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, IlOV 2 8 2005 \;,:
28 November 2005
Jefferson County Dept. of Community Development
Development Review Division
621 Sheridan Street
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Attn:: D. Johnson
Subject: Type III Land Use Application MLA05-00276
We strongly support MLA05-00276 submitted by Jefferson County PUD #1 to bring
public water onto Marrowstone Island.
In 1936 the Heinzinger family including the writer first came to Marrowstone Island.
Water was and is a topic of discussion and/or dissension. Seawater intrusion and dry
wells have plagued the island for years. The need is real, one only has to reference
"Geology, Water Resources, and Seawater Intrusion Assessment of Marrowstone Island,
Jefferson County, Washington. Water Supply Bulletin No. 59, Washington State
Department of Ecology Dated 1994". The only viable alternative source of water is
public water supplied by PUD #1. Alternative sources such as catchment systems have
potentially serious health problems and in addition fail to provide adequate water in view
of the continuing drought. Year after year we have failed by a large margin to even
produce our average rainfall of 20 inches. Conservation efforts can not succeed when
many of the citizens do not have ANY water to conserve.
The Jefferson County PUD #1 Commissioners unanimously approved LUD #14 (public
water for Marrowstone Island) in April 2004 as a result of majority support from island
landowners. In May 2004 a very vocal anti-growth group Conserve Water First (CWF)
filed a suit to stop LUD #14. The court completely dismissed this suit. The legislature in
April 2005 approved a $2M Public Works Trust Fund construction loan for LUD#14.
CWF attempted to get this legislation stopped as it proceeded through the approval cycle.
This same CWF group augmented by Port Townsend activists (not island landowners)
continues to impede the implementation of this LUD by constantly challenging every
action taken by the PUD. These challenges are frivolous or untrue. One example is
charging that our local little general store has old buried gas tanks that were probably
leaking. Trenching through the area could release damaging toxics. A simple call to the
store would have revealed that the county required that the tanks be decommissioned and
that it had been accomplished.
Some of the government agencies are allowing themselves to be so distracted by these
types of actions that they lose sight that their primary objective is to support those actions
legally approved like a LUD #14. The people have spoken, a majority of the islanders
want water, not only want but desperately need water. A long standing problem will be
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resolved. Think of the problem facing Jefferson County officials if public water doesn't
come to Marrowstone Island.
Our view of government is that government is there to serve the citizens and be directed
by the majority. It is time government agencies establish priorities and not allow small
vocal groups to distort the system to where the will of the minority rules, by saturating
the system with meaningless, frivolous and erroneous challenges. The majority of
landowners want water, the PUD recognized this by establishing LUD #14 and the
legislature appropriated the funds.
Please take the necessary steps to expeditiously process this application. If problems are
encountered, that information must be forwarded to us so we can contact our
representatives.
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Paul and Mary Lou Ifeinzing~
P.O. Box 213 I 83 Heinzinger Road
Nordland, W A. 98358
360 385 0772
cc:
Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners
Jefferson County PUD #1 Board of Commissioners
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Washington State Department of Health
Washington State Department of Ecology
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