PORT ANGELES — Clallam County commissioners have cleared the way for a $1.8 million zipline park in the foothills off Little River Road south of Port Angeles.
The commissioners voted 2-1 Tuesday to uphold a Clallam County hearing examiner decision to grant a conditional use permit to Green Planet Inc. for Dan Williams’ proposed zipline park and eco-center.
Commissioners Mike Doherty and Steve Tharinger voted to uphold the hearing examiner’s decision and deny an appeal by Nils Sundquist.
Commissioner Mike Chapman was opposed.
Decisions made by the commissioners, who act in a quasi-judicial role in close record appeals, can themselves be appealed to Clallam County Superior Court.
Williams, project manager and chief executive officer for Green Planet Inc., wants to operate seven gravity ziplines on 40 acres of commercial forest land leased from the state Department of Natural Resources.
Clallam County Hearing Examiner Christopher Melly approved the conditional use permit Dec. 23.
Sundquist appealed the 22-condition permit, saying in a closed record appeal hearing Feb. 23 that Lake Dawn Road is too primitive to accommodate the 10-person passenger vans that would make 16 round trips per day during a 178-day season.
The vans would travel to the zipline park through the Lake Dawn neighborhood and back to downtown Port Angeles via Black Diamond Road.
Recreationalists would harness up and zip down the mountainside along overhead cables ranging in length from 380 feet to 1,586 feet.
One single-wide mobile home would serve as the park’s headquarters.
Five parking spaces would be available for an expected four employees, according to Williams’ proposal.
Chapman and Doherty were split after last month’s closed record appeal hearing.
Chapman cited an inadequate traffic analysis and opposition from Lake Dawn residents.
Doherty said the additional traffic caused by the zipline park would not be significant.
Tharinger was away on vacation during the closed record appeal hearing. He has since reviewed the minutes and listened to a CD recording of the public testimony.
“After reviewing the record, I don’t think the appeal has much merit,” Tharinger said in Monday’s work session.
County staff in the Department of Community Development and Public Works recommended approval of the conditional use permit, in part because the passenger vans and loop route would keep traffic down.
Complaints about traffic volumes filed in the future could trigger more reviews by the hearing examiner, according to the resolution the commissioners passed Tuesday.
The permit is valid for three years with the option of a one-year extension. If the park is built in that time, the permit becomes valid indefinitely.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
