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�v Julie Kjorsvik From: tamiww@aol.com Sent: Sunday, December 15, 2013 8:53 AM To: Kittitas County Commissioners Office Subject: Allowing Marijuana related business in our county Dear Commissioners, Having lived in the Kittitas Valley since 1983, 1 am deeply concerned about recent applications for licenses to grow and sell marijuana in the Kittitas Valley. Despite the fact that the Kittitas Valley is surrounded by counties that deal with drugs, gangs and serious crime on a daily basis, we have managed to remain a very "safe" community. Included on the WSLCB SEPA Environmental Checklist is a supplemental sheet with some of the information provided by BOTEC Analysis Company which was contracted to provide technical expertise. It states: "Due to the high monetary value placed upon marijuana, areas can experience a number of home invasion robberies, thefts, and murders related to marijuana cultivation which impacts local law enforcement" (http://www.lig.wa.gov/publications/Mariivana/SEPA/SEPA Environmental Checklist.pdf) In recent planning sessions there has been discussion regarding the placement of these operations. The discussion has indicated that the largest"grows" could be located in the "Ag 20" zoned regions of our county. I urge you to carefully consider what has happened to the "Ag 20" designation in the areas where these growers have applied for license. Both Weaver Road and Robinson Canyon Road have multiple applications to the West of Cove Road. This area has been subdivided to the point that the density is nearly 20 times the intended density of"Ag 20" land in some places. There are many more 1, 3, and 5 acre lots on this stretch of Robinson Canyon and Weaver Road than there are 20 acre lots. The impact of grows in this area will affect many land owners . These areas are not the rural areas that the zoning would imply. There is no doubt that the area around the marijuana grows will be severely impacted, the degree to which nobody knows. I think it is safe to say that property values in the vicinity will fall considerably. If you were considering purchasing land or a home, how close would you want to be to one of these operations? It is also safe to say crime will increase. The grow operations we are talking about are not"normal agricultural activity" and should not be treated as such. In the last planning session I head the legal team say that all of the options presented by Doc Hanson were defensible. Please, please, please use very strict zoning to keep these operations away from the taxpaying citizens of Kittitas County who have spent their life building homes in what they consider to be safe neighborhoods". You also have this opportunity to join with other counties across Washington State to try and keep marijuana out of the county completely. My understanding is that the county is gaining nothing from the presence of these operations. The licensed individuals who are able to begin operations here are the only ones who will win in this situation. Clearly there are legal advisors in other counties that believe they can accomplish this. The list grows every day. Why would Kittitas County want to be one of the first to allow Marijuana producing operations? We cannot turn back once these businesses are in place. We have nothing to gain and everything to lose. Sincerely, Tami Walton 4901 Weaver Road 1