Now Showing - Desperation Over Pleasant Harbor
[The South Speaks Back: Quick Retort from the Brinnon Group] 

by Scott Hogenson

One way to gauge desperation is through rhetoric. The more unhinged someone’s language, the more they know they’re losing. Facts are supplanted by accusations. Emotion displaces intelligence. We’ve all been subjected to these shows performed on the national stage and now, that same poorly reviewed production is touring Jefferson County. 

The lead player in this Way-Off-Broadway farce is a thing called the Brinnon Group. It has filed a petition in Kitsap County Superior Court to block the Pleasant Harbor Master Planned Resort (MPR) in Brinnon, which was green-lighted by the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners on June 5. 

The curtain rises with a 28-page filing asking the court to invalidate, remand or otherwise rule that two Jefferson County development ordinances connected to the Pleasant Harbor MPR are inadequate. The petition also asks the court to stay the decade-long process even longer so the Brinnon Group can file another appeal with the Growth Management Hearings Board. 

In short, the people who failed to stop the Pleasant Harbor project at the Board of Commissioners level now want a judge in a neighboring county to rule that Jefferson County’s ordinances are flawed. The language in the petition is as sober as you’d expect, but the messaging from the Brinnon Group lacks the filing’s probity. 

The plot thickens. A spokesperson for the group accused County Commissioner Kathleen Kler of having “intentionally suppressed,” a July, 2016, Planning Commission report on the MPR. In truth, that information was discussed during a public session with the staff of the Department of Community Development. The information was, and remains available, on the county’s website. 

Other sins alleged by the Brinnon Group include County Administrator Philip Morley being less than forthcoming about an August, 2016, “vision” document involving a possible partnership between the government and the Statesman Group, the company that wants to develop Pleasant Harbor. This accusation might be interesting were it not for the fact that this document was never submitted and subsequently dropped.

The Brinnon Group spokesperson said it was “shocking” how many people in Brinnon don’t know about the Pleasant Harbor MPR, which has been under consideration for the past decade. Apparently, 10 years wasn’t enough time for the Brinnon Group to inform the 800 local residents that a developer wants to build a bunch of houses, condos and a golf course in the neighborhood. Another complaint is that public meetings on this matter of county governance were held in the county seat. Seems the Brinnon Group couldn’t motivate enough people to attend enough meetings over the previous decade. 

The Brinnon Group is also upset because the county didn’t do things that are not required. Jefferson County officials did everything that was required of them in processing the MPR but didn’t do some other stuff that’s not required. The net net, according to the Brinnon Group, is that “the people of Brinnon don’t matter.”

People don’t matter. Shocking unawareness. Intentionally suppressed information. It’s a dramatic story arc. All that’s missing from this absurd script is Russian collusion and payoffs to porn stars. 

My curiosity piqued, I called the Brinnon Group spokesperson who explained that the imputations have, “no bearing on the appeal.” The official also asked to revise and extend their earlier comments by claiming the hitherto “suppressed” information was merely, “ignored or disregarded.” 

During our chat, the spokesperson referred most of my questions to the group’s website. I then asked how much money the Brinnon Group raised last year and the source of their contributions because that information is not on the group’s website. “I don’t want to continue this interview,” was the reply after which the phone line went dead. 

Having worked as a spokesman for a variety of interests, I have an organic affinity for my fellow practitioners so as a professional courtesy, I shan't identify this Brinnon Group spokesperson. It’s bad form to embarrass a fellow flack by name. 

According to Charity Navigator, the Brinnon Group’s most recent IRS Form 990 from December showed zero assets, zero income and zero revenue for 2017. They must have some very good friends somewhere because a partner at the Seattle law firm that drafted the Kitsap County Superior Court petition for them has a published billable rate of $275 - $325 an hour. Perhaps it’s pro bono work. If not, it’s nice to see the Brinnon Group doing its part to support Seattle’s 1 Percent. 

There’s even confusion over its location. The website says the Brinnon Group is located in Brinnon, but its court filing says it’s in Granite Falls, which is 99 miles from Brinnon (it’s only 82.9 miles if you take the ferry from Edmunds). 

This from a group accusing others of suppressing information. 

It all adds up to unhinged desperation from people who know they’re losing. The Brinnon Group didn’t prevail on the MPR, so this conga line of buffoons is reduced to making up stuff and pitching the litigious equivalent of a temper tantrum. 

This is the show that’s playing near you, complete with a cast of local talent. It’s an extended engagement so you can expect performances to run for some time. Given the pace at which Pleasant Harbor is advancing, this could be a longer running show than Phantom of the Opera. 

Scott Hogenson is a resident of Jefferson County. He testified before the Jefferson County Commissioners on April 9 in favor of the Pleasant Harbor development. 

[Editor's note:  We invited the Brinnon Group to respond.  They quickly accepted]

Brinnon Group Says Know Us Before You Judge Us
by Mark Rose
Hogenson’s intention was to write a right-wing hit piece and that’s what he did. Nasty too. “Conga line of buffoons?” Why would you say that about people you never met? My only regret is that I didn’t end our ‘interview’ sooner. He’s behaving like a shill for the developer who seeks to divide us and attack the Brinnon Group, instead of the merits of our appeal. We’re used to being disparaged by Port Townsend and Port Ludlow people who don’t bother to get to know us, and think they know what’s best for us. If you want to know who the Brinnon Group is then come to our event August 25, 11 AM – 4 PM at world-famous Whitney Gardens in Brinnon. We’ll have music, food, art, crafts, a silent auction. It’s wonderful to see the community coming together for this event on short notice. Most of the businesses in Brinnon will be represented at this event, which is sponsored by the Brinnon Group. Hogenson is new to Jefferson County. I have some advice – chill, bro. Go kayaking. Go for a hike. You wear your anger like it’s an east coast badge of honor. More info on Celebrate Brinnon! can be found at brinnoninfo.com or the Facebook events page. Come see the Brinnon you never knew! The South is rising!

Mark Rose is a resident of Brinnon and serves as spokesperson for The Brinnon Group