[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6097250,"mediaKeyId","2828516-40da4f1b301029c167fee439b668f31d","parentId",2828516,"title","County staff recommends denial of Arrowsmith dock at Neckpoint Cove; applicants and conservation groups disagree","audioSeconds",5319,"startMs",1367000,"endMs",6686000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2828516-40da4f1b301029c167fee439b668f31d&start=1367&end=6686","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2828516-40da4f1b301029c167fee439b668f31d/thumbnail_1367000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6097250/San-Juan-County/Washington/County-staff-recommends-denial-of-Arrowsmith-dock-at-Neckpoint-Cove-applicants-and-conservation-groups-disagree","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097250-9e7a36699833888108d2cfa0ba1becb6/orig.mp4?Expires=1773297822&Signature=crlU2bBB0-sO3F05PAIUwJiawlDsbX-MSuORdg3L3IjA644FhUDIrHfibGkiav0~XwLYhLGV9N51UdEJeVzl-Vozz9YdwJDvtcE8a0BkEfB1kx2ZkCBE7dCUcALxrSa0ecRpV4t3FCVqSw5zNOQiWjfiONpma0H6bhM7K6FLfXJiNei5HYofi7~Vc1IvE6uNaB0XdBI-tJlYVwTziJzksxLg1--NeZypUP2w6BgTCaJZAnZ7PsjEO9oco6hjxIQfdenmqsEVGjZ8beSFW6F6TiYK2CkI1JbMCFnmwy-MKscQK6vmEFKmi7ak8TiEpUSRqXOdpF~-XyIpJpLHCdiI4Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","San Juan County, WA","date","2025-03-26T00:00:00Z","article","County staff recommended denying an application by Jeff and Claire Arrowsmith for a joint‑use dock at Neckpoint Cove on Shaw Island, saying the proposal does not meet several San Juan County Shoreline Master Program (SMP) standards including the order of preference for overwater structures and requirements to demonstrate infeasibility of less‑intrusive alternatives.

Staff principal planner Rick Maycock summarized the staff recommendation and said the application \"is not consistent with six code provisions\" and two comprehensive‑plan provisions cited in the staff report, and that the county therefore recommended denial. Maycock told the hearing that the application does not adequately demonstrate that the existing combination of a mooring float and a mooring buoy is infeasible, writing in the staff synopsis that the county found the applicant had not shown that alternatives were infeasible. The file number for the application is LandUse‑23‑0162.

The Arrowsmiths' application seeks to replace an existing mooring float and retain a mooring buoy with a joint‑use dock consisting of a short pier, a ramp and a float. Maycock’s staff report stated the proposed dock would be about 436 square feet and would \"replace an existing mooring float,\" with the float and an existing buoy retained. The county identified concerns under SMP sections cited in the record (for example, 18.52.40.A.9 and 18.52.50.A.1–2) about the \"porcupine effect\"—the proliferation of private docks along the shoreline—and about the applicant’s failure to show there are no feasible alternatives, such as continued use of the existing float and buoy or an expansion of the neighborhood community dock.

Applicant Jeff Arrowsmith told the examiner the project would be low‑impact, improve safety and environmental conditions, and noted practical access concerns: he said he uses a 25‑foot aluminum landing craft with twin 200‑horsepower outboards for transporting people and cargo and that his wife and daughters cannot safely use the present beach or buoy access. \"I think safety should be considered,\" Arrowsmith said. He and his consultants argued the community dock expansion would be a multiyear project and not a feasible near‑term alternative, and said the proposed change would keep the physical footprint small while making access safer.

Friends of the San Juans — represented at the hearing by Kyle Loring and Tina Whitman — urged denial. Loring argued the site \"would be the first dock in the Neckpoint Cove subdivision since the county adopted its shoreline master program in 1976\" and said the existing float and buoy have served the property for roughly 30 years. Whitman, Friends’ senior science director, raised specific ecological concerns about kelp beds, shading, anchor‑disc disturbance, propeller damage and potential effects on juvenile salmon and forage‑fish spawning habitat; she said the applicant’s materials had gaps and omissions and recommended denial.

Neighbors and longtime Neckpoint Cove residents spoke against the dock. Resident Skip Bole (recorded and referenced variably as \"Bold/Bole\") described the beach as a high‑quality landing site used for decades; resident Jon Christofferson said the community dock has been upgraded and noted that applying for seasonal dock moorage is a straightforward procedure and that some seasonal turnover exists.

Applicant technical consultants with GenJ (biologist Kim Middleton and engineer/consultant Chris Boettcher) argued the proposed work would improve local conditions by replacing the existing solid‑deck float with a graded float and by reducing chain scour, and said the proposed anchoring would provide stable hard substrate for kelp. Boettcher asked to submit a written response to comments; the hearing examiner allowed the applicant team to submit responsive materials and gave the parties and county deadlines.

The examiner set a schedule for follow‑up filings: the applicant team may submit responsive materials (limited to replying to today’s comments, not new evidence) by 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 2; staff agreed to review any applicant submittal and may supplement the staff report by April 9; the examiner afforded the applicant an opportunity for a final reply through Friday, April 11. The examiner also instructed participants to send PDFs of exhibits (photographs, aerials, diagrams) to the county planner for inclusion in the record. The hearing remained open for that limited, responsive record; no final decision was issued at the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Hearing Examiner - March 26, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","San Juan County staff recommended denial of a joint‑use dock permit at Neckpoint Cove on Shaw Island, saying the application does not satisfy Shoreline Master Program priorities and did not show infeasibility of less‑intrusive alternatives; applicants and conservation groups sharply disagreed.","taxTitle","San Juan County, Washington","taxId",72708,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6097254,"Hearing examiner reopens shoreline variance for Boathouse Cove; Ecology-backed redesign reduces drain fields",663,703000,1366000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2828516-40da4f1b301029c167fee439b668f31d&start=703&end=1366","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2828516-40da4f1b301029c167fee439b668f31d/thumbnail_703000.jpg","/articles/6097254/San-Juan-County/Washington/Hearing-examiner-reopens-shoreline-variance-for-Boathouse-Cove-Ecology-backed-redesign-reduces-drain-fields","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097254-5016cf3b48cd42db3bdec6d07660afde/orig.mp4?Expires=1773297822&Signature=Lac2fPUjgVxGDOID9-sks6E6IVlZU6J0u-sWJcl4c535TLgOtRBCHzsLCTxDqcGURih~DcPY4OFuCG0r~ybyDZqgplmWBVNxayWBErf6LWPjD51fhRwoi3NueT27iR7IQ3SGsd0bfhU3Z1LF7Iet2c7CLIcQX7GZagP8UiO7y7tEsYFPrEAWvoapsM-0UjkoA7CTrb4wHNUdmksMcJ-EFCP-DM-Q9lDM5uWFkl0Sf~BihUnxIE0KdRJ9qJGFR7bae61cr6V3RKq92mZAabjKnEw9pRmSxGsqxFP9I1paDgy1B~y7rPLM2YibDAmPaLAJ6exTVk-XXq~7CbiO8hlmbg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The San Juan County Hearing Examiner reopened a previously heard shoreline‑variance matter for Boathouse Cove LLC to accept new materials and comments after the Washington Department of Ecology submitted revised site information affecting septic placement.

County planner Rick (or \"Maycock\" in the record) explained that Ecology and the applicant worked to develop a new site plan that reduces the number of proposed septic drain fields from two to one and relocates the planned drain field area within the development. Maycock said Ecology had transmitted an email supporting the proposed realignment and that the county \"supports the proposed changes.\" The staff exhibit with Ecology’s correspondence was marked in the record as Exhibit 1 for the reopened hearing.

Michelle Shaw, representing the applicant and speaking under oath, described the technical issue: septic setback rules require drain fields to be at least 100 feet from the ordinary high‑water mark (OHWM) and from wells; a health‑department waiver can reduce the OHWM setback to 75 feet. Shaw said the initial septic design used a surveyed OHWM but Ecology’s verified OHWM was higher (an elevation change that the applicant described as a 12‑foot discrepancy in elevation in parts), which forced the applicant to move the septic onto a specific lot (parcel 450251003). Shaw said the applicant accepts Ecology’s verified OHWM and submitted the revised plan accordingly. Shaw also said the health department has not yet approved the septic system pending the variance approval.

Applicant owner Richard (\"Mister Nelson\") asked for an expedited decision, saying the project is behind schedule. Hearing Examiner Gary McLean said he would try to issue a decision \"in early April\" and that county shoreline permits are often conditioned on any subsequent approvals by other agencies (for example, Ecology’s final action). McLean said any changes Ecology approves would condition county approvals so the county permit would not necessarily need to return to the examiner for minor revisions.

McLean closed the reopened hearing portion after no members of the public offered additional comment. He said he would take the record under advisement and issue a written decision as soon as possible.","A reopened San Juan County hearing for a shoreline variance at Boathouse Cove LLC (owner: Nelson) will consider a revised septic plan developed with the Washington Department of Ecology that reduces proposed drain fields from two to one; county staff signaled support and the examiner said he would issue a decision in early April.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6097258,"Hearing examiner continues Harbor Propane conditional-use hearing to April; staff report to be issued",607,95000,702000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2828516-40da4f1b301029c167fee439b668f31d&start=95&end=702","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2828516-40da4f1b301029c167fee439b668f31d/thumbnail_95000.jpg","/articles/6097258/San-Juan-County/Washington/Hearing-examiner-continues-Harbor-Propane-conditional-use-hearing-to-April-staff-report-to-be-issued","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097258-a0d1a1a7956811e08fe1c9cf48552056/orig.mp4?Expires=1773297822&Signature=GRIjMPv2psJd2vhuNEteCDDtKm6xUyl63mizpV5avtq~OA6gfcQZFWhDTDf6SVQFdNv8niTdL6rvXdvs2E8RVz~6ihMzYFkS1-oJtwsfaYG0sG~f2WmhRBIUWqRMxCZWZcAi5ytTQN5pD7o324yLKz-EPQiWycMdx1Jkr7HnuKgAs70FykFhPPT1-d5-DMYNpRfDVsIIOcEm6B9LibUU6J0l69fsgzhRYXyc2pYtiyZkBaJ3rYTz5m0ho0lq69fsNI5jOlxlesMMPNokGZB3tSWc5BXxoITI3hTTSY~Cok4mlSpD11MtjiY9yQxXsJrJK1CpGUXwPTKL0yt4wmHPfQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hearing examiner Gary McLean continued a publicly noticed hearing on a conditional-use permit application for a bulk propane storage facility on Orcas Island to the April hearing date after county staff said the staff report was not ready for issuance.

McLean told the room and the online attendees that the item had been noticed for hearing even though a written staff report had not been completed. County planner Darcy Nielsen confirmed the staff report would be ready \"by May 28\" if not sooner, and later indicated staff would \"make every effort to have it ready for the April hearing date.\" McLean said, \"I will continue this matter to April the April hearing date.\"

The applicant representative, identified in the record as Miss Shaw, told the examiner the business was operating under a code-enforcement violation and preferred the April date so the conditional-use permit could be processed promptly to resolve that compliance issue. Nielsen told the examiner she expected the staff report could be available within two weeks if schedules permit.

On enforcement, McLean said county enforcement actions such as fines or assessments were unlikely to be pursued while the matter remains in this procedural status: he said concerns about \"ongoing penalties and fines are suspended, held in abeyance until this matter goes to full hearing\" if the status quo remains.

McLean instructed staff to keep the applicant informed of the report’s status and said the continued hearing date would be posted on the county website. He closed the public-comment opportunity for the item and moved on to the next matters on the agenda.

The hearing record identifies the Land Use file for this item as quoted in the hearing as \"Land Use '20 4-0065.\" The examiner noted that, if the staff report is not issued in time for the April hearing, staff may place the matter on the May 28 calendar instead.

The county clerk and hearing-room staff said they would accept any participant materials submitted for the continued hearing and post the new hearing date on the county website once scheduled.","San Juan County Hearing Examiner Gary McLean continued a conditional-use hearing for a bulk propane storage proposal on Orcas Island to the April hearing date after staff said the written report was not yet ready; county staff said code-enforcement penalties would be held in abeyance while the matter remains pending.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County staff recommends denial of Arrowsmith dock at Neckpoint Cove; applicants and conservation groups disagree

Hearing examiner reopens shoreline variance for Boathouse Cove; Ecology-backed redesign reduces drain fields

Hearing examiner continues Harbor Propane conditional-use hearing to April; staff report to be issued