An open letter to Ariel Smith of the City of Long Beach:

Thank you for inviting the community to respond to the recent application by a resident who is requesting a variance to build a single family home on a “wetland buffer” located at 1606 Idaho Ave S, Long Beach.

In your letter notifying the public of the request for a variance, the city states that the applicant’s property is on a “Multi-Family Residential” zoning district, however you also state this is a wetland buffer and the applicants are requesting a variance to the “strict application” of the city’s “Critical Areas Ordinance.”

First, we are not anti-development as we recently had a home built in the City of Long Beach and we understand that development of the peninsula is certain. However, we expect that critical wetlands and wetland buffers would remain protected under the “Critical Areas Ordinance.”

We encourage you to review the City of Long Beach’s Critical Areas Ordinance and to also share the goal of this ordinance with the public at the public hearing. We have no doubt that the ordinance is in place to protect the peninsula’s critical zones. As those living on the peninsula know, there are many animals in the area that rely on wetlands to survive, including the black bear, deer, eagles, herons, crows, jays, chickadees, flickers, owls and many more.

We don’t consider ourselves activists — instead, curious citizens that have come to enjoy observing the nature the peninsula offers. Only recently we learned that the western gray squirrel is on the threatened or endangered list in Washington (wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/at-risk/listed). And, we had no idea that two different species of frogs are on the list too; all of whom rely on wetlands for their reproduction, nourishment and protection from the elements, including human development.

Our understanding is that the variance is for one property to build on this particular wetland buffer, however as seen on your map to the public, several adjoining properties share similar property dimensions as your applicant. If the variance were to be granted, does that allow for the other three property owners to also build on the wetland buffers? As we can see from aerial views there is a canal that runs through all four properties (as well as an additional large parcel with a pond that adjoins these properties), all of which support the wildlife. Do the canals continue to support the cranberry fields too?

Thank you for taking the time to review our concerns. We look forward to learning more about the specifics of the Critical Areas Ordinance and its protection of the encroachment on the peninsula’s wetlands and its buffers.

JEANNE and DON SCHMIDT

Long Beach