PORT TOWNSEND — The Jefferson Board of County Commissioners approved an amendment to the Pleasant Harbor Master Planned Resort on Monday to adhere to a Kitsap County Superior Court’s reversal last March.
The amendment added a community center and a nine-hole golf course to the plan, as well as other minor editing changes and wording updates.
Philip Hunsucker, Jefferson County’s chief civil deputy prosecuting attorney, clarified the purpose of an additional community center “wasn’t meant to usurp our community center at all. It was meant to supplement,” he said.
The community center will have rooms community members can rent for a nominal fee and not have to stay at the resort.
The commissioners clarified how certain parts of the resort property near Brinnon will require payment to use, such as the spa, but other recreational parts will be free for the public.
A map of the phasing plans and building layout was presented to the commissioners.
The development plan for the Master Planned Resort (MPR) stated a new utility district had to be formed for the location, and changes Monday adjusted the wording of the title “Utility District” to “Water and Sewage District” to match the building and site requirements for the property.
Hunsucker, County Administrator Philip Morley and the three commissioners discussed the topic for more than 40 minutes, as the commissioners sought to clear up any confusion or inconsistencies with the proposed amendments.
“I hesitate to put up something that is inconsistent with itself,” District 3 Commissioner Greg Brotherton said.
The MPR is a source of controversy within Jefferson County, as multiple citizens have been vocal about their disapproval of the resort. In April 2018, more than 70 members spoke during at public hearing and an additional 200 submitted written comments against the creation of the resort for a variety of reasons.
Several members from the Brinnon Group attended Monday. The group consists of residents in several parts of the county and has actively opposed the MPR, to the point of filing a lawsuit against the project previously, which resulted in certain parts of the development agreement to be reversed by Kitsap County Superior Court Judge Sally Olsen in late March.
Olsen ruled there were inconsistencies within the agreement that conflicted with the county code, such as the MPR’s proposal to build in multiple standalone phases that would include different recreational amenities.
The result of that decision was the amendments presented Monday. Hunsucker and Community Development Director Patty Charnas crafted the amendments to address the issues with the previous MPR.
The next steps before building can start on the 265-acre plot of land is looking into which permits are needed. The MPR must meet all 30 requirements set by the county in 2008 before it can build.
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Jefferson County reporter Zach Jablonski can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 5 or at [email protected].
