By Corey Lewis - Daily World Writer, The Aberdeen Daily World , 1/18/2001
The Aberdeen City Council voted Wednesday night to join an appeal of the new Shorelines Management Act rules enacted by the Department of Ecology in December.
The city joins the Association of Washington Businesses, Grays Harbor and Pacific counties, several local cities, and other counties and cities statewide in appealing the new shoreline regulations to the Shorelines Hearings Board, an independent arm of the state Environmental Hearings Office which hears disputes over shorelines regulations.
The city council decided by voice vote, with no dissent, to join the suit.
Mayor Mike Wilson said Aberdeen has a vested interest in joining the lawsuit because it is surrounded by water and shorelines. He said every area is different and has different needs, and all should not be treated the same.
"It's going to be very important to us to get what we consider a better shake instead of doing the broad - brush approach that the Department of Ecology is doing," said Wilson. "They need to take it on a case - by - case basis. So I feel real comfortable joining in the appeal."
City Planner Brian Shea said the new regulations stand to cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars because they mandate that cities analyze every foot of their existing shorelines. Shea said the state gives priority funding to those cities with endangered species habitat - a criteria Aberdeen does not fit - so the city would wind up footing its own bill. Shea said the city does not have the money to do that.
"The (state government) needs to decide this at the right level," Wilson said. "It needs to be decided in Olympia at the legislative level rather than being something only the DOE comes up with and decides."
"We are all for ecology," he added. "We live in a wonderful area and certainly don't want to see it destroyed. But on the other hand, we don't want people's property rights infringed upon to a level where they're not able to sell their property when they want to."
Corey Lewis, a Daily World writer, can be reached at 532 - 4000, ext. 130, and by email at clewis@thedailyworld.com
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