LETTER: Bad decision to hire outside consultant in Clallam

I was appalled by the decision Oct. 22 by our Clallam County commissioners to override the decision of our elected Director of Community Development on the proposed development on East Sequim Bay Road.

The commissioners have apparently agreed to turn over the county’s responsibility on land use to a consultant chosen by the developer.

This scam of trying to get approval of a four-story, 32,000-square-foot, 27-bathroom hotel by calling it a five-bedroom bed and breakfast is a tragic joke.

This appears to be nothing more than a blatant effort to circumvent the county’s much more stringent code and zoning requirements for a hotel.

We are very fortunate to have a highly qualified, experienced, and talented director of community development in Mary Ellen Winborn.

To reject her and her department’s judgment on this issue and throw the decision into the hands of an unelected, out-of-state consultant is a disservice to the department and to our community.

I believe the county commissioners have failed badly in their responsibility to the citizens of Clallam County.

Will every building code dispute in the future be farmed out to some expensive third party?

Donald D Hatler,

Sequim