Manson Community Council accepts resignation of Sarah Cushing

MANSON – At a special Manson Community Council meeting on April 24 council members announced that Sarah Cushing resigned her position as secretary of the Manson Community Council effective April 16. In her resignation letter to the council, Cushing mentioned she felt bullied and harassed by two other council members.

Cushing attached to her letter a series of emails between former councilmen Chris Willoughby and her addressing Willoughby’s personal reasons as to why she wasn’t working out in the council. “It wasn’t my choice to do this. She was doing some things that were not quite within our code of ethics and I addressed them to her in email form,” explained Willoughby in regard to the accusations.

“I don’t feel that the council has done its best job for the past year and a half,” Cushing expressed in her letter. “I wish much success to the Manson Community Council in all their endeavors to better the community,” she lastly wrote.

The next step for the council is to appoint somebody to take over the spot left behind by Cushing. Anyone who is interested can contact the Manson Community Council at mansoncommunitycouncil@gmail.com and will be required to fill out a form.

The council reviewed the proposed housing development application for VIRIDIAN in Manson.  Farrell Property Investments LLC is looking to “subdivide approximately 12 acres into 40 residential lots with three tracts; a community pool will be located in tract A and tract B and C will be used for stormwater retention,” as stated in their application. The residential units will average size of 9,355 square feet and will be located off Wapato Way.

VIRIDIAN is identified to be on old orchard land. Community members who attended the meeting and the council were concerned about the issue and how it was going to be addressed by the developer. In their comments to Chelan County, the council required for them to refer to the Washington State Department of Ecology Area-wide Soil Contamination Project Task 3.12: Manson Area Data Analysis Publication 03-09-048 published in June 2003. The document reflects parcels of land that are old orchard land, and lists steps that need to be taken to mitigate contaminated land.

Traffic impact in the area, dark skylights and the development being near less than 100 feet away from an operating orchard were also commented on. A right turn lane into the development was suggested in order to keep the traffic going on SR 150. This is something similar to what The Village currently has in place in order to enter their development.
Gordon Lester, who was appointed as a council member in the last meeting by the council, was not present due to family reasons. Lester will be sworn in at the May 21 regular meeting.