Plans for a new 55 and older manufactured home community called Atterberry Landing in Carlsborg, WA has been denied by Clallum County Hearing Examiner Andrew Reeves.
The decision was announced August 16, after months of waiting until a decision was made, per the Sequim Gazette.
The Daily Business News previously reported that locals had been less than receptive to the idea of a new manufactured home community being built.
There were a number of reasons that neighbors cited as concerns in the plans originally provided by Chris Anderson, owner of CA Homes Inc., who wants to develop his 8.8-acre parcel of land.
Plans for the Atterberry Landing were announced a few months ago, as the Daily Business News first reported on the potential new project. The community plan is expected to have around 72 new manufactured homes.
The homes would range from 1,200 to 1,700 square feet, and would have 2-car garages. They were expected to cost around $125,000 – $150,000 and to be placed on leased lots in the community.
NIMBY and More Technical Reasons for the Denial
Unfortunately, a number of NIMBY (Not-In-My-Back-Yard) folks in the area are concerned about the idea of a manufactured home community being built nearby. The issues raised by residents during public commenting period to Reeves, at a June 1 public meeting.
In a statement, Reeves said his reasons for denying the application were that “insufficient information exists to determine whether the proposal is consistent with the County’s environmental policy and critical areas code … and whether adequate provisions have been made to ensure that the public health, safety, welfare, use, and interest are protected.”
The other major issue that Reeves found in the application was the complete lack of information provided by Anderson as to how they planned to handle storm water that could end up in the Matriotti Creek.
He said “the applicant drew a rectangle on its revised site plan to indicate that a detention pond would be sited within the proposed buffer for Matriotti Creek” and no information about the site’s hydrology, flow rates or modeled flow rates.”
While not every detail is needed for the preliminary plans, he said, “simply drawing a stormwater pond on the site plan, however is no substitute for providing actual information and analysis on how stormwater would be addressed on the property and, importantly, how stormwater would be treated (even just conceptually) to prevent pollutants from entering Matriotti Creek.”
Donella Clark, the county’s senior planner, has said that Anderson has two options if he decides he still wants to move forward with plans for the MH community. One option is to apply for reconsideration, which he can do within 10 days of Reeves’ decision (by August 26).
Alternatively, he can file an appeal in Clallum County Superior Court, which he has 21 days (by September 6) to do.
So far, Anderson has not said what his plans for the future of the property are from this point forward.
Fighting NIMBY with the Facts
In a comment on the Sequim Gazzette article MHProNews publisher L.A. ‘Tony’ Kovach pointed out just how NIMBY influences such proposals. orhood were able to affect the outcome in this situation.
Those in Carlsborg who could have benefited from affordable manufactured housing will have to continue to wait while Anderson decides how to proceed. It is part of the trend of NIMBY, which even when a community is approved, it often leads to conflict – as was recently reported in a story, linked here. ## (News analysis.)
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