Email Exchange Between Gateway Poplar Alliance And City of Port Townsend City Manager John Mauro Regarding the Removal of the Gorgeous Poplars Lining the Entryway into Port Townsend Washington.
The City of Port Townsend already destroyed the old trees downtown and changed the magic forever and now they are doing it to the Gateway to Port Townsend and destroying bird habitat, shade for people and critters, and the beauty as you come down the hill and into the City of Port Townsend.
#PTPoplars #JohnMauro #GatewayPoplarAlliance #AudubonSociety
#SaveTheTrees #HabitatMatters #Audubon #PortTownsend #BirdHabitat
FROM: John Mauro JMauro@cityofpt.us
Dear Community Member
The Sims Gateway and Boat Yard Expansion Project is a complex multijurisdictional project with the City, Port and PUD directly involved. A significant amount of background materials, meeting recordings and documentation are available here.
As part of a decision-making process meant to be transparent, considerate of diverse perspectives and productive, a technical advisory group has been assembled to work through challenges and options which will then be taken to the Parks, Recreation, Trails and Tree Advisory Board (PRTTAB) and then to respective governing bodies of City, Port and PUD. Those three agencies solicited interest at a variety of open public meetings and appointed a technical advisory group from all those who expressed interested in participating. Throughout the process, public comments will be received and open houses and events will be scheduled to ensure anyone with perspectives to share or a desire to learn can do so in advance of a decision. Note that the stakeholder meetings will not be the place to provide public comment and testimony in order to facilitate communication and discussion between consultants, staff, and the members of the committee. However, public comment is being received and is encouraged outside of the meeting via email at engagept@cityofpt.us and will be taken at the PRTTAB and governing bodies.
One member of the technical advisory group is unable to participate, so we are seeking interest in filling that vacancy. You can apply here.
In addition, we also desire to make another seat available and seek a representative of the Poplar Alliance group to be part of the process directly.
The advisory group has had three meetings and is seeking to wrap up their work in August, so interested members will be expected to quickly review materials and jump into the process to help maintain momentum and meet deadlines. All future meetings of the group have been tentatively scheduled and include June 14, June 28, July 12, August 6, and August 23.
A March 6 press release and a City Council agenda item are attached to provide more information including the initial list of technical advisory body members.
Please be in touch if you or anyone you know may be interested in serving our community in this way. We aim to have applications of interest as soon as possible and the members selected in advance of the June 14 meeting.
Best wishes,
John
John Mauro | City Manager
City of Port Townsend “
Response From: Gateway Poplar Alliance
Dear Mr. Mauro,
We were blind copied on an email in which you wrote:
In addition, we also desire to make another seat available and seek a representative of the Poplar Alliance group to be part of the process directly.
Assuming this was your formal invitation, here is our response.
The current process to achieve the stated objectives of the multiagency "Sims Way Gateway Plan Implementation and Boat Yard Expansion Grant” agreement and to qualify forJeff County PIF grant funds requires the removal of all the poplars from the lower Sims Flats commercial corridor of the GDP as an “ implemen[ation] [of] the City's Gateway Development Plan” [GDP] . The GDP specifically calls for a streetscape of linear poplars:
Streetscape Recommendations The linear corridor quality of the poplar trees can be maintained, while enhancing views of the shipyards and the Historic buildings. Removal of "sucker" growth of the large poplars, and selective removal of the small, individual seedlings would open up views to the lagoon and boatyard. New poplars, spaced 20'-25' apart, can be selectively planted to fill in "gaps" along Sims. Meadow grass and wildflowers can be planted as ground cover around the poplars. The area north of Sims. adjacent to Kah-Tai Park, can be planted with willows, riparian plantings and other marsh plants to recall the lagoon's former link with the Bay.
The GDP can’t be implemented by removing all the poplars.
The Gateway Poplar Alliance (GPA) was organized to oppose that poplar removal.
The GPA won’t participate in what is intended to be a public advisory/decision making process to redesign the Sims Flats commercial corridor of the GDP if the decision to remove the poplars has already been made before any substantive public involvement with the Potemkin village public process that has been undertaken to date.
Therefore, the GPA will only agree to participate in the “technical advisory group,” the “Sims Way Technical Advisory Group,” aka the “stakeholder committee,” if the city commits to:
a formal review of the 1993 GDP that involves as substantial a public process as was conducted in the drafting of the GDP and memorialized in the Plan and especially with reference to the specification of the poplar streetscape of the Plan "FLATS" COMMERCIAL DISTRICT.” This review shall include the impacts of the GDP revisions on the Kah Tai Lagoon Park and shall be subject to formal ratification by the Port Townsend City Council, and
such SEPA review and process specified by PTMC Chap. 19.04 (SEPA) and PTMC 19.04.260D3p (Substantive authority) as required by law to address the environmental impacts (Flats streetscape, poplars, linearity, tree replacement, storm water, wind currents, etc) on that corridor of the GDP and the lands to the north and south of it, and
any other similar legal processes and reviews required of any other agency the actions of which are premised on or dependent on the completion of the city’s full review process specified immediately above.
Chapter 19.04 STATE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT
19.04.260 Substantive authority.
A. The policies and goals set forth in this chapter are supplementary to those in the existing authorization of the city.
. . .
D. The city designates and adopts by reference the following policies as the basis for the city’s exercise of authority pursuant to this section:
3. The city adopts by reference, and incorporates herein in their entirety, the following city plans, resolutions, ordinances, standards and codes as they now exist or may hereafter be amended, as SEPA policies:
a. City comprehensive plan and any amendments adopted pursuant thereto;
b. City land division ordinance (PTMC Title 18);
c. Port Townsend shoreline management master program;
d. City floodplain management ordinance;
e. City building code ordinance (PTMC Title 16);
f. City road, traffic and circulation standards;
g. City zoning code (PTMC Title 17);
h. Engineering design standards manual;
i. Transportation and rights-of-way ordinance (PTMC Title 12);
j. Water, sewer and stormwater ordinance (PTMC Title 13);
k. Repealed by Ord. 2945;
l. Field Report by the National Trust for Historic Preservation on the Water Street Historic District;
m. The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings;
n. Port Townsend Streetscape Design Workbook (1987, adopted by Ordinance 2143, 1989);
o. Port Townsend critical areas ordinance, adopted as Chapter 19.05 PTMC;
p. Port Townsend gateway development plan and concept plan;
q. Port Townsend transportation functional plan;
r. All other city resolutions, ordinances, plans and guidelines effective now or after the date of the ordinance codified in this chapter. (Ord. 3054 § 3, 2011; Ord. 2945 § 6.1, 2007; Ord. 2582 § 1, 1997; Ord. 2534 § 1, 1996; Ord. 2367 § 7, 1993).
PDF of Source eMail
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Q47cHlHvRzlXrTFewf9Ebm5rG3EcNtM-/view?usp=sharing