UPDATE: Public Hearing March 29 at 2PM: Chelsea Farms Proposes Shellfish Nursery in Shelton Marina

Update: A public hearing will be held Friday, March 29 at 2PM on the proposal by Chelsea Farms to place a shellfish nursery in a boathouse in the marina in Shelton Harbor. [click here for notice, scroll down to March 29 meeting] Location - 525 West Cota, Shelton

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Comments on SEPA DNS determination for Chelsea Farms conversion of a boathouse to a shellfish nursery are due March 21. Comments should be sent to Jason Dose at: jasond@ci.shelton.wa.us 

Mr. Dose may be reached at 360-432-5102.

Additional hearings will be held for other permits.

 

How will Chelsea Farms prevent contaminated shellfish seed from spreading that contamination to healthy bodies of water?

 

[click here for DOH report]

Location of proposed shellfish nursery facility.

DOH has classified the area as "Prohibited" due to

excessive fecal coliform levels. Elevated levels of

Dioxins exist in the sediments, disturbed by

boats at low tide. Considered?

 

 

Documents detailing impacts available at the City.

Environmental documents available for viewing include the SEPA checklist, Shoreline Permit and site plan. The City has determined there is no significant impact from the operation. It is unknown how Chelsea intends on preventing the spread of pathogens from contaminated shellfish out of the nursery into healthy waters. How the operation will impact the use of the marina by the Shelton Yacht Club and other recreational users, as well as other businesses in the nearby Shelton area is unknown. If Mystery Bay is any indication of how the shellfish industry feels about the risk of recreational boats near their facilities there may most likely be an impact on how this marina will be used, or not. (From a recent article on Mystery Bay: "The Mystery Bay plan also aims to protect harvestable shellfish beds by monitoring and maintaining boat numbers in the bay. The plan also calls for a “no anchor zone.” [click here] Note: This restriction on boating was implemented despite there being no elevated fecal coliform levels in the body of Mystery Bay, only a "presumption" of risk.)

 

House Boat Chelsea Proposes

Converting to a Shellfish Nursery 

(click to enlarge)



 

In an optimistic proposal for a floating shellfish nursery facility, Chelsea Farms has proposed purchasing one of the house boats at the Shelton Marina and converting it to a shellfish nursery. Oysters and clam seed (presumably including geoduck) will be grown out for later use in tidelands owned or leased by Chelsea. Permit applications have been submitted to the City of Shelton. Also included in the proposal are two upland parcels owned by the Port of Shelton which make up most of the parking lot. What level of staging or how much employee parking will take place is not clear from the Public Notice. How much contamination the "filter feeders" will pick up and then spread throughout the rest of Puget Sound is unknown. DOH has the area classified as "prohibited."

 



 

In addition to the SEPA determination (comments due March 21), a Shoreline Substantial Development permit and a Conditional Use permit are required. The latter two will require a public hearing, to be scheduled later.