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Construction draws concerns, protester
By Rodika Tollefson
KP News
The clearing of a parcel off Key
Peninsula Highway across from the Shell gas station was
visible in April from the highway, causing some local
residents to question the ongoing development that they
feel compromises the highway view corridors. A couple of
neighbors contacted the Key Peninsula News to voice
concerns about what they believed to be clearcutting of
the property. Longbranch resident David Mikelsen held a
one-person protest, wearing a surgical mask and holding
a sign saying, “No more clear cuts.”
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David Mikelsen held his lone protest several
times at the
constuction side for the Community Bible
Fellowship church.
Photo by Vic Renz |
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Photo by Mindi La Rose |
“I’ve been going to (Key Peninsula
Community) Planning Board meetings for two years and
people have gone through great effort to protect the
buffer zone,” Mikelsen said. “My real concern is the
continued clearcutting and the impact it will have on
our aquifer.” (See related story on page 6.) Mikelsen
also questioned why the debris was being burned instead
of being hauled to a disposal facility.
The parcel is the future home of
Community Bible Fellowship, the largest church on the
Key Peninsula based on its congregation. The 14-year-old
church started out in the home of pastor Tim Cedarland,
and is currently meeting at the Key Peninsula Middle
School.
Cedarland said the property had
been logged 15 years ago and had mostly brush and
scotchbroom left. A local sawmill operator not
affiliated with the church and familiar with property
confirmed the information to the KP News, as did the
county planning staff. The church has been undergoing
the permitting process for more than three years, and
applied for a variance for the required 50-foot buffer.
A hearing examiner approved a reduced 25-foot, “filtered
screen” buffer (a low-vegetation buffer that allows
partial view of the site).
“There isn’t a requirement that
they have to leave the trees under the landscape code
they fell under at the time of application,” county
planner Rob Wenman said. The landscaping plan, which
includes replanting to create the buffer, was approved.
The plantings will have to be in place before occupancy
permits are issued.
“Everything has been done according
to county specs,” Cedarland said.
Construction for the
15,000-square-foot facility, which will include a
sanctuary and a fellowship hall, is expected to last a
year. Cedarland said the project is not affiliated with
Gig Harbor based Cedarland NW, which is owned by his
family members.
©Copyright 2005-2008, Key Peninsula
News, all rights reserved.
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