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Message at Hearing on Tracy Williamson's Application for Marijuana Operation
February 25,2020, Port Townsend, WA
Hello. My name is Victoria Galanti. I have a home on Kens Way.
I would like to make three points:
1. The first is about the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. The
applicant in this case is listed as Tracy Williamson, not Luke Williamson,
who plans to live on the property. I believe Tracy lives in Poulsbo, in Kitsap
County, which, I understand, along with Skagit, Snohomish, King, and
Mason Counties (aii of which abut iefferson County), do not aiiow this type
of operation. The Williamsons have been running their business in a rented
building in a Light Industrial area near Port Townsend. Their application
makes clear they did not want to even buy the property on the Coyle unless
they could be convinced they could move their business to this Rural
Residential area. In my reading of the regulation, the intent of the Cottage
Industry option is to allow someone to open a limited site business on
property where they live. In this case, it looks to me like Tracy Williamson
wants to find a new spot to run the business that will cost less than the
buiiding they rent near Port Townsend. Not a business to augment their
living in a rural area, but a way to twist the intent of the Cottage Industry
regulations to maintain and grow their business.
2. The second issue is about Odor. For the past several years as I have driven
up and down the Coyle. I would note the oddiqv of the number of slrunks
being hit by cars regularly between Milepost 4 and 5. Then I heard about
the grow operation near there, which I had never seen as it's buildings are
over a hill, on 40 acres. In fact what I smelled was odors from that grow
operation. What that told me is that the odors from such an operation are
exremeiy strong and can travei far. Now that place probably does not have
the carbon filters that the Williamsons plan to use. But what I also know is
that people who work with strong odors tend to not even note the smell after
a while, so expecting them to change the filters "as needed" is not
comforting to me. And even if they have every intention of changing them
according to the manufacturer's recommendation, which can mean every 2
months, I expect the cost of those filters will add up and put pressure on
financial viability of the operation, especially as the price for marijuana
drops as the quantity increases (as has happened in Oregon). One easy
answer is to stretch out the time between fiiter changes. i don't mean to
imply that the owners are planning on shaving corners in this way. But as
the pressure mounts they will look for work arounds. I did note that they
will be required to respond "immediately" to complaints, which sounds
good, but to whom would we complain? To Luke at his home? Send a
notice to the DCD? Wait for their staffmember to come out to assess the
problem, which, of cotrse, will have dissipated by the time they get out
here?
3. Finaily, I would like to include a note to the County Board of
Commissioners, who are contemplating a review of the regulations
concerning cannabis production in Rural Residential areas. Please, if you
decide to leave the regs as is, please, change the terminology of land
designation. If in fact, the goal in the countv is to expand commerce into
rural ilreas, just call it vvhat it is-no more Rural Residential, please. Just
call it Rural Commercial, with the ability to live where you worlq and be
done with it. Or else recognize the that people who want to keep or expand
businesses in Jefferson County shotrld buy land in Light Industrial sectio4s
of the county. And I am back to the Letter of the Law and the Spirit of tlE
Law. Call it what it is and stop pretending.
Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts.
Victoria Galanti, 706 Kens Way