the proposal that is not possible in the forum of a Commissioner appeal.  For instance, in a remand the Hearing Examiner could benefit from expert comments submitted by the appellant and not just unilateral input from the applicant.

         Due to the complexity of this case (over 400 exhibits), and the reasons stated above, if the Commissioners believe that the mitigation identified in the MDNS could be improved to protect Illahee Creek base flows, this matter should be remanded to the Hearing Examiner so that proper mitigation, review, and analysis can occur.

 

Decision Only on 9/28/09.  We haven't heard whether a response brief by the developer's attorney followed the above brief.  (Sometimes it seems the only winners in these situations are the lawyers.)  The Commissioners will vote on the Community's appeal at the September 28th meeting.

 

Update on Community Proposal Responses.  The Illahee Community Club hand distributed to most Illahee residents, a letter to the developer and the county that laid out a compromise the community would support.  The letter provided an opportunity for residents to respond as to how they felt about the compromise.  The results so far are nearly all agreeing with the compromise, with one not wanting any development at all.  The ICC wants to remind people to keep responding to the proposal by sending the tear off portion to the ICC address or that they can also do so via email (to this email or info@illaheecommunity.com).

 

Jim Aho

BOCC Monday Meeting Reminder - 8/23/09

Reminder: Timbers Edge Appeal Hearing, Mon (8/24/09) evening, County Admin Building, at 7 pm.  The Board of County Commissioners will hear the Illahee Community's appeal of the Hearing Examiner's decision to approve the Timbers Edge development.  The hearing is at the beginning of the Commissioner's meeting so it shouldn't take too long, especially since the lawyers only get 10 minutes to make their case.

 

Concerned Citizen Encouraged to Attend.  We have been asked to encourage concerned citizens to attend the hearing and have been told that a good showing of citizens shows the commissioners that residents are supportive of community efforts.  Those who helped with the Illahee Day cleanup are urged to wear the Illahee shirts that were given out by the Port of Illahee.

 

Illahee Community Letter.  We have been told that 1500 Illahee Community Letters have been hand delivered to residents regarding the Timbers Edge project.  Responses have been coming in via postal mail, email, and phone.  So far the responses have all been in agreement with the "Illahee Community Proposal re Timbers Edge," with some providing checks to support the legal fund.  Some volunteers may not have distributed their letters, so if you don't get a copy by the middle of the week, let us know.

 

Illahee Community Meeting on Saturday.  There was a good community meeting held Saturday at the Sylvan Way library.  We will wait for the Illahee Community Club's report to come out before reporting on the meeting.

 

Deer Vegetation Pictures.  We have some recent photos that show some of the things deer like to eat.  So far we have photos of the decimated tomatoes, raspberries, and kiwi that we will try to get into small files so we can attach them in a later Update.  If you have some deer grazing photos we will include them.

 

See You Monday Evening (8/24/09) at the County Admin Building.

 

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous Important Items - 8/19/09

New Eagle Nest?  We received the following email today of the possibility of an eagle nest being constructed at Ambleside, which included the picture below.

 

It would appear that we are in the process of getting an eagles nest in the
common area of Amblesides subdivision.  This attached photo was taken from
my deck.  We haven't seen any eagles arriving or leaving but it sure looks
like an eagles nest is in progress.

 

"Letter to the Illahee Community" Being Distributed.  We heard that the Illahee Community Club is in the process of hand distributing a "Letter to the Illahee Community Concerning the Timbers Edge Project," with the goal of trying to get copies to each Illahee resident.  As we understand it, roughly 200 plus letters have gone out so far with the remainder to be sent out Thursday and Friday.  We will try and get a copy to send out in our next Update.

 

Illahee Meeting Signs.  There are 13 meeting signs throughout the Illahee Community telling about Saturday's meeting at the Library at 1:30 pm.  We have been asked to see if there are any areas that should have a sign that don't.  Let us know and we will pass the information on.

 

Monday's Commissioner's Meeting.  We have been asked to remind residents that Illahee's appeal of the Timbers Edge Project to the Commissioners, will be held Monday evening at 7:15 pm at the county administration building. 

 

A Very Interesting Monday Hearing?  This should be a very interesting hearing with the county staff presenting their arguments, followed by the developer's attorney, and then the Illahee Community's attorney. 

 

Appeal Process Just Starting?  We are thinking that, depending on what the Commissioners decide, this appeal could go on the the Shorelines Hearing Board and/or Superior Court.  The arguments presented on Monday evening will likely be the basis for any appeals up the line.

 

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous Items - 7/19/09

Kitsap Sun Article.  We like to pass on newspaper articles about Illahee and there was an interesting one in the Kitsap Sun's Sunday paper regarding the Illahee Community's appeal of the Hearing Examiner's decision to approve the Timbers Edge project.  Reporter Brynn Grimley was in attendance at the Commissioner's work study session where the appeal was briefed to the Commissioners and she wrote the linked article:  http://kitsapsun.com/news/2009/jul/16/commissioners-preparing-to-hear-appeal-to/ 

Commissioner's Meeting.  There were also 4 Illahee residents at the meeting to listen to the county's briefing which took about 45 minutes.  What is interesting is the Illahee Community will have roughly 10 minutes to present its appeal arguments to the the Commissioners, which may be fine if this was a simple appeal, but in this case there were over 400 exhibits and two days of testimony. 

Timbers Edge Counter Proposal.  The community is reported to be working on a Counter Proposal to be presented to the developer.  The process has been ongoing off and on for two months and reports are they are getting final approvals from the ad hoc committee and the 15 member Illahee Community Club board.  Afterwards it will be voted on by the Illahee community at an August meeting, yet to be scheduled.  We will pass it on in an Update once it becomes available to us.

Copies of Counter Proposal.  We just heard that they are hoping to have copies of the Timbers Edge Counter Proposal available at Illahee Day on August 1, 2009.

Illahee Day on August 1st.  This is a reminder that Illahee Day is next Saturday.

Illahee Day.  Save Saturday, August 1 for Illahee Day 2009.  The theme is the ABC's of Illahee.  A for an Attractive Illahee, B for Breakfast and lunch at the community dock, and C for Community clean-up in-between breakfast and lunch.  Breakfast at the dock between 9-10 am.  Community clean-up between 10am -12 pm.  Lunch at 12 pm.

5 Clean Up Teams.  You can pick the clean-up team you would like to be on. The five of them are:  Team Dock, Team Illahee Road North, Team Illahee Road South, Team Ocean View & West, and Team Illahee Preserve.  The attached brochure provides the details.

Volunteer Receive .....  All volunteers will receive Illahee T-Shirts, and there will be drawings and prizes.  Sign up by sending an email or leave a message with your name and shirt size atdocdmsret@msn.com or call 340-7257.

Illahee Preserve Trash Dumping.  We are attaching a picture of some major trash dumping at the new Illahee Preserve parking lot on Almira.  They are realizing that they will need to open some "windows" through the trees so that those doing the illegal trash dumping might be seen and caught.

Rotary Work.  Thank God for the East Bremerton Rotary Club that has taken the Illahee Preserve on as one of their projects.  Not only are they doing a stellar job of trail work, and promoting the Preserve, they also took care of illegal dumping that occurred (see the attached report),

East Bremerton Rotary completed another successful work party at Illahee Forest Preserve on Thursday evening, July 16th.  10 Rotarians participated in efforts to tidy up the Almira Drive parking lot.  Activities included spreading wood chips around the perimeter of the parking lot and removal of construction debris which had been dumped in a hidden corner of the parking lot.  Thanks to Ron Pettygrove for taking care of this disposal task.  Hooray for Ron!

Wildlife Reports.  Just a few wildlife reports coming in.

Plant Nibbling Deer.  Near nightly nibblings by deer passing through the neighbor hoods have been reported. 

Otter Family Increases.  There are reports the numbers of otters in the area have increased.  We don't know if it is because of new young ones or not.

Blueberry Addicted Goose.  There evidently is a lone Canada goose that has become so addicted to blueberries he is able to repeatedly defeat mesh netting.  We understand the wife paid for an additional four foot high fence around the berries so the husband wouldn't shoot the goose.  We hear that emotions can run quite high as people try to cope with wildlife.

Brownsville Weather Station.  We haven't had time to research the Illahee weather station, but did receive the following information that there is a Brownsville weather station.

I don't know if this would be any use to you.... but the Port of Brownsville has a weather station set up on the dock, it records rain, wind, pressure and such... I have included the web site, http://www.portofbrownsville.org/      on top left is weather and events click that, then just click weather, it's interesting and would be worth a few minutes just to look around, it also gives all the upcoming events such as BAD in September , which is Brownsville appreciation Day, very cool, well I am signing up for the big clean-up on August 1, so I will see you then.

Aquifer Meeting Airing on BKAT.  We owe the community more information of the aquifer meeting that was held on June 30, 2009.  In the meantime the meeting was taped and is being rebroadcast on the Bremerton Kitsap Access Television (BKAT) station at the following times:

“The Illahee Watershed Aquifer Protection Plan” will air:
7/20      11am
7/22      10:30pm
7/24      3pm
7/30      10am
BKAT is Kitsap's local TV channel.
Channel 12 - Comcast
Channel 3 - WAVE

Illahee Creek Posting Inadequate?  We just got word that a letter sized yellow sheet of paper was stapled to a telephone pole by Illahee Creek.  The posting is a "Statement of Exemption From Shoreline Substantial Development Permit Requirements."  Evidently Kitsap County wants to clean out the culvert again and deposit the material on the beach.  We understand there are some who are concerned about the continued dredging of the stream and are asking if there is a long term plan.  The yellow paper says it was posted on July 10th and needed to be appealed within 10 days of the decision, which was noted on the paper as July 6th.  Some are wondering if this is proper notice and if this provides adequate time to find out what is being planned.  We took a couple pictures of the posting and we'll let you decide. 

Jim Aho

Illahee Christmas Present: Community Plan Approved - 12/24/08

Illahee Christmas Present. The County Commissioners gave Illahee a nice Christmas present yesterday when they approved the Illahee Community Plan.

Afternoon Meeting. The Commissioners met on Tuesday afternoon rather than Monday evening because of the weather and road conditions. Tuesday's conditions were better for getting around and at least four Illahee residents made it to the meeting in spite of some who are still snowed in.

Commercial Corridor Removed. The Commissioners made several changes to the Plan with the most significant being the removal of the Highway 303 commercial corridor, which covers a three quarter mile strip north of Riddell Road, or about 120 acres. The resolution was a little confusing as one section of the resolution read to remove the area from Riddell to Fuson, which would be a half mile strip or 80 acres, and which was reported in the Kitsap Sun article, and another part of the resolution stated to remove the commercial corridor. From the maps presented we know it is the entire commercial corridor and the 120 acres that was removed from the Illahee community boundary. (We realize this is a technical issue, but for the more detailed person we wanted to clarify any confusion early on.)

Impact of the Removal. We have had differing opinions on the removal. Dennis Sheeran and myself, the co-chairs of our early efforts, are of the opinion that this is not a detriment to the Plan, and in some respects makes the Plan easier for the community to work with. We will let others who disagree with us give their side in a later update.

Updated Plan. The Plan will need to revised to make the Commissioner's changes, which means all the maps will need to be updated to reflect the new boundaries. As soon as that happens we will post it on our website illaheecommunity.com.

Commissioners Need to be Thanked. Those who attended the meeting were impressed by our County Commissioners' thoughtful changes and comments regarding the Plan. Each one of them commented on the Plan and the reasons for their changes which would be good to listen to when the meeting is rebroadcast on BKAT. Their actions and reasoned remarks indicated they had spent time looking over even the smaller details which in the end improved an already good Plan. They support community efforts like ours, they worked well together, and we are fortunate to have such good and dedicated Commissioners representing us. Thank you Commissioners Josh Brown, Steve Baurer, and Jan Angel!

County Staff Needs to be Thanked. We also need to thank the County Staff who took our community generated drafts and ran them through the county departments and through the public process, in order to make them compliant with County Code and county procedures. Special thanks to Katrina Knutson, our county planner; Scott Diener, her supervisor, and Larry Keaton, DCD Director. We also need to thank Cindy Read in advance, the map person, who worked all the maps and who will likely be working the revisions.

Website Comments. We are trying to institute a community blog site where Ilahee residents can comment on local issues. Our Illahee Community Updates are put on our website http://illaheecommunity.blogspot.com/ and there is a place to comment.

Kitsap Sun Article and Comments. We would also like to thank the Kitsap Sun and specifically Brynn Grimley for their coverage of the Illahee Community Plan. Brynn's article is in today's paper (Wednesday 12/24/08) and can be accessed on the web. There is a place to comment at the bottom of the article and it is always interesting to see these comments as they are from a more county wide perspective.

Final Thanks to Illahee Residents. We also want to thank Illahee residents for their great support of the Illahee Community Plan. We had approximately a hundred and fifty residents involved in one capacity or another with the Plan and we thank you. There were about a hundred who signed their name to the document. For some it has been a three year endeavor and it is nice to have it finally approved.

Merry Christmas!

Dennis Sheeran & Jim Aho

Illahee Community Plan Approved - 12/23/08

The Illahee Community Plan was approved by the Kitsap County commissioners, with some changes regarding commercial property.

The full story is in today's Kitsap Sun.

Thanks to so many Illahee residents who have put in countless hours of time on this project for the past three years.

More information will follow.

Miscellaneous Items - 12/21/08

A Day Late. This email is a day late as a Fir tree branch took down our Comcast internet line on Sunday and they just got through splicing the line late on Monday.

Commissioner's Meeting Delayed to Tuesday. The County Commissioner's meeting that was scheduled for Monday evening will be held on Tuesday at 1 pm. This is the meeting where the Commissioners will be voting on the Illahee Community Plan. The county offices will be closed on Monday because of the inclement weather.

Timbers Edge Closing Arguments. The closing arguments for the Timbers Edge project were due this past Friday (12/19/08). We will see if we can get copies of both sides arguments to pass on, since they are public records.

Illahee Community Boundaries. We have had added a number of new email addresses and some have wondered what the exact boundaries of the Illahee Community are. The map is also available here on the Illahee community website.

Snow Photos. We received some snow photos and rather than try to attach all of them we have chosen one to attach and the rest are available by clicking on this link.

Additional Hummingbird Information. We have been surprised at the number of people reporting on hummingbirds. We have three more reports.

I noticed what seemed to be a small swarm of hummingbirds out my eastern window about three days ago. The same day I noticed a hummingbird sitting on a feeder looking lethargic and then it fell off. I looked out on the deck and couldn't find it. In the mean time I started a vigil of keeping the feeder food in a liquid form and pulling our two feeders into the house at night. Day before yesterday I saw another hummingbird fall off the feeder and ran out to see if I could find it. There it was. I placed it in a towel and shoebox and brought it into the house. It was ready to leave within 15 minutes. I held it in my hand and it flew away. LaRae called a veterinarian to ask if we were doing the right thing. She was referred to a wildlife rescue (206 855-9057). They told her not to use sugar water and to use commercial hummingbird food because it has nutrients that the other does not have. Also, they said that some hummingbirds do go away for the winter but others choose to stay in the Puget Sound area.

Use at my hummingbird feeder was active all day today. The sugar/water solution (mixed a little rich for the cold weather) freezes at about 23 or 24 degrees, at which point I bring it into the house for a brief warm-up.

We have an interesting situation at our house where we have one dominate male hummingbird that has decided the birdfeeder is his very own and he is not about to share it. He sits on a tree branch about 20 feet away and guards the feeder attaching any other hummingbird that comes near. He sits there nearly all day watching the feeder ready to fly whenever another bird comes near. We decided to set out another feeder some distance away to see if some of the smaller hummingbirds will use it, or if he will chase them away from that one too.

Keep Sending Us Information. Keep on sending us information and we will pass it on.

Jim Aho