Goodfellow Brothers keep fingers intact

CHELAN – For decades the six acres of fill on the northernmost South Shore area of Chelan, locally referred to as “three fingers” due to their aerial appearance, has been debated upon and argued against on the legitimacy of the fills’ placement and property rights. The argument is finally concluded, over 50 years after Goodfellow Brothers Inc. (GBI) added to its property in an effort to “keep the formerly dry property permanently above the artificially raised seasonal water fluctuations of Lake Chelan,” according to court documents. The fingers will remain in place and in the possession of GBI.
After a ruling in 2015 by Chelan County Superior Court Judge Leslie Allen to immediately remove the fingers from a prior statement that the fingers were “in violation of state statute as a public nuisance” in 2014, GBI appealed the order. The final ruling, signed by nine justices identifies the fill as a legal fill and safeguards its placement against any further debate.
Concluding the court document, explaining the decision, Justice Madsen stated, “I would hold that the savings clause does not substantially impair the jus publicum (which refers to legal rights enjoyed by all citizens, specifically the right of public access to shorelines),” he stated, then concluded, “these fills have been in existence for 50 years or more and have not been challenged, strong evidence that the legislature’s action caused no injury to the public. Accordingly, I concur in the majority.”
“I think it’s a positive move,” suggested Mayor Mike Cooney, “I think anything that’s out there will be a positive move. It’s now clear that it’s Goodfellow Brothers’ (GBI) property, from my standpoint, we’re wiping the slate clean.” GBI and the City will work together on the future development on the fingers, he explained, “one of my main goals was to get a good resolution for the three fingers and for the butte, and that’s what we are working on,” he stated, “the idea (for the fingers) will be to get a win for the residents of Chelan and a win for them (GBI). They don’t have to do anything,” he emphasized, “they could put a chain fence along the thing and not allow any entry ... (however) there’s work being done, they will do beautification, do landscaping for the city to help enhance the lakeside trail,” he stated. Instead of putting forth the minimal work needed, they are look at doing the most amount of work that they can, Cooney voiced. “It’s very clear in talking with Steve Goodfellow, that he wants a positive outcome for the town of Chelan, that it’s basically part of the family legacy that has been in courts for a long time,” he explained, “knowing that they will not make everybody happy in the community, what they want to do is the greater good for the community.” While there is nothing definitive for that property, there is a lot of potential and possibilities. “I feel very optimistic. I feel that it will be something of a betterment, that people will use it,” suggest Cooney, “I’m confident that I know what Steve Goodfellow is thinking well enough that it will turn out to be a win for the town. I’ve not seen him be anything different than a civic-minded land owner that wants to do something good for the town.”
Steve Goodfellow expressed that the family feels good about the ruling, “we felt all along that those fills were put in legally and have been legal ever since they’ve been put in,” he stated, “the fills were put in prior to 1969,” expressed Goodfellow, “so it’s pretty nice to finally have it over.” The court process had been long and difficult, he voiced, “and I also feel that it’s caused some problems just within the community, it’s become kind of a divisive issue,” he stated, adding, “it’s been a part of the community of Chelan forever, I’m just glad it’s over.”
Looking into the future of the three fingers landfills, there is nothing set in stone at this time, explained Goodfellow, “because of the cloud that’s been over them (the fingers), we really haven’t been able to go over any concrete plans.” A year or so ago, he explained, Mayor Cooney held a meeting in regard to development around the city in general, and Christopher Martin, nephew to Goodfellow, showed preliminary plans. The plans displayed cottage style homes and a possibility of a small commercial-type area on the finger closest to town, he explained. At the meeting, drawings were displayed visualizing two and three-story condos on the fingers, he explained. “We aren’t looking at doing anything like that down on the fingers,” he laughed, “I have no idea where those came from … we have never intended to do any of that, and that’s one of the sad things,” he stressed, “there’s been so much misinformation put out into the world about our development plans. Never, have we ever thought about developing anything there that we wouldn’t come together with the City and the community to try and come out with something that everybody felt good about.”
“We are still trying to work out a way for Chelan Airways to have a home again,” Goodfellow offered, “whether it be with the previous operator or a new operator, because I think the community would like to see a float service back and forth to Stehekin again.” While keeping the seaplane in mind with plans, there’s plans for development on another area of the three fingers property that frequently gets overlooked, he said. “The focus is always on the fingers, but we have the property above the fingers, up on the bench there … and we’re looking at probably doing some development up there,” he added, “but the main thing … is all of the land in between the fingers and the highway, the city and the mayor in particular have been working with us to come up with a plan where that’s a very nicely landscaped walking trail or bike trails, maybe a restroom facility, but really try to make that whole frontage something that would kind of welcome people to Chelan.” In conversations with Mayor Cooney, Goodfellow said that one of the Mayor’s voiced goals has been to try and improve the entrance to Chelan, “so, as a part of whatever we do,” he said, “we’re looking at trying to do some things with the City to try and enhance that.”
“I hope that, as a part of this process, as we go forward and we work together with the city, and we work together with the community, to get the community input on this, that in the end all that goes away and it’s just part of history,” he highlighted, “I’d rather focus on the future than focus on the past.”