Residents urge Sequim to extend moratorium on Seabrook/West Bay project, citing water, traffic and habitat worries
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Summary
Multiple residents used public comment to oppose the proposed Seabrook/West Bay (John Wayne Marina) development, submitting petitions and arguing the 600‑unit plan would strain wells, roads and sensitive shoreline habitat; speakers asked council to uphold or extend the moratorium and to require fuller SEPA/traffic/water analyses.
Sequim — Several Sequim residents used the Oct. 27 public comment period to urge the city to block or further study the proposed Seabrook West Bay residential development near John Wayne Marina, saying a large subdivision would worsen groundwater shortages, increase traffic on narrow local roads and harm fish habitat along Johnson Creek and the Pitship Pocket estuary.
Petition and moratorium requests
Rose Marshall told council she submitted more than 1,300 signatures opposing the project and asked the council to maintain the moratorium on development near Sequim Bay. "The people here do not want that development," Marshall said, urging the city to refuse permits for technical and safety reasons, including limited road capacity.
Water and infrastructure concerns
Resident Virginia Shugrin said the Dungeness River Basin and local aquifers already suffer chronic shortages and cited a 2008 city study on pipeline impacts and reduced aquifer recharge from numerous exempt wells in the region. She estimated 650 residential units could increase water demand by 130,000 to 195,000 gallons per day and said the project relies on unbuilt sewer infrastructure and an incomplete traffic impact analysis.
Habitat and shoreline impacts
Speakers raised concerns about habitat disruption to Johnson Creek (noting coho salmon protections) and the alteration of roughly 90 acres of shoreline near the marina, which could reduce public waterfront access. Several speakers asked that if the SEPA checklist understates cumulative impacts, the city require an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
Affordable‑housing question
Several speakers, including Christine Paulson, said Sequim needs affordable housing rather than a gated development with market‑rate homes priced well above local incomes. Others recalled similar developments in other Washington communities that changed traffic and neighborhood character.
What council heard and next steps
Council received the comments during the public comment period; no final action regarding the Seabrook/West Bay project occurred at the Oct. 27 meeting. Speakers said they will closely monitor the SEPA process, and several urged council to maintain or extend the moratorium while additional studies and public review proceed.