Reminder of Timbers Edge Meeting - 4/6/09

Meeting Tonight (Monday 4/6/09). We have been asked to remind everyone of the Illahee Community meeting tonight to discuss whether to appeal the Hearing Examiner's approval of the Timbers Edge project to the County Commissioners. The deadline for filing an appeal is 4/9/09.

Place - Library. The meeting will be held at the Kitsap Regional Library located on Sylvan Way.

Time - 6:30 pm. The meeting will start at 6:30, but members will be there at 6 pm to answer questions.

Lawyer Present. The lawyer who represented the Illahee Community Club, Ryan Vancil, will be attending the meeting to answer questions.

Funding Questions. As we understand the financial situation it is roughly as follows:

In 2008 approximately $20,000 was expended to cover filing fees, expert witnesses, and lawyer fees for the Illahee Outfall hearing and appeals and the Timbers Edge hearings. The costs exceeded contributions but was covered by a very large contribution at the end of the year.

In 2009 the ICC is essentially starting out with a zero balance, which means an appeal will need to be covered by contributions before it can go forward. The ICC Board of Directors has essentially said they will carry out the wishes of the community as long as it conforms to the purposes for which it was organized and it is supported financially.

Other Questions? There will be members available to answer other questions at tonight's meeting.

Comments Received. We received a comment from a resident this weekend who is worried the residents don't understand the adverse impact that this development will have on the Illahee community if this project goes ahead as planned.

Another Comment. (Paraphrased) We need to remind people that we are not against development. This project as currently configured will likely permanently damage the ability of Illahee Creek to support salmon. A development of lesser density and more infiltration will result in most neighbors supporting the project. The developer had the choice and decided to ignore the community's input and the impact on Illahee Creek.

Jim Aho

Kitsap Sun Article re Outfall Settlement - 3/13/09

The Sun Article. The following linked article will be in Saturday's Kitsap Sun:

http://kitsapsun.com/news/2009/mar/13/illahee-developer-reach-deal-on-stormwater-pipes/

ICC Letter Sent to Newspapers. The February 25th letter from the Illahee Community Club, that is referenced in the article, was linked in the Illahee Community Update of March 5, 2009. It was also sent to all the local newspapers and the Seattle Times, so it is nice that the Sun did the article.

Two Projects Left. Some in the community are concerned that residents not forget to continue to follow through with a rain garden on Fern Street and an infiltration pit in the Illahee North detention pond which should even further diminish the amount of stormwater going to the new outfall and into the Sound.

Letter Reprinted. The two above mentioned items are described in the Illahee Community Club letter, which we are going to reprint at the end of this Update.

A Major Accomplishment. This is a significant and momentous success for the Illahee Community, and the community needs to be proud of its efforts.

But Costly. It was costly in terms of emotional energy and thousands of dollars and we would like to express our appreciation for all who helped, whether moral encouragement, letters, or financal support.

Jim Aho

Illahee Community Club

P.0. Box 2563

Bremerton, WA 98310

February 25, 2009


To: Distribution List

Subject: Illahee Outfall Settlement Support Statement

The Illahee Community Club (ICC) entered into an agreement or “settlement” with the MT Illahee Corporation, Kitsap County, and the Port of Illahee with regards to the relocation of a storm water outfall from the Illahee community dock to an undeveloped right-of-way on Berg Street, and associated area storm water improvements. Integral to the settlement the ICC agreed to issue a public statement of support for the settlement plans and has further agreed not to make public statements regarding the Sunrise Terrace or Rest/Olive/Hardt Development lot sizes.

The Illahee Community Club is very supportive of the resultant outfall agreement and feels that the settlement is beneficial and advantageous for each of the involved parties. The ICC is appreciative of the efforts by all parties to reach this agreement and the MT Illahee Corporation for working with the Illahee community. The following excerpt from a community member illustrates community sentiment:

The Illahee community strives to be a leading example in the area of responsible environmental preservation. Leading by example, both the Illahee community and the MT Illahee Corporation have shown what rewards can be produced by reaching a solution settlement that benefits all parties involved. Furthermore, the agreement is a step forward for one of the goals of the Puget Sound Partnership which is to control storm water in our waterways. For these reasons, there is strong community support for the settlement agreement.

The benefits of the agreement are many for the community, the environment, for the waters of Puget Sound, the Port of Illahee, Kitsap County, and the MT Illahee Corporation. Approximately 90 percent of the storm water that comes from our normally slow rainfall will be cleaned naturally through bio-infiltration swales and infiltrated back into the aquifers from the MT Illahee project. Only the remaining roughly 10% that comes from heavy rains will not be infiltrated because of high flow volumes and will need to be diverted to overflow outfall pipes that flow into Puget Sound.

There are a number of different aspects to the MT Illahee project that were part of the agreement. The first is the improved roadway being planned along Sunrise Terrace and the need to manage the storm water coming from the road surfaces. Bio-infiltration swales will be used at several locations along Sunrise Terrace to help clean the storm water with any overflow connecting to the existing Ocean View storm water system that discharges at the existing outfall. This is a major improvement as previously the storm water was going to be tight-lined (piped directly) to Puget Sound following the removal of suspended solids. This would have required the installation of a new storm water conveyance piping system and another outfall at the Illahee community dock.

The Illahee community at large and the Port of Illahee benefit as a new storm water outfall will not be going through the base of the Port of Illahee’s dock structure nor will the effluent be discharged at the Port’s public beach and swimming area. The Port and the community were already concerned with an existing 24 inch diameter outfall just a few feet south of where the new outfall was being proposed. Many in the community feel the discharges from the existing outfall have resulted in decreases in the fish and shellfish population. They also remembered the dock area being posted for fecal coliform pollution emanating from the existing outfall. With that history there were major concerns with another outfall that was again tight-lining storm water at the dock. The settlement agreement not only eliminates the need for new outfall at the base of the dock; it also results in a decrease in the storm water that will be discharging to the existing outfall.

The Illahee community benefits from a second outfall along the shoreline in that storm water overflows are more equally distributed into Puget Sound, rather than concentrating all the stormwater for the entire hillside to the Illahee dock area. In retrospect, it appears the existing Berg Street right-of-way should have been used years earlier for the storm water overflows from the Illahee North project. At that time there was less of a concern by the county with running large volumes of stormwater into Puget Sound and a readily accessible right-of-way existed at the community dock. Any future developments in the uphill drainage sub-basins north of Berg Street would have likely required the use of this right-of-way for a new storm water outfall to handle the overflows. The settlement agreement just initiates the use of an outfall at this location earlier rather than later.

The ultimate goal of the Illahee community is to clean and infiltrate storm water to the maximum extent possible, such that the only the overflows from major storm events enter into Puget Sound. The storm water flows going into the settlement outfall from the MT Illahee project will also go through a bio-infiltration swale where the 90 percent of our normal rainfall is expected to be captured and infiltrated. This will help reduce the settlement outfall overflows. The community notes that there is more work to be done by the community and possibly the county, which is outside the responsibility of MT Illahee, to further clean and infiltrate the storm water going into the settlement outfall. There is a small runoff from the north Fern Street area that would benefit from a rain garden upstream of its storm water overflow pipe, and the northern most cell of the Illahee North detention pond would benefit from a possible infiltration pit. Both of these items would satisfy the goal of cleaning and infiltrating storm water to the maximum extent possible and would ensure that only overflows from major storms would enter Puget Sound waters.

The Illahee Community Club would like to again express its appreciation to MT Illahee, and specifically to its representative, Bernie Johnston, who worked with community representatives to come up with a mutually acceptable solution for all parties.

Please refer any questions regarding this agreement to the Illahee community members, Jim Brady (360-377-8345) and Jim Aho (360-479-1049), who represented the Illahee Community Club in this matter.

Barney Bernhard 

Illahee Community Club

Copies to:

Port of Illahee

Vancil Law Offices

MT Illahee (via GordonDerr LLP)

Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Civil Division

Shorelines Hearings Board

Department of Ecology

Department of Fish & Wildlife, Kitsap County

Puget Sound Partnership

Kitsap Health District

Kitsap County Public Works

Kitsap County Department of Community Development

Team 4 Engineering

Kitsap Sun

Central Kitsap Reporter/Bremerton Patriot

Seattle Times

Outfall Settlement Statement - 3/5/09

Illahee Outfall Settlement Statement. We have received a copy of the "Illahee Outfall Settlement Support Statement" that has just been mailed out by the Illahee Community Club (ICC) to a rather lengthy distribution list.

Background. We have not gone back to get all the dates, but we remember being aware of the MT Illahee development plans in 2007. According the "Settlement Agreement" copy we have Kitsap County issued a "Mitigated Determination of Non Significance" or MDNS ruling for the project on October 23, 2007. This was approval for a new 42" storm water outfall located at the base of the Illahee Community Dock and the storm water system and development of a roadway and 10 lots on Sunrise Terrace, along with planning for a future development along Rest, Olive, and Hardt Streets.

Port & Community Appeals. The Port of Illahee and the Illahee Community Club each appealed the project, only to have the Hearing Examiner deny the appeals.

Appeal to the County Commissioners. The Port and the Community appealed the Hearing Examiner decision to the County Commissioners, only to have Commissioners' Angel and Bauer deny the appeal on June 9, 2008 (Commissioner Brown supported the appeal).

Appeal to the Shorelines Hearings Board (SHB). The ICC filed an appeal with the SHB on July 7, 2008, feeling the County, the Hearing Examiner, and the two Commissioners did not consider all the facts.

Port Action. In addition the ICC actions, the Port of Illahee had filed a no trespass lawsuit with Kitsap County Superior Court on March 4, 2008 to prevent the developer from cutting into the dock's foundation to install the new outfall.

Settlement Option. With the pending legal hearings and costs to both sides, ICC members met with one of the developer's engineers to see if they could come up with a mutually acceptable solution.

Settlement Agreement. The meetings eventually resulted in a "Settlement Agreement" signed by the MT Illahee Corporation, Kitsap County, the Port of Illahee, and the Illahee Community Club.

Agreement Timetable. The timetable of the agreement required revisions to the Shoreline Permit and the storm water system which were recently completed and approved by Kitsap County.

ICC Required Actions. There were several stipulations or requirements for the Illahee Community Club, including completing a "Settlement Statement" and sending it to the ICC email list, posting it on the Illahee Community Website, submitting it to the County, and forwarding it to local papers.

Jim Aho

ps Attached is John Lind photo of a tugboat going through Illahee.

Break-in Update, Stolen Boat, Community Meeting - 2/13/09

Illahee Road Break-in Solved. Awhile ago we reported about a house break-in along Illahee Road. Last week there was an article in the Kitsap Sun about a person admitting to breaking into 80 homes which is available by clicking on the following link:

http://kitsapsun.com/news/2009/feb/06/kitsap-detectives-solve-80-cases-8212-with-help/

We just got notice that this was the person responsible for the break-in on Illahee Road. The person had about 75 jewelry items stolen and was able to recover 13 of them.

Boat Stolen. We also got notice of a boat being stolen this weekend. Below is the email we received. If you know of this stolen boat, please call the sheriff, or if you want we will pass any information on to the boat owner.

I have once again had a theft at my house. This time a boat taken off the beach sometime over the weekend. (I noticed it was gone on Sunday morning.)

It is an aluminum rowboat - a 14 foot Klamoth WN8479LD. Since there were no oars or motor with it, I don't think it got far, but who knows. I think it would have taken a couple of people to turn it over and carry it to the water. I am passing this on for two reasons. First, it may show up on someone's beach, and I can get it back, and also, because a lot of our neighbors have boats on their beach and they may want to check that nothing of theirs is missing. I have reported this to the police. At this rate, I am going to be on a first-name bases with all the deputies!

Community Meeting on Saturday. The Illahee Community Club will hold its first quarterly meeting of 2009 on Valentines Day, February 14, 2009 from 1:30 - 3 pm, at the Sylvan Way library. This is an important meeting as they discuss an Illahee Community Advisory Council that would report to the Kitsap County Commissioners, the status of the Replacement Illahee Outfall, whether to appeal the anticipated appeal rejection by the Hearing Examiner of the Timbers Edge project, and the status of the Illahee Creek culvert that continues to fill with sediment, and possibly other issues.

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous Items - 2/9/09

Illahee Website. The Illahee website was established for the Illahee community to have ready access to local issues and events, and to be able to communicate with each other.

Blog Site Established. The communication vehical is via a blog site, which is something the younger generation is more familar. We have had the blog site up for some time but the useage has been limited.

Website Advisory Committee Decision. There is an Illahee Community Website Advisory Committee that met last fall and suggested the Community Updates be linked to the blog site.

Why Do This? That was the question and the answer is that it allows others to quickly respond to any of the Updates and everyone can see the responses.

How Does It Work? The other day we put out an Update mentioning owls, and we ended up getting two great responses back. We haven't gotten them back out in an Update, but if they had sent them in as comments to the Update, they would have been available to anyone who wanted to look at them right away.

Illahee Community Club Meeting on Valentines Day. The Illahee Community Club will hold its first quarterly meeting of 2009 on Valentines Day, February 14, 2009 from 1:30 - 3 pm, at the Sylvan Way library. This is an important meeting as they discuss an Illahee Community Advisory Council that would report to the Kitsap County Commissioners, the status of the Replacement Illahee Outfall, whether to appeal the anticipated appeal rejection by the Hearing Examiner of the Timbers Edge project, and the status of the Illahee Creek culvert that continues to fill with sediment, and possibly other issues.

Illahee Owls. We received the following report of Illahee owls a few weeks ago:

Last night around 6:15, during our weekly pickle ball match, we heard this continuous very loud high pitched hooting to the Southwest near Sunset Ave or Hicks Street. Then we all noticed the back and forth series of hooting coming closer and to our amazement two Barred Owls flew right over the house and pickle ball court, 20-25 feet off the ground, hooting at each other as they flew. One was trailing the other by about 12 feet. At first, I thought there may have been more than just the two, but this is all we clearly viewed. The two owls flew toward the east and perched in some trees near East Blvd. They continued their hooting for another 45 minutes. Last year a barred owl perched in an alder tree watching our pickle ball match for nearly three hours in the bright court light. The owls seemed to be curious of the fast moving pickle ball.

March 12th Owl Presentation. Kitsap Audubon speaker for March 12th was covered in the following Seattle Time's article on Jan 29, 2009:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/outdoors/2008682771_nwwowls290.html

End of Year Items - 12/29/08

Letter to Editor re Community Plan. We are sending a short letter to the editor regarding the Illahee Community Plan. Since they don't always publish our letters we wanted you to see what we wrote.

Editor,

In a 12/16 letter we expressed concern that community self determination was at risk and noted the County Commissioners vote on the Illahee Community Plan would be revealing.

And it was --

- It revealed their support for community plans when they unanimously approved the Illahee Plan.

- It revealed their work on more comprehensive county issues when they removed commercial sections from the Plan.

- It revealed three dedicated and involved commissioners working to get Illahee's Plan right.

We are impressed with their modifications and awareness of the issues, and we thank them.

Plan Celebration. When the changes made by the Commissioners are incorporated and the final approved Plan is complete and printed, we are planning on having a celebration. The time and location are yet to be determined. We are trying to locate a facility in Illahee for the party and we are open for any suggestions. (Note that the annual party held by the Illahee Forest Preserve will be part of the Plan celebration.)

Illahee Community Club 2009. It is time to re-up your Illahee Community Club dues for 2009. The dues are an inexpensive $10 per family unit as we want to have a many resident members as possible. You may ask what you get for your membership? An active and involved group of citizens working to preserve and protect Illahee. You can see what was done in 2008 in the paragraphs below and know that once they get beyond the legal issues they are planning to move on to more productive items that are being considered by the ICC board of directors.

2008 Community Accomplishments. There was first of all the support for the Illahee Community Plan. Next was the likely settlement of the Stormwater Outfall of the Illahee Community Dock. The Outfall issue has been costly in time, energy, and money but the settlement will provide for cleaner stormwater for Puget Sound, and some recharge of the aquifers. The community worked with the Port of Illahee on the Outfall Appeal and also supported the Port of Illahee's stormwater grant with the Department of Ecology. Finally, there was the appeal of aspects of the Timbers Edge project. Community members met with the developer to see if he would consider reducing the number of homes and using septics rather than sewers to minimize the impact on Illahee Creek. When he rejected the proposal the community proceeded with the environmental appeal and hired expert witnesses to document problem areas. They solicited funds from residents and together with the Outfall appeal have spent nearly $20,000 this year, almost all associated with legal costs.

Appeal for Funds. They are down to $180 and have the December closing argument bill that will come due in January 2009 and need to appeal to residents to help with the legal fund. They are doing so at the end of 2008 in case there are those who would like to contribute now in order to take a tax deduction on their 2008 taxes. Make checks payable to the Illahee Community Club Legal Fund and sent to the ICC, PO Box 2563, Bremerton, WA 98310. Your support is appreciated and needed.

Timbers Edge Closing Arguments. We have obtained pdf file copies of the Timbers Edge closing arguments and will be putting them up on the community website illaheecommunity.com soon. (We tried to attach them to this update but the files were too big.) Two are from the ICC attorney with the first file representing Kitsap County Code issues and the second representing State Environmental Protection Act (SEPA) issues. A reading of these documents helps one understand why the legal costs are high. The other file is the applicant's attorney.

Hearing Examiners Decision Date? We expect the decision from the Hearing Examiner sometime in January 2009. This examiner nearly 100% of the time sides with developers and the county so we don't want to get anyones expectations up too high. The Club expects they will probably need to appeal the decision to the County Commissioners, who nearly always side with the Hearing Examiner. The next step would be to decide if there should appeal to Superior Court. We have been told the Club has been preparing for a possible Superior Court appeal from the beginning and all that would be needed would be the community's support and the funding.

Wildlife Updates. We know residents prefer wildlife updates and we have some more hummingbird input to pass on soon.

Jim Aho

Illahee Dock Outfall Settlement? - 11/20/08

Settlement of Illahee Dock Outfall Appeal? It appears there will be a settlement of the Illahee Dock Outfall appeal to the Shorelines Hearings Board (SHB).

Background For New Readers. There has been an ongoing issue with a development in Illahee that planned to install a second stormwater outfall at the Illahee community dock. The issue made the papers, went through a hearing before the Hearing Examiner and the County Commissioners, both of who approved the new outfall despite community and Port of Illahee objections.

Appeal To The Shorelines Hearings Board. The Illahee Community Club (ICC) felt neither the Hearing Examiner nor the County Commissioners understood the gravity of the public health aspect of their decision to allow essentially untreated stormwater to be dumped onto a public beach and swimming area, and appealed to the Shorelines Hearings Board.

Port of Illahee Trespass Suit to Superior Court. The Port of Illahee was also involved in their own way in that they filed a no-trespass lawsuit in Superior Court as the development proposed installing their new outfall directly under the Illahee Community Dock.

Parties Remained Cordial. Despite the legal wranglings the parties remained cordial and several members wondered if there wasn't a way that we could resolve our differences.

Engineer Berni Johnston's Efforts. Berni Johnston, the engineer from Team Four, continued to met with two Illahee community engineers in order to see if something could be worked out. Berni was a member of the Illahee Community Plan Citizens Advisory Group (CAG) and understood the community was not against the development, but wanted stormwater cleaned and infiltrated rather than tightlined to the bay, along with some zoning issues.

Community Understood Need For Stormwater Infiltration & Outfalls. The community understood that with the underlying soils in Illahee that 90-95% of the rainwater, that comes slowly, can be infiltrated back into the ground and into the aquifers. They also understood there would always be a need for stormwater overflows to Port Orchard Bay for the major storm events like the Dec 3, 2007 storm.

Another Option Surfaced. It was during those discussions to minimize the impact of stormwater in the area that another option surfaced. It was noted that much of the existing volume problem was from the Illahee North detention pond overflow that should have gone to a Berg Street right-of-way outfall, and that that outfall will eventually be needed to handle any future development in the basin. By doing what should have been done years ago, the proposed outfall at the dock would no longer be needed.

One Remaining Community Issue? Only one smaller pre-existing stormwater pipe coming from above the development would probably end up being connected (tightlined) to the stormwater overflow going to the newly proposed Berg Street outfall. This is only item, and a small one at that, that could not be accommodated with a bioswale option in the settlement agreement. This small sub-basin will require some community effort and possibly an upslope rain garden to take care of water treatment and infiltration.

Benefit to the Developer. There are also benefits to the developer, in addition to not having to fight the ICC or the Port of Illahee in court. The Berg Street outfall should be an easier installation. No pre-treatment Vortechs vaults need to be installed. The developer is also using stormwater applications that better respect the environment and Puget Sound.

Overall Benefits. The overall benefit of this settlement is to the environment which includes the aquifers, which are overallocated in Illahee, and to the waters of Puget Sound, which are being adversely affected by stormwater discharges tightlined to the salt water. This settlement is a step in the right direction that goes beyond what is legally permitted to doing what is environmentally right. In the end we think it will be even less expensive, in spite of the legal costs, except for the community and Port whose legal costs are significant. Ironically it took a dedicated community and one dedicated engineer to make the settlement happen.

Status of Settlement? The basic technical agreement exhibit needs to be finalized. The legal document has been prepared and reviewed by the lawyer teams and is ready for signatures from MT Illahee Corporation, Kitsap County Commissioners, Port of Illahee Commissioners, and the Illahee Community Club Board of Directors, and is expected to be completed by Monday, 11/24/08.

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous Items - 11/17/08

Timely Meeting Reports? We have been asked to provide more timely updates regarding past meetings.

Website Meeting. The website advisory committee met on Saturday 11/15/08, which is comprised of representatives from different groups working in Illahee. They will probably summarize the results of their meeting. One of the suggestions to get more activity on the website, was to link some of the Update information to the website. This means you simply click on a statement such as more information and you will be automatically brought to the website and the information. From there you will be able to comment and your comments can be seen by others who might read the update. This is evidently called "blogging." More information on this later.

Illahee Community Club Quarterly Meeting. The Illahee Community Club (ICC) holds quarterly meetings in the middle month of each quarter, and met on 11/16/08 at the Sylvan Way Library. There were approximately 25 in attendance and presentations on a possible settlement regarding the Illahee Dock Outfall and the Timbers Edge sewer line were given. 2009 officers were elected, with a goal to have the Board find co-officers for the President and Vice President. Co-positions are already in place for the Treasurer and Secretary.

Timbers Edge Sewer Meeting 11/17/08. This was a very selective situation/hearing. The ICC at the Timbers Edge Hearing on 8/28/08 noted that the sewer line running through Illahee affected many more people than just those who received notice of the project. The two lawyers were told to fix the situation with a possible extension of the hearing to cover the sewer issues. There was a stipulation agreement, that was subsequently reinterpreted by the county, and upheld by the Hearing Examiner, to only let those person who resided within 200 feet of the shoreline along the sewer run, and who hadn't been notified of the first hearing. There were two property owners who requested the hearing, and one who retained Ryan Vancil to represent him, which allowed the Hearing to proceed this past Monday morning.

Expert Testimony. The expert testimony at the Hearing authorized by the appellant, covered concerns for doing the right thing with the sewer installation, such as durable piping because we are in an earthquake zone, putting the sewer pipe under the stream bed rather than over the culvert because the culvert could be washed out in a major storm, and requesting compliance with the recently approved Central Kitsap Wastewater GMA Compliance Plan in the placement of sewer line and pump stations. Pretty standard items that the community has found they cannot take for granted any more. There is no guarantee that the developer or the county will necessarily do the right things, though some have more faith with the Public Works Wastewater Division than they do with the Department of Community Development.

Timbers Edge Closing Arguments. The closing arguments for the Timbers Edge Hearing are due on December 8, 2008. Some in the ICC want to try and help summarize the issues for the Club's attorney, so if anyone is interested, let us know and we will pass your name on.

On the Website. We will attempt to put the expert testimony presentation and paper on the website, as there is some good information that should be of interest to all Illahee residents.

Watch Your Mail Boxes. We had the following report come in about people seen looking in neighborhood mailboxes.

Thought I would pass on this bit of information of an event that occurred in my neighbor hood last week. Last Thursday I was walking to my mail box to retrieve our mail. (Our Mail Box is in a group of four.) A car was just pulling away from the group of Mail Boxes. I didn't pay much attention as sometimes neighbor's park there waiting to pick up kids from school buses. As they went past me I waved and they waved back. They drove on up the hill and stopped at the next group and opened a mail box. They then proceeded on up the hill to the third group of mail boxes and opened another mail box. Then proceeded up the hill and turned around. By then they must have figured out that the mailman had not yet delivered the mail. Then they turned around and came back down the hill. I tried to get the plate nos. but was unable. I debated whether or not I should call the cops or not, I really had no evidence. But it has been bugging me.

Next Extremely Important Date. Next Monday, November 24,2008, the Illahee Community Plan will come before the County Commissioner's 7 pm meeting for public comment. It is important to get as many community members as possible to attend to show the community's support. Several of us will be attending the Commissioner's Work-Study session on Wednesday and hope to get a better feel of where the Commissioners are coming from on the Plan, and will report back soon after the meeting. We were hoping that the final draft would be on the county's website by now, but at last check it wasn't. It is still good enough for reviewing, knowing that some minor edits and formatting in the current version, have been identified and will be corrected in the final draft.

Keep Passing Information On. Keep us up on what is happening in your neighborhood.

Jim Aho

Various Illahee Items - 11/12/08

Illahee Community Club Meeting on Sunday. The Illahee Community Club will hold its quarterly meeting on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 pm at the Sylvan Way Library. ICC members and anyone living in Illahee are welcome to attend. There will be updated information on the appeal of the Illahee dock outfall to the Shorelines Hearings Board and the Timbers Edge Sewer Hearing scheduled for Monday (11/17/08), among other information.

Community Plan Emails to Commissioners. This is a reminder that your emails to the County Commissioners are important, as is your attendance at the County Commissioner's Meeting on November 24, 2008 at 7 pm. There was a paragraph in the Plan that needed updating and a draft was received that was enlightening and informative so we have attached it below.

The Illahee Community Plan is the culmination of over 30 months of effort that began when the initial community citizens' group met with county representatives in March 2006. The effort continued with the organization of a Citizens Advisory Group (CAG) and preparation of draft documents that culminated in an initial draft of the Plan in July 2006. During the following six months (July-December 2006), Illahee zoning issues were the subject of discussions with the Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners. In 2007, the CAG began an update of the Plan guided by a county and city (Bremerton) planner. The county planner resigned early in the process, leaving the Plan to be updated by the CAG and completed in September 2007. With county staffing unavailable until early 2008, the September 2007 draft was submitted to local editors, which resulted in a third Plan update being issued in February 2008. That was the starting document for the county's subarea planning processes that began in February 2008 and completed with an August 2008 final draft for review by the Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners.

3rd Street Wetlands. We have been asked about the 3rd Street wetlands and have a photo to show what happens to low spots during the rainy season. If it wasn't for the straw covering the ground, it would look like a lake or a real mud hole. There was a comment that sometimes the best and kindest thing the county can do is help people by denying building permits in wetland areas. After viewing the area, we would agree.

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous Items - 11/6/08

Frustrated Gillnetters in Illahee Waters. We have a couple of reports about some gillnetter boats in the Illahee waters. The first was on Wednesday when a sea lion was seen taking salmon from the gillnet. The sea lion would splash the salmon on the surface of the water and the fisherman were seen trying to scare it away with their flare gun. On Thursday evening there must have been a seal or a sea lion bothering another gillnetter because there were two shotgun blasts about 5 pm. The fisherman have told us they can defend their nets with shotguns and they evidently sometimes have to.

Seals on Area Floats. The seals are back on area floats, with one float along Illahee having numbers in the mid teens nearly every morning.

Break-in Email. We have received a number of responses thanking us for sending out Ed Hamilton's information about the break-in at his mother's house and reminding us to watch out for each other's homes. Thank you Ed for the email.

Dock Outfall. There is progress being made on a possible settlement to the outfall at the Illahee dock. A settlement agreement document was in the process of being prepared by the Illahee Community Club, when another much more detailed document was being prepared by the attorney for MT Illahee. Now it looks like it will take some time to work on settling on the agreement writeup. We think the attorneys must love this all the way to the bank. The good news is we have the potential to have settlement that can be a win-win situation for all parties, if we can now settle on the writeup.

Sewer Hearing on November 17th. The Illahee Community Club (ICC) has retained a wastewater expert to watch out for the Illahee Community's interest when the Timbers Edge project runs a sewer line over a mile long over Illahee Creek and through the historic section of Illahee. New notices were reportedly received by residents within 200 feet of the shoreline where the sewer line will be run, but they were not sent out to other residents along the route, even though the Kitsap County Code says residents along the sewer line are required to hook up. The ICC's lawyer complained to the Hearing Examiner (HE) about this but evidently the Examiner is not concerned, and the hearing seems to be going ahead for November 17th. For those close to these issues, they are upset with the county and the HE on the notice situation.

Citizens Advisory Group List. The final Citizens Advisory Group (CAG) list needs to be completed this weekend and turned in early on Monday. We need to hear from everyone regarding how you want your name listed, and if you want your name on the list. We just reached the number 90 and need to hear from the rest of you soon.

Keep those reports coming in!

Jim Aho

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

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

Miscelllaneous Items - 6/27/08

Wetlands Questions. We received the following questions regarding the 3rd Street wetland issue and hope someone has the time to respond to them.

"What is wrong with digging out a wetland area if it provides another building site and that great black soil is used elsewhere? Aren't people more important than a few displaced ducks? I watched wetlands being removed in Minnesota when I was a kid and it gave the farmers more crop land. I think I know the answer to my questions, but I'm not sure others do. Please tell us why we should be concerned."

This person has articulated some good questions that need to be answered. Please forward any responses to these questions and we will pass them on. And, if you have any good websites that may answer the questions, we can pass them on also.

Appeal Funding Questions. There have been a number of questions as to whether the Illahee Community Club was going to follow through with the Shorelines Hearings Board (SHB) appeal if the necessary funds do not come in. As we understand it, the Board of Directors decided to appeal the decision trusting that the money would come in and that the community is behind them on these issues. There was one abstention in the voting by one board member who wanted the money to be in place before the appeal was filed, showing that the concern of the possibility of inadequate funding. On the other hand, the community funded a $6000 hydrology study a few years ago when Illahee Creek was being threatened, which showed community financial support on that issue. We will report on the amount of donations coming in in future updates. When we asked one of the ICC board members what happens if not enough money comes in, they said the board members may need to dig deeper into their pocket books.

Deer Reports. We are getting a number of deer reports, from those getting run over to new young ones. Let us know what you are seeing, along with any photos, and we will pass them on.

Jim Aho

Appeal of the Illahee Outfall Decision to the Shorelines Hearings Board (SHB) - 6/19/08

County Notice. Many in the community received the official notice a week ago that the County Commissioners denied the Illahee Community Club's appeal of the placement of a 42 inch diameter stormwater outfall at the base of the Illahee Community Dock. If you didn't receive it, we have attached it as a pdf file to this update.

The Club's Response. The Illahee Community Club responded quickly when the decision was first made with a letter to the editor (see attachment) that appeared in the CK Reporter and the Bremerton Patriot. The decision was also the covered by the Kitsap Sun, which is linked. http://kitsapsun.com/news/2008/may/19/appeal-over-illahee-pipe-denied-by-kitsap/

Community Appeal to the Shorelines Hearings Board. We have been asked by the Illahee Community Club to pass on their request to solicit donations for their appeal of the Illahee Outfall decision to the Washington State Shorelines Hearings Board (SHB).

Spreading the Appeal Costs. Following the hearing before the County Commissioners, one of the residents suggested that if they lose they need to appeal this to the next level, which was thought to be Superior Court. The person said if they could find 60 community members who would each contribute $150 they should have enough money to do so, which would be $9,000.

Why the SHB? When the results of the hearing were published in the Kitsap Sun we were advised by an interested county resident that we should be appealing the results to the SHB and that he had successfully argued before them earlier. A check of this avenue appears promising and thus the desire by the Board to move ahead with the appeal.

Legal Representation and Costs. The Community Club has retained Ryan Vancil to represent them in the SHB appeal. His estimate is that the case could cost between $7,000 and $12,000, which equates to finding 60 people who would contribute the $150.

Can the Funds be Raised? That was evidently the concern of the Board also. When the possibility of an appeal was first discussed in an Illahee Community Update there were about 20 people who indicated they felt the decision should be appealed and they were ready to contribute financially. So now the Community Club is asking for those initial 20 residents, plus 40 more to contribute to the Club's legal fund, and noted that any help is appreciated.

Where to Contribute? The Illahee Community Club, P.O. Box 2563, Bremerton, WA 98310-0332.

Other Community Projects? Let us know if you have a community project that you would like us to report on.

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous Items - 5/21/08

Appeal Denied. If you get the Kitsap Sun you know the Illahee Community Club lost its appeal to the County Commissioners regarding the new 42 inch diameter outfall pipe at the base of the community dock. Here is the link to the article in the Sun.

Letter to the Editor. The Illahee Community Club had a statement prepared in case they lost that was read at the end of the Commissioners meeting. The statement was also sent to local papers as a "letter to the editor." They hope it will get published. It is linked here for your information.

Community Club Meeting. The Illahee Community Club will meet this Saturday (5/24/08) from 1:30 - 3 pm at the Sylvan Way library. The club meets the middle month of each quarter (Feb/May/Aug/Nov) and the only place and time available to meet this month at the library was the Saturday before Memorial Day. All Illahee residents are invited to attend and if you want, to join the club. The yearly dues are only $10 for a person or family. An application form is linked here.

Illahee Community Plan Meetings. Significant progress is being made on the Plan and there are only 3 more scheduled meetings to wrap things up. The county has scheduled 2 additional Monday meetings on June 16 & 23, and we presume they are at the Unitarian Church. The dates for June are now June 2, 16, and 23 and the time is from 6-8 pm. Illahee residents are welcome to join the group.

Gosling Count. Fourteen goslings were reported in the area north of the community dock. Eight fairly good sized goslings in one family, and six smaller ones in another.

Lowest Tide of the Year. On June 4th will be the lowest tide of the year. According to the phone book it will be a -4.1 at 1:15 pm in the Bremerton area.

Jim Aho

Recent Meetings - 2/26/08

This is a quick summary of recent meetings.

Community Plan Open House Meeting Monday (2/25/08). The highlight of this meeting for many of us was to see the printed up copy of the draft of the Illahee Community Plan. It looked like a professionally produced document, and it also reads like one. We wish more of the original and subsequent members of the CAG were there to pick up a copy and look through it. You have another chance next week.

Next Monday (3/3/08) the first working CAG meeting begins at the KUUF Church @ 6 pm to review Vision statements and the Illahee Community Borders, and we presume other issues, so we hope to see those of you who missed the open house meeting. The meeting schedule is every other Monday beginning on 3/3/08 from 6-8 pm, with all meeting at the church, except for 4/14/08 which meets at the Library. The county will be bringing in experts to answer questions as they go through the Plan chapter by chapter. The complete schedule will be on the KC website and we will put it on the illaheecommunity.com website calendar.

Our planners, Katrina, and her assistant Jonathan, will probably put out a press release on the Open House meeting so we won't elaborate anymore here.

Illahee Community Club (ICC) Meeting Saturday (2/23/08). This was a serious ICC meeting as they looked at a number of Illahee issues including the Hearing Examiner's recent decision to deny the Club's appeal and approve the Illahee Outfall Replacement project. The community is having a hard time understanding how another outfall can be installed at a public beach and swimming area.

A group of members had met earlier to see if there wasn't a possible alternative solution to the outfall issue that would be satisfactory to everyone. They presented their proposal and asked the Club to support it, which after some discussion they voted to proceed with the proposal. The first requirement of the proposal is to have a storm water engineer verify the plan is a sound one. The second requirement is to make sure the county will support it. The third is to see if the developer would be willing to develop to the existing zoning instead of using legacy lot options. The timeline is to start working on this right away and try to get it done before the BOCC appeal begins. They are doing this because Mr. Harowitz said he wanted to work with the community, which he has never approached, so we want to see if he really is serious.

The other issue was Timbers Edge and the fact that it is located in a critical aquifer recharge area. The Illahee Forest Preserve sent a letter to the BOCC and DCD regarding the complex land issues associated with aquifers, base flows, and salmon streams. They requested the Fir Drive Aquifer Recharge Area be exempted from the mandatory sewer requirement for urban areas based on the results of previous studies conducted in the area. They noted they have had no response from the county since that letter went in, and are hopeful it is receiving consideration.

An Extremely Important Upcoming Meeting on Tuesday (3-11-08). A major meeting of great importance to Illahee residents is a Port of Illahee / Department of Ecology Grant Mid-Project briefing scheduled for March 11, 2008 at the Norm Dicks Center. Presenters will be Dr. Derek Booth, Dr. Joel Massmann, and Erin Nelson. They will talk about the geology, the hydrology and storm water issues affecting Illahee. These are highly respected scientists who will help us better understand some of the underlying natural features of this area. Keep this date open on your calendars. We will provide more information later.

Jim Aho

Important Dates - 2/9/08

SOME VERY IMPORTANT DATES. Note: All meetings are posted on the Illahee Community website's calendar, which includes a map to the locations.

February 10, 2008 (Sunday) The posting of the revised draft of the Illahee Community Plan on website illaheecommunity.com.

Notes: The CAG incorporated many of the changes requested by the county. Figure 3.1 will need to be updated by the county and will likely be available on the county's website sometime after Monday (2/11/08)

February 14, 2008 (Thursday) Port of Illahee meeting at Old Military Road Fire Station 5 pm.

Note: This is their regularly scheduled second Thursday of the month meeting.

February 19, 2008 (Tuesday) Deadline for filing an appeal of Illahee Outfall Replacement decision.

Note: This could be done by the Port or the Illahee Community Club, but not likely both because of the cost. The county now charges $500 to file an appeal, and whatever group decides whether to do it will need to figure in lawyer costs.

February 23, 2008 (Saturday) Illahee Community Club meeting at Sylvan Way Library 1-3 pm.

Note: This is the first quarterly meeting of the re-organized community club. They are reporting over 50 paid memberships and appreciate the extra financial support they are receiving to fund involvement and help with community issues.

February 25, 2008 (Monday) Illahee Community meeting regarding the Illahee Community Plan at KUUF Church 6-8pm.

Note: This is the meeting that was announced in the post card mailing from the county. It went to all the residences in Illahee and is the kick off meeting to finish the Illahee Community Plan.

March 11, 2008 (Tuesday) Illahee SWMP mid-project presentation at the Norm Dicks center 6-8 pm.

Note: This is a very important meeting with some very distinguished scientists. Dr. Derek Booth is a renowned geologist, who was a professor at UW and is now President of Sillwater Sciences out of Berkeley, CA. Dr. Joel Massmann is a renowned hydrologist, who also was a professor at UW and now heads his own consulting firm Keta Waters. Joining them is Erin Nelson, a licensed geologist and stormwater engineer with Parametrix. They will be presenting a mid-project review of their work in developing a Surface Water Management Plan for Illahee, that is part of the Port of Illahee grant with the Washington State Department of Ecology.

Other Meeting? Let us know if there are other meetings that should be noted.

Jim Aho

1-5-08 Illahee Preserve Awards Banquet

This is a report on the Illahee Preserve's annual awards banquet (potluck) held Friday evening (1/4/08).

The group recognized:
• Dori Leckner of the Kitsap County Parks Department for her excellent support, quick responses, and dedication to the Illahee Preserve, a Kitsap County Heritage Park.
• Judith and Irwin Krigsman for essentially sharing Illahee Creek with the community and for all their activities in support of the Preserve, Illahee Creek, and the community.
• Port of Illahee Commissioners, Dennis Sheeran, George Schaefer, & Don Deitch for their continued support of the Preserve.
• Illahee Preserve Stewardship Committee Chairman, Dale Boyle, Vic Ulsh & Eugene Brennen for their collective effort as chairpersons, along with their individual and extensive contributions to the Preserve such as trail work and coordination with the East Bremerton Rotary Club.
• Audrey Boyer for faithfully publishing articles about the Preserve in the Illahee Community Newsletters.
• Cynthia Brakstad, the IFP treasurer, for not only handling the finances, but also for preparing the income tax returns.
• Jim Trainer for his donation of 285 tree saplings for ripaian planting and for all the things he does for the community.
• Jim Aho for his work with the Preserve and the Preserve's support group, the Illahee Forest Preserve (IFP).
• All the volunteers who helped in 2007 with trails, invasive plant control, tree planting, water quality monitoring, etc.
• The Preserve's financial supporters for contributing to the very significant expenses in 2007.
• The newly reorganized Illahee Community Club (ICC) for their community involvement and for preparing to help with Preserve issues.
• The Illahee Forest Preserve (IFP) 501.c.3 corporation, described as a mighty and effective organization in 2007, for the following successes:
1. The Coastal Protection Grant that purchased the Jessica Williams property.
2. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Grant that did water quality checks for almost 2 years, removed invasive English Ivy along Illahee Creek, planted tree saplings along the creek corridor, and funded an assessment of the creek and the reservoir.
3. The hiring of an attorney to help protect the Preserve's wetland buffers.
4. The hiring of the best wetland expert available to survey the wetland areas.
5. For providing material and financial support for the Illahee Preserve, which helps keep our taxes lower.

The group previewed: a new video presentation narrated by Jim Trainer entitled "Forest Trails and Critter Tales" that will be distributed soon locally. Portions were filmed within the Illahee Preserve and Illahee.

The Illahee Preserve's goals for 2008 include:
• Completion of a parking lot and primary Preserve entrance at Almira and Fuson.
• Kiosks and Illahee Preserve trail maps..
• Updating the Stewardship Plan.
• Progress with the golf course.
• Success with grants for targeted properties.
• Success with grants for salmon restoration projects..
• Success with construction grants to start working on Illahee Creek sedimentation problems.
• Success with protecting the Illahee Preserve wetlands.

We thank the Illahee Preserve Stewardship Committee, and their support organization, the Illahee Forest Preserve, for their work in 2007, and wish them another successful year in 2008.

Dennis Sheeran & Jim Aho .

Community Groups 1-4-08

We have been asked "Just how many community groups do you have in Illahee?" " What do they do?" and "How do you keep track of all of them?"

Our website person, Laurie Jones, has been asking these questions also, so we felt it was time to try and respond.

Group 1 - The oldest and only official elected group is the Port of Illahee. It is the Port's boundaries that essentially define the Illahee Community, which can be seen on our website illaheecommunity.com. The website also provides information on the Port and the current Port commissioners.

Group 2 - The Illahee Community Club is the next oldest group. It has been in existence for many years in one capacity or another. The IRS listed the club's tax exempt status as inactive in 1982. In 2000 new Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Secretary of State, and then in November of 2007 the Club was reorganized with the appropriate papers filed with the IRS and the Secretary of State. As a 501.c.3 non-profit corporation, the club can collect membership dues and other monies in accordance with its organized purposes. The club is currently concerned about stormwater issues and overdevelopment plans that are not in agreement with the draft Illahee Community Plan. The club would like to have every resident be an active member with dues at only $10 per family. Please e-mail us at web@illaheecommunity.com if you would like an application.

Group 3 - The Illahee Community Citizens Advisory Group (CAG) represents about 100 community members who volunteered to help write the Illahee Community Plan. The group has prepared several drafts of the plan, but has been advised by Kitsap County that they need a county planner to work with them through a public process in order to meet all the county's requirements. The latest version is on the community website under "Community Plan." They have been advised that they will have planner support in early 2008.

Group 4 - The Illahee Preserve Stewardship Committee was established in 2003 by the County Commissioners to prepare a Stewardship Plan for the Illahee Preserve. The Committee has been working ever since with the County Parks Department to provide support and on the ground work within the Illahee Preserve. The Committee is looking toward a new official entry and parking lot at Almira and Fuson and an update to the Stewardship Plan in 2008.

Group 5 - The Illahee Forest Preserve (IFP) group was established as a 501.c.3 non-profit organization to support the Illahee Preserve in ways that the Stewardship Committee could not. The IFP is eligible to apply for grants and accept gifts in support of the Preserve. The IFP was successful in applying for a Coastal Protection Grant that resulted in the purchase of prime Preserve property in 2006. The IFP just completed a two year grant with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation that included Illahee Creek water quality testing, removal of invasive species, riparian tree planting, salmon restoration studies, and a basin assessment. The results will be posted on the community website in the near future. The IFP has also responded in behalf of the Preserve such as when the Preserve wetland buffers were threatened or when Illahee Creek was threatened by questionable stormwater practices. The IFP is also looking for new members. Please e-mail us at web@illaheecommunity.com for an application. Their fiscal year runs from July to June and their dues are $10 for individuals and $15 for a family.

Group 6 - The Illahee Surface Water Management Plan Working Group was established to manage and is responsible for implementing the Port of Illahee's grant with the Department of Ecology to develop an "Illahee Surface Water Management Plan." Information on the grant is available on the illaheecommunity.com website under the "Clean Water Grant" heading.

We are amazed that all these groups seem to be in nearly complete agreement with current Illahee issues. The two membership groups (the Illahee Community Club and the Illahee Forest Preserve) conveyed that they are appreciative of the financial support they have received (and hope to receive) as they take on significant legal costs associated with protecting Illahee interests.

We need to admit that it is not always easy for us to keep track of the different Illahee groups and what they are doing. This information has helped us and we hope it helps you also.

Dennis Sheeran & Jim Aho

PS We have just set up this community weblog, where the community updates will be posted, so all will be able to comment and see other's comments. Please feel free to add your comments. If you have any questions about the blog, please e-mail us at web@illaheecommunity.com.