The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

Wahkiakum County Commissioners Dan Cothren and Tom Doumit approved two subdivisions, discussed meeting comportment and acted on other issues at their Tuesday meeting.

Commissioner George Trott was ill and missed the meeting.

The board approved the Howard’s View subdivision on Fern Hill Road and Hidden Creek No. 2 off Elochoman Valley Road.

Howard’s View would subdivide 7.79 acres into six lots. An access road would be 575 feet, 75 feet longer than the maximum allowed in the county Subdivision Ordinance for a dead end road, so the permit included a variance to allow the longer road. Applicant is Marsha Cleveland.

Hidden Creek No. 2 would divide a six acre parcel into six one-acre parcels. An access road, Nature Loop, would branch off the Elochoman Valley and go through the subdivision, then through another proposed subdivision, Hidden Creek No. 1, and rejoin the Elochoman Valley Road. Each lot would have its own well and designed septic system.

In response to a request from two Ostervold Road residents, the county said it would seek to expand the dredge spoil disposal site in the area.

Residents Paul Aldinger and Art Hauge said they had understood sand would be dumped along their property, which is experiencing erosion. They have signed right-of-entry permits for the dredging crews, but they’ve subsequently learned the planned spoils site didn’t come upstream as far as their properties.

Public Works Director Pete Ringen explained that the permit and project to dump spoils was originally targeting the county sand pit at the very lower end of Puget Island, but it was expanded upriver to include properties with erosion threatening two houses. The project has initial support from state and federal permitting agencies, but the final permit hasn’t been approved.

“I think there’s an opportunity to expand,” Ringen said after hearing Aldinger and Hauge. He said he would contact the county’s consulting engineer on the project to have the adjacent properties included.

The county is also applying for permits to allow the Corps of Engineers to dump sand in the vicinity of Pancake Point on East Sunny Sands and along the North Welcome Slough Road dike.

Commissioner Doumit offered comments on meeting deportment.

Doumit said he had heard and read about the portion of last week’s commission meeting in which Commissioners Trott and Cothren became angry with a citizen's questions.

He suggested everyone recall lessons in civility and follow guidelines for discussion so that everyone is heard without being attacked or threatened.

Board Clerk Holly Pfenniger displayed a copy of board Meeting Rules of Procedure. Commissioners said they would review the document to update it.