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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHearing Examiner Site Visit Memorandum 1 JEFFERSON COUNTY HEARING EXAMINER SITE VISIT MEMORANDUM FILE NUMBER: SDP2023-00020 APPLICANT: Richard Rathvon SITE ADDRESS: 600 Twana Way, Quilcene, WA HEARING EXAMINER: Stephanie Marshall APPELLANTS: John DiMaggio and Michelle Oliver SITE VISIT DATE: August 23, 2025 REPORT DATE: August 26, 2025 OVERVIEW AND CONDITIONS Jefferson County Hearing Examiner Stephanie Marshall conducted a Site Visit to view conditions on the site located at 600 Twana Way, Quilcene, WA (the “Property”) and conditions of Twana Way (the “Road”), which provides access to the Property on August 23, 2025, from approximately 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. This Site Visit Memorandum shall be included in the record of the Type II administrative appeal of Jefferson County’s April 10, 2025 approval of applicant’s applications for a shoreline conditional use (administrative) permit and stormwater applications to construct a new single family residence in the Natural shoreline environment associated with Dabob Bay. The Hearing Examiner opened the scheduled public hearing on the appeal on July 17, 2025 and continued the hearing to September 8, 2025. The Examiner and the parties’ attorneys conducted a Pre-Hearing Conference on July 17, 2025, during which a site visit was requested prior to the date of the continued public hearing. The Hearing Examiner provided notice to the parties in advance of August 23, 2025, on which date she intended 2 to conduct a site visit, and received instructions for access to the Property from the applicant through the Hearing Examiner Clerk. No ex parte contact occurred. Both the applicant and appellants are represented by legal counsel. Weather conditions on this date and at this time were mostly sunny, with light winds. The ground was dry. Conditions on the Road and the Property allowed satisfactory views for the Hearing Examiner to make an initial assessment of conditions of the Road for access to the Property by increased traffic and heavy, construction-related equipment, and the Property’s location vis-à-vis the Road and shoreline. The Hearing Examiner expects that additional evidence will be presented at the public hearing to address whether Road improvements are proposed to provide adequate access to the Property via Twana Way for purposes of clearing, grading and construction of a single-family residence on the Property and associated improvements. Appellants allege that increased traffic on Twana Way associated with the applicant’s proposal will result in erosion and discharge of sediment-laden stormwater to Dabob Bay, harming the shoreline, critical areas and the environment. SITE VISIT OBSERVATIONS The purpose of the site visit is to provide the Hearing Examiner an opportunity to directly observe the topography, slope, width and conditions of the Road, and the topography and conditions of the undeveloped, vacant Property. One issue of fact is whether the applicant proposes to improve the Road for access to the Property for the proposed single-family home. Another issue is whether increased traffic on the Road and transport of heavy construction equipment for construction of a single-family home on the 3 Property will cause slope stability issues and/or surface erosion on or from the Road, resulting in environmental impacts to the shoreline environment. At approximately 1:00 p.m. on August 23, 2025, Hearing Examiner Marshall approached the Property in her personal vehicle, a Volvo XC90 station wagon, exiting Coyle Road onto Toandos Road, through an electronic gate (passcode provided) to a “Y” intersection at which she turned right onto Twana Way. Thereafter, the Examiner followed Twana Way for an estimated one mile to the Property. An additional gate on Twana Way with a locked cable was open, allowing the Examiner to continue along the Road and proceed down a slope to the Property. The Hearing Examiner observed topography, width and conditions of the unpaved, primitive dirt Road, which narrows in several locations and is adjacent to a steep embankment along certain portions of the Road, demarked with a row of small boulders on the left (heading along Twana Way from Toandos Road). The Examiner observed the narrow portions of the Road, viewing the pathway of the Road itself and distances between trees on either side of the Road. The Examiner did not bring a tape measure, but estimates that at one narrow portion of the Road, the distance between trees is approximately 10-12 feet. There are no alternative access routes to the Property. The Examiner did not experience any difficulties accessing the Property, or existing the area via Twana Way in her personal passenger vehicle on the date of the site visit. The Examiner observed the location of other existing homes along Twana Way. As one gets closer to the Property, the Examiner observed that the Road slopes downward to the northwest. At the base of the slope, the Property is located to the left, and slopes downward to Dabob Bay, located to the west. The Examiner parked her car near the 4 water meter for the Property and walked westward to a wooden fence and gate, through which the proposed building site, the shoreline buffer line, and building setback line are evidenced by flagged stakes. The gate was left unlocked for the Examiner’s access. A narrow footpath provides access to the Dabob Bay beach from the building site. The Examiner walked down this path to the beach. After viewing conditions and topography of the Property itself, the Examiner re- entered her personal passenger vehicle and headed back up Twana Way along the same route she used to access the Property. She did not experience any increased difficulties associated with exiting the Property and the area via Twana Way in her personal passenger vehicle under the conditions on the date of the site visit. The Examiner did note the initial steepness of the climb along Twana Way from the Property. She again observed the narrow, winding Road through the forested area and the steep embankment that was on the right of the Road when traveling southeast from the area. The site visit concluded at approximately 2:30 p.m. when the Hearing Examiner left the Property, traveled back along Twana Way, turned onto Toandos Road, then exited the area onto Coyle Road. Dated this 26th day of August, 2025 _____________________________ Stephanie Marshall Jefferson County Hearing Examiner