HomeMy WebLinkAbout2961-387
C,W1l4
vveh
Cot11JyvV~k
Page 1 of2
2t1 td
Jeanie Orr
From: DAVID JENKINS [distaem@hotmail.com]
Sent: Friday, January 30, 20092:54 PM
To: #Long-Range Planning
Subject: Shoreline Master Plan
Dear Sirs,
I just learned of the Shoreline Master Plan and have not had the opportunity to read it yet. I have
concerns regarding some of the new restrictions the plan will impose on shoreline property owners.
We have Iivedon the East shore of Discovery Bay near Woodman Road In a small development for
over twenty years.
We believe that the conditions of living on the shoreline should be upgraded and tightened in a
reasonable manner to ensure that Discovery Bay remain healthy so that the decimated wildlife
above and below he surface will have a chance to recover. Current problems with that regard
resulted from gross overfishing in both crab, shrimp, geoduck, herring, salmon and bottom fish, all
of which were historically plentiful in Discovery Bay. Crab are recovering slowly, herring pools are
rare, salmon are returning to the creeks, bottom fish recover very slowly.
Development of Discovery Bay shoreline is imminent on extensive properties owned by Broders,
Gunstone and Nisbet/Marlow so it is important that the bay be protected from past and
future harmful and lax practices. It is clearly just a matter of time. Clam farming is no longer
practiced by the Gunstone/Broders families to any extent. Evidently they are intent on developing
or selling their lands to developers for housing development.
Our concerns regarding the Shoreline Master Plan as written appear are that some plans appear to
be unreasonably restrictive in the areas that we have had the opportunity to hear about.
We believe that a 100 foot set back for a building site is adequate for protecting the bluff in most
locations.
Specific prohibitions of vegetation clearing on the bluffs, tree removal and disturbing the slope
can ensure that erosion will be kept to a minimum. I have given the pamphlets on preventing bluff
erosion and slides to several new neighbors who followed those instructions and have had no slides
or erosion problems. I other words education of builders and homeowners is key to prevention. We
agree with your plan to restrict cutting no more than 20% of the trees. The view is enhanced with
trees containing eagles and other birds.
Stairs to the beach can be constructed in a manner that does little to disturb existing vegetation. I
hung my stairs at the top with cables running to an underground dead head so that in the event of
a slide the stairs stay in place and simply need to be rebraced without disturbing much of the
landscape.
Septic drain fields should be located above homes wherever possible since that source of nitrates
and phosphates is certainly a contributor to the bay's pollution in some areas.
Rebuilding a home after a fire should be moved to a 100 foot set back unless there is insufficient
space, in which case, it should be allowed where it was. In other words existing homes should be
grandfathered to their current location unless there is plenty of room to relocate it.
Prohibiting ladders or stairs to the beaches encourages dangerous, slippery trails and ropes.
Shared stairs should be encouraged but are not always workable.
We wish we had more time to review the entire Plan. Please consider giving more time to those of
us who have just become aware of this process and keeping the public comment period open for a
while. We are generally pleased at the effort to protect the shorelines of our incredibly beautiful
county, but please leave us some options as home and property owners who had no control over
2/2/2009
Page 2 of2
the conditions when we made our purchases.
Thank you,
David and Gail Jenkins
25 Madrona Beach Drive (Discovery Bay)
Port Townsend, WA 98368
360 385 7612
distaem(Ci) hotmail.com
aga iljenkins@hotmail.com
2/2/2009