Twisp River Road residents have complained to the county about a variety of activities on a riverfront parcel that are apparently occurring without any permits.
Neighbors complained about activity on site
Officials from Okanogan County and the Washington Department of Ecology will investigate whether clearing vegetation and other activities on a riverfront property on Twisp River Road violates county or state shoreline and floodplain protection laws.
The county posted a “stop work/possible violation” notice on the property on July 28, after receiving numerous complaints during the past six month from residents of Twisp River Road. Several people who contacted the county said it appeared a sawmill operation had been set up on the property, which is about 6 miles up Twisp River Road.
The stop work/possible violation notice states that “clearing of the vegetation conservation, floodplain and shoreline environment may have been done on your parcel without the proper environmental and permit review. Per Okanogan County Code 14.15.120 Shoreline Master Program, vegetation removal is only allowed in narrow circumstances and would require a permit application.”
The notice was posted on the property after a letter dated June 29 to the property owner, listed as Marjorie Park in county tax records, was returned as undeliverable to an address in Forks, Washington, said Rocky Robbins, a planner in the Okanogan County planning department.
Robbins said officials from the county and Ecology plan to visit the property to investigate possible violations of shoreline and floodplain regulations. “No permits have been obtained for any current activity” on the property, Robbins said in an email.
“There is floodplain on the property. Further investigation is needed to determine if violations have occurred in the floodplain,” Robbins’ email said.
Many complaints
Since spring, several Twisp River residents have sent emails and made phone calls to the county planning department expressing concern about activities on the property. Their emails described cutting trees and vegetation near Twisp River, grading earth and digging large holes, and what some described as a “commercial portable saw mill.” The emails were obtained by a resident through a Freedom of Information Act request and provided to the Methow Valley News.
One resident described “the relatively sudden appearance of…broken machine parts, old tires, dead cars and trucks, heavy equipment.” Another said the property had been unoccupied for many years until last fall, when “someone began cutting down trees at night in the dark using headlights of vehicles and headlamps.” The person wrote that in January a gate was installed and logging trucks with full loads began arriving, according to the email sent to county planning.
The property, which is 9.9 acres according to county tax records, is in the Methow Review District Valley Floor 5 (MRD VF5), Robbins said. “Industrial activities are not allowed in the MRD VF5 zone and sawmills are allowed with a CUP (conditional use permit). However, the Conservancy Shoreline Jurisdiction does not allow any non-water oriented commercial activity,” Robbins said.
The county’s notice to the property owner ordered all work to stop immediately “until you are able to come into compliance with all shoreline and floodplain regulations.”
Last week, Robbins said, “I received a call informing me that the activity has continued since the stop work order was placed.” She said she also received an email reporting continued activity on the property.
The county’s notice also stated: “All of the information that has been gathered information has been forwarded to other regulatory agencies including but not limited to Department of Ecology, Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Department of Natural Resources. Their review may result in other permits and/or mitigation requirements or in the assessment of penalties. No permits or other approvals for the development of this property will be given until all requirements are met.”
Robbins said Okanogan County and Ecology “are working together to investigate possible violations.” On Monday (Aug. 15), Robbins said that they had not yet been on the property and so “have not yet fully assessed the activity and possible violations.”
