PORT TOWNSEND — Jefferson County officials filed a lawsuit in Superior Court Wednesday in an effort to shut down a homeland security training operation on Discovery Bay.
In the lawsuit against Security Services Northwest Inc., the county asks Superior Court Judge Craddock Verser for an injunction against the company’s training facility.
The lawsuit also requests a declaratory judgment from the court regarding Security Services Northwest’s rights.
The county seeks a judgment on the company’s “failure to obtain building permits, conditional use permits, septic permits and other required approvals for structures and activities on the property.”
County planning and enforcement officials allege the training center — which offers military and paramilitary training on land and sea, as well as counterassault and explosives training at several ranges — is in violation of county codes.
Permit issue is basic
“This is a mess,” county Administrator John Fischbach said Wednesday, saying that he had never seen a case like it in his 35 years in public administration.
“The basic argument is they don’t have permits,” said Fischbach.
“I don’t know how you argue with that.”
Fischbach said the lawsuit was largely the result of talks held last week with Security Services President Joe D’Amico and his legal counsel.
“The thing that triggered this was that last week in talking to us, they admitted that they had people sleeping in the bunkhouses,” said Fischbach.
“There are no permits for that building.”
Contacted Wednesday, D’Amico said, “I’m disappointed that we couldn’t find a solution for everybody to work together.
“I’m disappointed that the county’s not going to recognize that we’ve been grandfathered here since 1988, long before there was county zoning.
“I just look forward to having an opportunity of having this put before somebody.”