THE FEW DICTATING TO THE MANY FOR THE BENEFIT OF NONE
Submitted to Shelton Blog by Tom Davis Mason County Progressive
For those folks who have followed the Port of Shelton’s legal actions against the Shelton Hills Development Project, last week’s letter to the editor of the Shelton-Mason County Journal by Mark Hall, sponsor of the project, comes none too soon. In his letter, Mr. Hall lays out the facts of the matter, putting to rest, once and for all, any straw man arguments raised by the Port.
At issue is a decision by the City of Shelton to rezone 160 acres south of the airport from commercial industrial to neighborhood residential. Port resistance to the rezone centers on the fear that new residential development adjacent to the airport threatens the future of that facility. More clearly: Port Commissioners Jay Hupp, Tom Wallitner and Director John Dobson argue that residents of the new development will find airplane noise so intolerable they will band together and force closure of the airport.
To this I say, bull-feathers! There are scores of examples where small airports and adjacent neighborhoods coexist peacefully. And it follows that new residential developments can only increase public demand for additional airport amenities.
The protracted and expensive legal action brought by the Port is based on an unfounded premise bordering on paranoia. In reality, Port management has spent the better part of three years trying to sabotage what is essentially a major economic recovery opportunity for Mason County. This is a classic case of the few dictating to the many for the benefit of none.
Port resistance is made even more egregious when you consider the Shelton Hills Project will bring many permanent jobs, commercial opportunities and even a new city park to our community, as the developer builds out the entire 700 acre site. It is ironic that a municipality created to attract economic growth to Mason County should be the primary roadblock to precisely that objective.
The Port needs to stop fighting against our recovery and allow the rezone process to move forward. Mr. Hupp, Mr. Walitner and Mr. Dobson should get with the program or step aside and let clearer heads steer the future of our county.
Having now had an opportunity to view the site in question, including the beautiful little lake, and watching people sky-dive from that site on a glorious summer day, and hearing the peaceful drone of small planes, it boggles the mind that Dobson and his posse (Hupp and Wallitner) are so opposed to the development of the Halls Equity property. Madness.
ReplyDeleteAs proof of their madness, they they were willing to spend in excess of a quarter of a million dollars in a 12 month period to attorneys Stoel Rives to fight the City's rezone.
The Port's 2011 budget narrative indicates expenses for Sanderson field, the Marina, John's Prairie, and the Fairgrounds with, as we expected, the bulk of that being spent on Sanderson Field.
But under "General and Administration" they list $1,178,262 for "general and administration," which is where they have probably buried their more than quarter million dollars in attorneys fees.
Besides spending a quarter million dollars in fees to one firm in a twelve month period the Port has numerous other lawyers billing them including Skip Hauser who actually bills the least per hour, and whose bills are terribly modest when compared to some of the others.
This litigious bunch of stooges (Dobson, Hupp and Wallitner) should not be in charge of the family grocery money, much less be in charge of the Ports $1.6 million budget. Madness.
More detailed reports to follow breaking down these fees for the inquiring minds of Mason County who are watching their tax dollars and their Port's revenue be tossed around like confetti by Larry, Mo and Curly!