Raymond approves permit for $120,000,000 port development

Scot Pearson explained the permit on behalf of the Public Works Department. "The city has received an application for a shoreline substantial development and conditional use permit for the south fork development project," he said. "The developer is proposing to build 10 warehouses for the processing and manufacturing of recreational marijuana. The project is estimated to be about $120,000,000.

"The city has already reviewed the application and we published the termination of non-significance for the environmental part of it," Pearson continued. "The city code requires that they go through public hearing at the city council for them to make their final decision. Hopefully we will be able to accomplish that this evening, after which the permit will go to the department of ecology for their review and they have final approval on it."

During the discussion of the South Fork Business Park conditional use permit, Public Works Director Dean Parson was prompted about the state of a particular sewer main that runs through the land.

Councilman Kaley Hanson inquired if the issues were resolved to which Parsons replied, "I have not heard back from them since I'd sent them information showing what we had with the information from contractors. They have not written, or returned any phone calls."

The concern was that the state of the pipeline might affect the council's decision in passing the permit.

"The shoreline program actually says 'generally my office approves all of these for substantial development', but there's something in the shoreline conditional use permit for the City of Raymond that specifically says that this one section of the city has to be of conditional use," Pearson said. "This means that we need to have a public hearing, and it has to go through ecology for final approval. So this permit is only for the use which is does the City of Raymond permit the use for them to build warehouses within 200 feet of the river. As far as moving the sewer line that is something that will come later on."

For the mayor's report, Mayor Bob Jungar commented on the Willapa Harbor Festival, saying, "I would like to compliment Kaley and a lot of other people, those who are on the committee, I know that a lot of people did a lot of the work, and they did very well." Kaley Hanson thanked the police department and the fire department, as well as the department of public works.

"It wasn't just the festival committee; it was the whole community, every head of department, and their crews were working," Hanson said. "It was great to see - gives me a lot more hope for our community in the future. I think it opened a lot of people's eyes on what we can actually accomplish together."

The next Raymond City Council meeting is Monday, August18 at 6 p.m.