QUILCENE – Jefferson County commissioners voted unanimously Monday to halt plans to establish or even study further the feasibility of a designated off-highway vehicle area in East Jefferson County.
“I don’t really see a need for this; I see a demand for it,” Commissioner David Sullivan, D-Cape George, told the audience of about 100 at a special meeting in the Quilcene Community Center Monday afternoon.
“I hate to rain on somebody else’s parade, but this is the way I feel about this.”
Commissioner John Austin, D-Port Ludlow, moved to accept the recommendation of the county Parks and Recreation Advisory Board that on Feb. 21 voted 5-2 to pass on the two Quilcene-area sites being considered.
The sites were Skidder Hill and Penny Creek, deemed the most feasible of 11 East Jefferson County locations initially examined, said consultant Tom Beckwith, who conducted the feasibility study.
Austin said his biggest concerns were the county’s liability if people got hurt and the effects on property owners who moved to the area for peace and quiet.
“It would certainly change the face of this area,” Austin said.
“Personally, I feel more moved by the people who would be affected on a daily basis than by the needs of the OHV [off-highway vehicle] users.”
