Manson may see more development after the Chelan County Hearing Examiner recently approved a development application for six lots. 

On Jan. 5, Chelan County Hearing Examiner Andrew Kottkamp approved an application to subdivide 2.06 acres into six lots in what is known as the Howson subdivision.

Within Manson’s Urban Growth boundary, one parcel will be located at 538 Boetzkes Ave., Manson, while the second parcel currently does not have a physical address. Lot sizes range from 11,869 sq. ft. to 15,832 sq. ft.

These acres are owned by Howson Development, LLC, Seth and Casey Hardin, and Mark and Susan Braseth.

Throughout this application process, residents submitted some of their written concerns regarding soil contamination due to the land’s previous history as an orchard.

On April 14, 2022, a geological site assessment was conducted to address potential geologic hazardous areas. The parcels were later classified as geologic hazardous areas.

The SEPA checklist assigned to this application recommended applicants to also seek out a cultural resource survey and an archeological survey. 

A SEPA checklist outlines whether a development proposal will have negative environmental impacts and how to offset those factors.

On Jan. 4, John Terrance came to represent the applicants during the hearing examiner meeting, stating that they have not sought out a cultural resource survey, claiming it would be unnecessary due to the land’s prior history as an orchard.

Community development staff told Terrance that if the applicants could convince the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation to allow an inadvertent discovery plan, while waiving the cultural resource survey requirement, then Chelan County would accept this modification.

Chelan County Planner Alex White said in the future, development agreements were not going to be done by the Chelan County Public Works department, meaning if an applicant needs to request an agreement, they will need to submit that with their application.

A resident who lives close to these lots, Brad Bradley, shared his concern about stormwater drainage seeping onto his property.

Torrence responded by stating that the slope of the property flows to the southeast and would not climb uphill onto Bradley’s residence and would avoid him entirely.

Before development can proceed, soil sampling will need to be done in order to test for arsenic and lead concentrations.

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