Belfair resident urges Mason County to consider vacating Roselle Road amid restoration plans

MASON COUNTY, Wash. — During the public-comment period at Friday’s Mason County commissioners meeting, Belfair resident Ken Buster urged the board to consider vacating the remainder of Roselle Road rather than funding or supporting a proposed restoration project.

Buster, who said he had a long history with the Sellar wetlands and involvement with local boards, told commissioners he discovered the original breach in the Sellar Trail in 2012 and that the breach “could have been fixed” at that time. He told the board that, in his view, the county should not support the proposed restoration project and instead should consider vacating the road.

"In my opinion, the county should not provide any support for this project. And I think the county should consider vacating the road or the rest of the road," Buster said. He also said Roselle Boat Road was previously longer and had been vacated in 1990 as part of a perpetual-use agreement among the Fish and Wildlife Service, the North Mason School District and the original farm owners.

Nut graf: The comment raised land-use and public-works considerations tied to historical agreements and wetland conditions; the speaker asked commissioners to evaluate whether continued county support for restoration is appropriate or whether a formal road vacation should be pursued.

Ending: Buster provided his contact information and invited commissioners to call with questions; the board did not take action on his request during the meeting and the matter remained in the public-comment record.