The ongoing controversy over the building of “Fort Discovery” continues. I’m sure this won’t be the last posting on this politically charged project.
In a letter dated May 10, 2019 sent to Mr. Joe D’Amico, President of Fort Discovery Corporation, Jefferson County DCD director Patty Charnas documented 14 years of the company’s failure to comply with Jefferson County building codes and land use ordinances.
In late 2018 the Tarboo Ridge Coalition, a county-wide citizen’s group opposing Mr. D’Amico’s plans to build a paramilitary training complex at Tarboo Lake, filed a complaint with multiple agencies asserting that Mr. D’Amico had started construction without applying for permits or submitting required reports and documentation.
A March 22 site inspection by Jefferson County and the Washington State Department of Ecology confirmed that site clearing, wetland destruction, foundation construction, erection of three buildings that fail to meet the county building code, and numerous other violations, have occurred.
TRC board member Riley Parker obtained a copy of the County’s letter through a public records request. “We appreciate the County conducting a thorough inspection and noting the numerous violations we knew were there,” said Parker. “History is repeating itself.”
“The eight-page Charnas letter lays out, in detail, the tasks necessary for Mr. D’Amico to get authorization to build his encampment” said Peter Newland, President of the TRC Board. “The County continues to seek Fort Discovery’s voluntary compliance and has requested that Fort Discovery respond within 15 days. We’ll see what happens.”
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Contact:
Peter Newland
425-754-0700