2018-03-12-minutes-cds-study-session

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Steph Mifflin From: Laura Osiadacz Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2018 9:57 PM To: Dan Carlson; Steph Mifflin Subject: FW: (Occupancy Issues) Mike Hull and Katie Litzenberger, 6130 Westside Road, Cie Elum Follow Up Flag: Follow up Flag Status: Flagged Can you please make sure this is a part of the record and discussion for tomorrow's study session? Thank you, Laura Laura Osiadacz (O-Shaw-Dis) Kittitas County Commissioner, District #2 205 W 5th Ave. Ste. 108 Ellensburg, WA 98926-2887 Office 509-962-7508 Fax 509-962-7679 htto://www.co.kittitas.wa.us From: Katie [mailto:Kat.litz, vahoo.com] Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2018 10:46 AM To: Laura Osiadacz Subject: (Occupancy Issues) Mike Hull and Katie Litzenberger, 6130 Westside Road, Cie Elum We want to first off say thank you for taking the time to come out and listen to all of us on Friday. We are writing this because we are seeking occupancy for our recently built home. We started this project in September of 2017 and are at the complete stage. Our home is constructed of concrete Hardie board siding and soffits. We went to great lengths to ensure that our home is as fire resistant as possible. We have passed every inspection from the foundation stage all the way through the finish stage. Nothing was ever said that our trees needed to be cut down at any point through process, until last week during the final walk through. This, of course, was after the fire marshal was fired and the building inspectors took over his duties (?). During the final walk through we were informed by the county building department inspector that we were going to have to cut down every tree on our property 83 feet from the outside of our home, which approximates to around 40 trees. When we found this out we were devastated. We have spent so much time trying to save what trees we have left as we have been fighting the bud worm epidemic that is devastating the Pacific Northwest. The pines we have saved are very old seed trees that still have the tags on them. They were put there to bring the forest back to the way it was before it was logged. We called DNR after our inspection to see what we should do and get their professional opinion, as they are the wildland fire experts, and talked to Spencer Slyfield, Wildland Fire Technician (509-925-0916). He told us that he saw absolutely nothing wrong with our property and that ours was one of the best he has seen. He said that because of the extensive work we had done, he would feel more than comfortable sending his people in to our property, as well as stage out of it. We also contacted our insurance company, who came out to look at the property, and were told that everything looks great and that we are 100% insured.