The Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA) addresses new Master Planned Resorts (MPRs) at RCW 36.70A.360.  An MPR is described in the first section of .360:

36.70A.360 Master planned resorts.  (1) Counties that are required or choose to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 may permit master planned resorts which may constitute urban growth outside of urban growth areas as limited by this section.  A master planned resort means a self-contained and fully integrated planned unit development, in a setting of significant natural amenities, with primary focus on destination resort facilities consisting of short-term visitor accommodations associated with a range of developed on-site indoor or outdoor recreational facilities.

Port Ludlow MPR: There is an existing MPR in Jefferson County in the Port Ludlow area that was established under a different provision of the GMA.  See the Port Ludlow MPR page for more information.

The Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan contains a goal specific to the potential establishment of new MPRs and corresponding policies.  Land Use Goal (LNG) 24.0 (excerpted below) and its associated 13 Land Use Policies (LNPs) are found in the Chapter 3 of the Comprehensive Plan, the Land Use and Rural Element (linked below), beginning on page 3-65, as updated in 2004.

LNG 24.0

Provide for the siting of Master Planned Resorts (MPRs), pursuant to the adoption of development regulations consistent with the requirements of the Growth Management Act (RCW 36.70A.360), in locations that are appropriate from both an economic and environmental perspective.

• Comprehensive Plan Chapter 3 - Land Use and Rural Element  12/13/04

The implementing regulations for the Comprehensive Plan collectively referred to as the Unified Development Code (UDC), which is Title 18 of the Jefferson County Code (JCC).

The County adopted the Brinnon Subarea Plan in 2002 and amendments to the Plan in 2004.  The Brinnon Subarea Plan contains narrative, goals and policies reference a conceptual MPR at Black Point.

• Brinnon Subarea Plan webpage - background, timeline and documents
• Brinnon Subarea Plan [PDF] - Black Point discussion between pages 43 and 48

• Maps from Brinnon Subarea Plan and subarea planning process

The Statesman Group of Companies, LTD, and Black Point Properties, LLC, have submitted an application for an Master Planned Resort (MPR) in the Black Point area.  The development, called the Pleasant Harbor Marina and Golf Resort, requires an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan to allow an MPR.  Under the original schedule, the County would have considered the MPR proposal during the 2006 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Cycle.  The proposal was moved to the 2007 Amendment Cycle.  The reference file number is MLA06-87.

The site-specific Comprehensive Plan amendment application is on file at DCD.  The applicant also submitted the following 147-page binder as supplemental material:

A brief description of the proposal follows:

• Designate parcels 502-153-002, -003, -021,     -022, -023, and 502-154-002 and 502-152-005, 012, 013, 014, 015, and 016, composing 252.64 acres in the Pleasant Harbor/Black Point area of Brinnon, as a Master Planned Resort (MPR).  The applicant calls the project the Pleasant Harbor Marina and Golf Resort—consisting of:
  • A marina with 290 slips;
  • A planned maritime village with ~180 units and a 10,000 square-foot new commercial village replacing current facilities;
  • An 18-hole golf course with conference, food service, and meeting capability; and
  • ~1,090 residential units designed to serve the visiting public through a “condotel” program with individual units privately owned but managed as a resort.

  NOTE:  Some contact information and project details may have changed since the original submittal.

Review Process & Public Participation

The MPR designation process first involves a site-specific Comprehensive Plan amendment, review of an associated Master Plan through a public process involving the Planning Commission and the BoCC, and eventual execution of a Development Agreement between the developer and the BoCC.

The Brinnon MPR proposal is part of the Final Docket for the 2007 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Cycle.  Review of this proposal is integrated with review of nine (9) other legislative proposals on the 2007 Docket.

The first opportunity for public participation was the scoping process associated with preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).  The next opportunity for public participation is during the Planning Commission and formal public review of the Draft EIS.  See the EIS section below for more information.

The final action is for the BoCC to either approve the MPR as proposed, approve an alternate MPR master plan, or deny the proposal.

An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is prepared as part of State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review of a proposal when it has been determined by the lead agency that the proposal is likely to have significant adverse environmental impacts.  The EIS process is a tool for identifying and analyzing probable adverse environmental impacts, reasonable alternatives, and possible mitigation.  For more information about SEPA, visit the Washington State Department of Ecology's SEPA Unit page.

First a draft EIS, and then a final EIS have been prepared in association with review of the proposed Brinnon MPR.  The EIS contains characteristics of both a "non-project action" (such as legislative adoption of a plan) and a "project action" (such as administrative approval of new construction) under SEPA.

EIS Scoping for Proposed Brinnon (MPR)

• DCD EIS Scoping Letter to Proponent  6/13/06    - outlines scope of EIS based on staff analysis and public scoping comments

• Video of Public Hearing  5/08/06

• Scoping Notice: EIS for MLA06-87        published 4/19/06

• Press Release: EIS Scoping for Proposed Brinnon MPR  4/13/06

Written comments concerning the scope of the EIS were accepted through May 19, 2006.  The County and project proponent have worked to develop a Draft EIS since that time.

An extended public comment period opened when the Draft EIS (DEIS) was published on September 5, and comments were accepted until 4:30 p.m. on October 24.  The Final EIS (FEIS) incorporates all public comments, as well as responses from the applicant.

Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)

Public Comment:  Release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on September 5, 2007 opened a public comment period:

• Oral comments were heard at the Planning Commission public hearing 6:30 pm Wednesday, October 3, 2007 at the Brinnon Community Center. 
• Written comments were accepted by DCD on behalf of the Planning Commission until 4:30 pm, Wednesday, October 24, 2007. 

After review of the DEIS, the Planning Commission and staff formulated recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners (BoCC), which will be presented on December 3, 2007, a date during which a public hearing on the amendment application will also be held.  As mentioned earlier, the BoCC is expected to render a decision on December 10, 2007.

Both the draft and final EIS documents address nine (9) issues and impacts including 1) shellfish, 2)water quality, 3)transportation, 4) public services, 5) shorelines, 6) fish & wildlife, 7) rural character, and 9) critical areas.  The documents are provided below in sections by chapter and appendix.  (Note: the appendix is the same for both documents.)

Some duplication is to be expected, as the documents are intimately linked.  Cross-referencing is ubiquitous throughout the FEIS, and should make navigating between the two documents easier.  For changes between the DEIS and the FEIS, please note especially the Introduction, Chapter 3, Chapter 5 (new since the DEIS), and the public comment logs (also new since the DEIS):

Brinnon MPR Public Comments

Public Comments are now available online using the Laserfiche Web Link (see instructions below).

1. Click "Permits", then click Long-Range Planning.
2. Click on MPR Public Comments.
3. Click on a Log List to see the Log Number and the author of each communication. 
4. To view a specific communication, go back to the main folder and click on the corresponding Log Number.

Public comment letters are also available in pdf format (caution: large files):  Logs 1 and 2 (see links below) contain all public comment letters, emails, and oral testimony pertaining to the proposed MPR through the end of the official public comment period on October 24, 2007.  The logs are part of the FEIS, and responses to the public comment letters can be accessed by clicking on the FEIS Chapter 3 sections above.

For more information, contact DCD Long Range Planning about the legislative proposal:

• Long-Range Planning, (360) 379-4450