Part 2!

Tacoma News Tribune August 27, 2016 Proposal Would Add Rental Housing to Gig Harbor Citizens for the Preservation of Gig Harbor (C4GH) sent you this TNT article yesterday.  Today is part 2. The area in question for the 35-40 new residential units is the triangle at the corner of Soundview and Harborview Dr.

The Gig Harbor Mayor, majority of council and planning department set up secret meetings to discuss rezoning downtown Gig Harbor. The public was barred from attending and there were no recordings made of these meetings.  They were secret meetings.  The Planning Commission/Department went to various business groups and invited them to comment on rezoning downtown.  Everyday Gig Harbor citizens did not get this same invitation.    The result of these secret meetings were 15 proposed zoning changes for downtown.      One of the proposed zoning changes is to rezone the Haub property. Currently this property is zoned to allow 4 residential units. The Haubs wanted to sell their property. The Haubs rejected an offer from C4GH. They rejected an offer from a land conservancy group.  Why? The Cheney Foundation is interested in purchasing this property if clear cutting and rezoning is allowed. But Wait...What about our Gig Harbor herons?  The Cheneys want you to know there are no herons in this rookery.

The green triangle is the home of our Gig Harbor herons.  This is the area the Cheneys want to clear cut.  The red dot at the bottom right notes the location of the drilling unit. Give a little click to the photo. It will take you to a you tube video. The varying high pitched squeals came from that unit for over 1 hour. It was very loud.  No one will ever know if the herons left by choice or by strong encouragement.     After seeing this video the state biologist told the Haubs and Cheneys to stop bothering the herons. The biologist will return in April to see if a heron rookery is able to re-establish.

On May 19 an overflowing council chamber of Gig Harbor citizens spoke to these 15 proposed zoning amendments.  Gig Harbor citizens told the Planning Commission to leave the heron property alone. Citizens said fix the traffic first.  Citizens said slow down with all this unplanned development. MONDAY  August 29th  5pm Gig Harbor Civic Center,  rooms A & B   The Planning Commission will report to the GH Council Building Committee.  Discussion will be on the 15 proposed zoning changes. BE THERE!  We can attend.  We cannot speak.

• Recently the Cheneys generously donated $25,000.00 to the mayor's favorite nonprofit. 
• If the council votes to destroy this wildlife habitat, clear cut the trees and add  35 - 40 units on this corner, perhaps the Cheneys will donate big white building to the city. Perhaps.
• Why would the GH council vote to destroy our environment, destroy wildlife, burden our infrastructure in the hopes of getting a building that could be affected by sea level rise?   

  Let's do the math.    

• Judson Street redevelopment adds 200 cars.
• Cheney development adds 70.
•  270 new vehicles equals a whole lot traffic and cars. 

MONDAY August 29th 5pm Civic Center   City Council Building Committee Be there to listen!

Mayor and Council email addresses:

 guernseyj@cityofgigharbor.net

 paynet@cityofgigharbor.net

 kadzikp@cityofgigharbor.net

 perrowm@cityofgigharbor.net

 malichk@cityofgigharbor.net

 EkbergS@cityofgigharbor.net

 lovrovichr@cityofgigharbor.net

 arbenzc@cityofgigharbor.net

 Citizens for the Preservation of Gig Harbor  LLC C4GH: Citizens committed to making Gig Harbor better than we found it! JOIN US!! 
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 Mayor and 4 council seats up for re-election in 2017!