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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter re: Pleasant Harbor Master Planned Resort and Values of the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners - 052725 F CO'MI/A, aN eo`��O Board of County Commissioners 1820 Jefferson Street PO Box 1220 Port Townsend, WA 98368 S1UNGC O Heather Dudley-Nollette,District 1 Heidi Eisenhour, District 2 Greg Brotherton,District 3 May 27, 2025 Pleasant Harbor Master Planned Resort and Values of the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners Jefferson County and The Statesman Group have been working together for years to advance the proposed Master Planned Resort (MPR) at Pleasant Harbor in Brinnon. At times, the relationship between Statesman and the county's Department of Community Development (DCD) has been tense as DCD ensures compliance with county ordinances Statesman agreed to and fought for in litigation by opposing parties against Statesman and the county. Despite the developer and the county working together for years, misinformation has persisted in the community about how the county has approached working with Statesman on this project. This document serves to state clearly the values of the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners (Board) regarding the proposed MPR. Since at least 2002, when Jefferson County adopted the Brinnon Subarea Plan, the county consistently and actively has worked to move the Pleasant Harbor MPR project forward within the framework of state and local regulations.The process involves comprehensive environmental, legal, and public review steps—none of which can or should be bypassed. Alongside the developer, the county successfully has defended three lawsuits against county ordinances that moved the project forward but slowed the project for years. The Board is an unequivocal and enthusiastic supporter of this project for these reasons: • Jefferson County values economic development, and this proposed resort definitely qualifies as economic development. • Jefferson County is a distressed rural community as recognized by state government. The Brinnon area is one of the most economically distressed areas in the county.The proposed resort project promises family-wage jobs for local residents, both during and after construction. • This resort has the potential to put south county on the map and increase tourism to the region. • Money spent on construction of the resort will increase sales tax revenue across a number of county funds, especially the General Fund, which funds many county programs. • The completed resort is expected to increase assessed property value in the county, resulting in greater property tax revenue, which funds many county services and junior taxing districts. • The completed resort is expected to bring in visitors from out of county.This will help increase our hotel/motel and sales tax revenues. • The completed resort is expected to increase the housing supply in south county, which will help support jobs. • The completed resort will provide recreational opportunities and other amenities that will be available in Brinnon for south county residents and visitors alike. 1I - The Board also supports the work of DCD, which is responsible for ensuring that the proponent's preliminary plat application is consistent with the adopted Development Agreement, county code, and state law. The Board has adopted four ordinances that amended the county's Comprehensive Plan and development regulations to include zoning for the MPR, adopted development regulations for the MPR, and approved a 1,000-page Development Agreement signed by the county and Statesman to guide the resort's buildout. As required by county code and state law, DCD's role in the process is to serve as a neutral reviewer of development and building applications.Additional detail on the status of two pending permit applications, one for a preliminary plat and one for a building permit, is provided in a sheet attached to this statement. Put simply, and despite what you may have heard, the ball is in the applicant's court for both the preliminary plat approval and the building permit approval. Jefferson County deeply values the people of Brinnon and greater Jefferson County.The county remains open and willing to work with the developers of the proposed resort—as we have been throughout—to find a path forward that respects the needs of the community, adheres to legal requirements, and results in real opportunities for local workers and families. JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS .. i det 1-' 4.10 :udleY-Nollette He i Eisenhour r-: Brotherton District 1 District 2, Chair District 3 Attachment 2IPage ADDITIONAL DETAILS Preliminary Plat Application The preliminary plat application approval process for the Pleasant Harbor Master Planned Resort (MPR) has been stalled since earlier this year. Statesman submitted the initial application on November 20, 2023, followed by a revision on March 25, 2024. Preliminary review resulted in a request for additional information (first on July 3, 2024, modified on August 16, 2024)to address remaining issues with the proposal in advance of a public hearing before the Jefferson County Hearing Examiner. Statesman provided additional information on February 4, 2025, and on March 10, 2025, DCD and Statesman reached an agreement on a review schedule that would lead to a hearing before the Jefferson County Hearing Examiner on May 16, 2025. However, the next day(March 11),Statesman informed DCD that they were preparing revised preliminary plat materials and asked DCD to postpone the hearing that had been set for May 16. In a March 18, 2025 meeting, Statesman advised the county that preliminary plat changes would include the following: 1. Moving the wastewater treatment plant; 2. Moving roads over 40 feet; 3. Moving the hotel and spa 45 feet; 4. Moving the wildlife corridor; 5. Moving a stormwater pond; 6. Eliminating lots and moving lot lines; and, 7. Locating a new point of access for the MPR. On March 28, 2025, Statesman confirmed in writing that it agreed that, "the delay of the hearing until the civil review is complete is both necessary and required by our request to DCD and OTAK.The seven items in the list you included below represent the changes we requested to our preliminary plat application." As a result,the Office of the Hearing Examiner canceled the May 16, 2025 public hearing on the preliminary plat application.That hearing will be rescheduled once the developer submits the revised preliminary plat materials. Building Permit Application In October 2024, Statesman submitted a building permit application for a 41,000-square-foot multipurpose building. DCD staff made repeated attempts to acquire information from the applicant in order be able to move forward with permit review. As confirmed by a consultant that supports DCD with commercial plans review, this missing information is needed in order for the Building Official to determine whether the ground and proposed foundation would be strong enough to support a building of that size at the planned location. Also missing from the application is a narrative on the proposed uses of the building and related details that are needed to determine the appropriate building code occupancy,which would then inform the applicant as to specific code requirements, including whether a sprinkler system would be required to be installed to comply with the International Fire Code adopted by the State of Washington. Following multiple meetings with the applicant to discuss permit status, Statesman committed on May 9, 2025 to providing all missing information, but has not done so yet. 31Page