Enumclaw Council upholds bed-and-breakfast decision
Published 3:54 pm Thursday, April 30, 2009
By Kevin Hanson, The Courier-Herald
Members of the Enumclaw City Council last week upheld an earlier decision by the city's Planning Commission that allowed the establishment of a bed-and-breakfast on Griffin Avenue.
The property in question is the historic home owned by Kent and Joanne Decker at 1513 Griffin Ave. Neighbors had fought attempts to allow a couple of bedrooms to be used to house guests, arguing such a move would be detrimental to surrounding properties.
The issue first came to light late last year, when prospective buyers of the Decker property - which had been on the market for some time - requested a conditional use permit from the city. The potential buyers asked that two or three bedrooms be allotted for bed-and-breakfast use and, further, suggested the property be used to host special events.
Neighbors rallied to oppose the move during a public hearing, but there also was support for the Deckers and their prospective buyers. The Planning Commission eventually agreed to the bed-and-breakfast request, but rejected the notion of using the property for special events.
Neighbor Arthur Britton appealed the Planning Commission's decision, sending the matter to the City Council last week. Since the commission's verdict, the Decker's potential buyers have changed their minds and are longer part of the picture.
Britton argued that the Planning Commission didn't closely follow the rules when considering the original request and, further, claimed the commission's decision should be invalid since the original applicants have walked away from the purchase agreement. He contended a new application should be required.
City staff countered with the claim that the request for the conditional use permit applies to the property, not the individual applicant. Thus, the Decker's had the right to keep the issue alive, and they did.
Councilman Jeff Beckwith stated his belief the Planning Commission had made no errors and offered a motion to uphold the earlier decision permitting a bed-and-breakfast operation for the Decker property. His motion passed 5-0; council members Sean Krebs and Jennifer Krebs did not participate in the decision, as they had testified before the Planning Commission.
