D.O.E issues more
fines to Twin Bridges
from
Anacortes Online.com - http://www.anacortesonline.com/Article.tpl?id=1274
June
29, 2001 -- By Nathan Lindberg -Anacortes, WA-
The Department of Ecology has fined Bill and Ken Youngsman, owners of
the Twin Bridges Marina, $25,000 dollars in addition to two previous
$17,000 fines. The Department of Ecology maintains that the dry-stack
marina is operating without proper shoreline permits. Skagit County
and the Youngsmans disagree.
The
marina, located northeast of the Duane Berentson Bridges, opened on
June 1. At the marina, boats are removed from the water by a large
forklift and placed inside the main, heated, storage building. The
main building can hold 350 boats. A reported 25 boats have been placed
in it so far.
Skagit County Assistant Planning Director Kendra
Smith said the original permits the Youngsmans were issued cover all
present marina activities.
“The original permits allow for some marine
activity to occur, which means some boats would come in and out of the
water,” said Smith.
In a press release dated June 29, Bill Youngsman,
managing partner of Twin Bridges Marina, contended the marina’s
operations are all permitted and legal.
“Agents within Ecology are purposely
misrepresenting the facts with respect to Twin Bridges Marina,” the
release quoted Youngsman as saying. “They are fully aware that we
have valid permits for our project including the construction and
operation of our business yet they refuse to honor that fact. They
were also given copies of our permits when they were issued and could
have appealed those permits, but chose not to. Rather, Ecology has
been trying to get us to voluntarily go out of business and of course
we will not do that. It is truly unbelievable what they are trying to
do.”
The original marina permits, granted in 1984 and
1986, were for a commercial marine dredging business. The Department
of Ecology maintains those permits do not allow for the present
marina.
“We’ve made it clear to the Youngsmans for the
last three years that to operate that marina they would need a
substantial shoreline permit,” said Department of Ecology Public
Relations Regional Manager Curt Hart.
The Youngsmans have applied for a substantial
shoreline permit, which would allow them to have additional
facilities, like covered moorage, and would also include all of their
current activities. The permit process involves public comment and
review by the Department of Ecology. Until the substantial shoreline
permit is issued, Department of Ecology feels the marina is being
operated illegally. .
The Department of Ecology has fined the marina a
total of $54,000, none of which has been paid.
In a June 29 press release, Supervisor for Ecology
Shorelines Activities in Northwest Washington Jeannie Summerhays
expressed her concern that the marina sets a bad precedent for other
projects.
"If someone can construct and operate a
marina without going through proper permitting and keep the project
from public review," Summerhays said, "what does that say to
all the other marina businesses in Washington who strive so hard
follow the law?"
In the Twin Bridges Marina press release, Bill
Youngsman stated Twin Bridges will appeal the Department of
Ecology’s fine.
“As Ecology leaves us no other option, we will
appeal this penalty and see them in court,” said Youngsman. “No
government should be able to treat its citizens this way. Twin Bridges
has been working for 25 years to obtain the required permits for this
project. We have created an environmentally sound project that has
great public support and demand. I welcome anyone from the public to
stop by and tour this facility.”