Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
The Shorelines Hearings Board meets next week to review appeals on the Taylor Shellfish proposed floating oyster bag farm in Oakland Bay.
A Mason County hearing examiner ruled Nov. 21, approving the project with certain restrictions.
Friends of Oakland Bay filed a petition for review challenging approval of the project, which will take up 9.1 overwater acres with a 50-acre project boundary for floating aquaculture gear.
The group claims the farm is inconsistent with public access policies, doesn’t comply with views and aesthetics policies and says the examiner failed to impose reasonable conditions on the project and gave too much weight to “the status of aquaculture as preferred use,” according to the petition.
Taylor also asked for review of the decision, objecting to required third-party monitoring for environmental impacts, requirements that the company conduct patrols whenever gear is found missing and respond to complaints within 48 hours or by 5 p.m. the next business day, have oyster bags spaced 30 feet between the center of the double bags and required annual reports on noise complaints, the petition states.
The SHB consolidated the petitions and the hearing will be over Zoom Aug. 26-Aug. 30 starting at 9:30 a.m.
The link is available at eluho.wa.gov/boards/shorelines-hearings-board/meetings.
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