Towne Road timeline
A chronological organization of events
With so many moving parts over the years, it’s difficult to grasp why Towne Road remains unfinished. Was it closed due to soil contamination, or did an upswell of community support demand that it remain closed? Are the Commissioners serving the needs and safety of their constituents, or are they catering to special and private interests?
This document, which will be updated as new information comes to light, is helpful when trying to understand how a multi-agency, $20M, decades-long, public works project has repeatedly been stalled so close to the finish line.
All research is sourced from public records and emails exchanged with County leaders.
3 Dec 2014 County Biologist Cathy Lear coordinated a “Towne Road Work Group” at the Sequim fire station which was attended by several community members including the Eberles, first responders, Jamestown Tribal representatives, local business owners, and County Staff. A summary of the meeting concluded, “Without Towne Road or equivalent access, emergency response time may be increased by 3-7 minutes” and “If emergency response vehicles are located more than 5 miles away, fire insurance rates increase from $425 to $1000.”
Mar 2015 Clallam County held a public meeting and solicited comments on the future of Towne Road which resulted in 84% favoring that Towne Road remain open.
11 Mar 2021 Landowner Derrick Eberle emailed the County about his private driveway and said that he had sought legal representation.
15 Mar 2021 County staff emailed landowner Derrick Eberle: “Since you have retained an attorney, I need to be having this discussion with them.”
22 Mar 2021 Landowner Derrick Eberle emailed Commissioner Ozias directly about his driveway access to Towne Road.
1 Apr 2021 Department of Ecology grant, worth over $7M, began funding the Towne Road Levee.
Late April/Early May 2022 The Jamestown Tribe breached the 1963 Army Corps of Engineers dike ahead of schedule which exposed downriver communities to flood risk in the coming winter. At that point, the County had not built enough of the Towne Road Levee to protect the community from flooding.
2 May 2022 During a Commissioner Work Session, a resolution to close Towne Road was drafted. It read, in part: “To provide for the community's safety during Phase 2 construction of the Lower Dungeness Floodplain Restoration project and removal of the Dungeness River levee, a portion of Towne Road will be closed from MP 1.98 to 2.78…”
Before the Tribe’s early breach of the old dike, the plan was to never close Towne Road for even one day.
10 May 2022 The Commissioners passed the resolution which authorized temporary closure “due to the construction associated with the removal of the Dungeness River Levee.” The closure began July 5th, 2022, and would last through September 30th, 2023.
It also read, “Towne Road shall be closed completely to the public.”
5 Jul 2022 Jamestown Tribe representatives attend a Commissioners’ meeting. As a consequence of the Tribe removing the Army Corps of Engineers’ dike early, the County deliberated whether to construct a temporary dike (in advance of the 2022/2023 flood season), or accelerate the construction of the Towne Road Levee – both options faced significant costs.
1 Aug 2022 The Commissioners drafted a resolution “declaring an emergency related to the Dungeness Levee Setback Project.” An emergency allowed the existing contractor to expedite the construction of Towne Road without the project following the competitive bidding process. The change order to expedite the construction of the Towne Road Levee was estimated to cost between $3M and $4M.
The Jamestown Tribe offered about $500K to help offset the cost, however, the Tribe objected to language in the resolution which read, “...removal of this [old 1963 dike] levee section before completion of new levee construction by the County was beyond the control of the county…” The Tribe requested that the resolution be reworded to read that it was within the County’s control. The County’s deputy prosecuting attorney cautioned against this manipulation and warned that the original wording was necessary to declare an emergency. Commissioner Ozias agreed to “wordsmith” the resolution so the County and Tribe could agree on “mutually appropriate language.”
The Tribe also suggested a 4-tiered plan to move forward: Tier 1, construct a flood return channel. Tier 2, engineered logjams. Tier 3, remove existing Towne Road. Tier 4, full postponement of Towne Road rebuild.
2 Aug 2022 The Commissioners passed a resolution ‘Declaring an Emergency Related to the Dungeness Levee Setback Project.” The resolution was drastically changed from the draft presented at the Work Session the day before — it now faulted the Army Corps of Engineers.
17 Aug 2022 Landowners Derrick and Bri Eberle emailed Commissioner Ozias, “I wanted to reach out to you today to voice my support to keep the portion of Towne Road located in the area of the river setback project closed permanently.”
19 Aug 2022 Commissioner Ozias emailed landowner Derrick Eberle: “we will definitely keep your preference in mind.”
Jan 2023 The County Engineer provided a budget for Towne Road surfacing: $800K would come from the Road Fund Budget, $600K from REET2 (County fund from Real Estate Excise Tax), and $1M would come from grants. The project total was $2.4M.
17 Jan 2023 Jamestown Tribe’s Habitat Restoration Manager, Randy Johnson (not to be confused with Clallam County Commissioner with the same name) suggested in an email that a “popular movement” be initiated to “Save Our Levee.”
19 Jan 2023 A county employee encountered flyers posted along the levee and warned Commissioner Ozias and Director Emery, “Heads up, we may be getting phone calls from citizens wanting to alter the function of the Dungeness Levee. The attached note was on the gate. It may be worth a little time to first correct the language for people when the calls start coming. The note describes the project as the levee being a trail that will be converted into a road instead of the reality that the levee was constructed as a road and only closed to traffic at the moment because it isn’t paved yet.”
14 Feb 2023 Signatures were submitted to the County requesting that Towne Road remain closed. A majority of the signatures were collected from a neighborhood on Towne Road that had benefited from reduced traffic.
23 Feb 2023 Additional signatures were submitted to the County requesting that Towne Road remain closed. Again, most signatures were derived from residents living south of the Towne Road closure. There were 98 total signatures when combined with the first submission.
27 Feb 2023 At the Commissioners’ Work Session, County Engineer Joe Donisi outlined a plan to surface Towne Road as two, 10-foot lanes with 4-foot shoulders. Donisi said that if the Department of Ecology grant was used before it expired on June 30th, 2023, the County would not use any REET2 funds (Real Estate Excise Tax). There was also a chance that the County wouldn’t use any funds from the Road Budget. This opportunity to surface Towne Road, without using County dollars, would only work if the Commissioners continued moving forward – the Department of Ecology’s grant would expire on June 30th, 2023.
Additionally, the County was able to match one grant against another (instead of matching with County dollars) – a rare but remarkable instance that saved the County money. Donisi and County Biologist Cathy Lear also said that the cost of remediation for contaminated soil found under Towne Road was completely covered by the Department of Ecology (the County did not have to pay this cost).
Citing an upswell of support to keep the road closed, combined with Eberle’s wishes, Commissioner Ozias paused the project and Commissioner Johnson agreed (Commissioner French was absent). Commissioner Ozias said: “I’m personally not convinced that we need a road of any kind at all, especially if the Eberles don’t want it.”
The February 27th Work Session is worth watching. Towne Road discussion begins at 52:52.
28 Feb 2023 A County employee emailed Derrick Eberle about a decision to halt Towne Road construction: “If you have time, please listen in to the discussion and see what they have to say. Again, we are hoping to get together, and brainstorm ideas and what options we have regarding the Eberle access and the future of Towne Road.”
28 Feb 2023 Bri Eberle arranged, via email, for her and husband Derrick to meet with the County about moving forward with the levee surface design.
6 Mar 2023 Landowner Derrick Eberle emailed Commissioner Ozias after viewing the February 27th Work Session: “We appreciate what you and Commissioner Johnson said regarding the future of the road and feel that it very much represents the concerns that we have brought forth. Our thanks to both of you for that representation.” The Eberles outlined their expectations of Towne Road’s future.
7 Mar 2023 Commissioner Ozias emailed landowner Derrick Eberle: “Hi Derrick! Thank you for sharing this. I had encouraged our team to check in with you before bringing any plan or request to the Board, so I’m sorry that did not happen sooner. This is very helpful to understand and I have shared with the other Commissioners as an FYI. Hope you both are well, Mark O.”
10 Mar 2023 Less than two weeks after the commissioners halted the Towne Road project, Commissioner Ozias gave an interview on KSQM radio (watch video here) and said “I’m not certain that a standard road with 4-foot shoulders and no physical separation is quite the right way to go.” It would be 6 months before the wider public learned of his concerns.
10 Mar 2023 The Eberles met with the County to discuss the future of the levee’s surface. A County employee emailed a follow-up: “At least one automated gate would make your lives easier but having both automated would be good. If you could easily program in a code for visitors and be able to change that code if there were problems, it could resolve issues about farm tours, hay customers, etc.”
14 Mar 2023 Signatures supporting the reopening of Towne Road were submitted to the County. There were 122 names on the petition from diverse areas of Sequim and the County. Signatures were collected at the Dungeness Valley Creamery.
28 Mar 2023 An inquisitive resident reached out to Commissioner Ozias seeking an update:
The commissioner answered but omitted that the project had been halted indefinitely:
Four months after the county knew that the Department of Ecology had agreed to reimburse the entire cost of contaminated soil, Commissioner Ozias wrote this:
25 May 2023 A concerned resident contacted all three County Commissioners seeking an update:
5 Jun 2023 A consultant advised the DCD and Road Department that two automatic, electronic gates would cost $67,000 + tax + $10k PUD hookup fee. The county moved ahead with this plan at this pricing and opted for a third gate at additional cost.
5 Jun 2023 When a concerned resident asked Commissioner Ozias if Towne Road would be designated as a tsunami evacuation route, the Commissioner replied:
8 Jun 2023 A concerned Dungeness resident had contacted Commissioner Ozias after hearing that Towne Road might be turned into a trail. The commissioner responded:
14 Jun 2023 Landowner Derrick Eberle emailed Commissioner Ozias: “Are you available to meet in person again?”
15 Jun 2023 Commissioner Ozias emailed landowner Derrick Eberle: “Hi Derrick! Of course, I would love to get together… Please let me know the next time you plan to be in town and I will make sure to carve out some time to catch up.”
19 Jun 2023 Fire Chief Orr emailed all 3 Commissioners: “... removing connections increases response times and could have a negative effect for the citizens who live in and around that area in regards to 911 responses. These connections can have an effect on insurance ratings for neighborhoods around that area also.”
20 Jun 2023 An agreement with the Jamestown Tribe was approved by the Commissioners. The agreement paid Jamestown Tribe to install an additional 9 engineered logjams for $330K. This spent the last of the Department of Ecology’s grant funds which had originally been intended to surface Towne Road.
The 11 minutes in this video show the Commissioners agreeing to give the last of the grant money to the Jamestown Tribe. Start at 17:08.
30 Jun 2023 The Department of Ecology grant expired.
30 Jun 2023 Landowner Derrick Eberle emailed Commissioner Ozias: “I'll be in town all of next week”... “Let me know when would work well for you…” Commissioner Ozias replied to landowner Derrick Eberle: “Would 9:30 on Wednesday July 5 work? We could meet at Rainshadow Coffee if that’s good for you.”
13 Jul 2023 Commissioner Ozias emailed landowner Derrick Eberle: “I checked in on the automatic gate and it sounds like that is on-track. We are researching options and I think this fall is probably a realistic expectation on timing. I am working on addressing some of the other things we discussed but wanted you to have this update in the meantime. Lastly, would you mind sharing your mobile? I’d like to connect with you NOT on county time or my county device to follow up.”
19 Jul 2023 Landowner Derrick Eberle emailed Commissioner Ozias about the automatic gates: “We're inconvenienced daily, and that is a lot more days to keep dealing with things.”
19 Jul 2023 Commissioner Ozias emailed landowner Derrick Eberle about the automatic gates: “I promise I will stay on top of it and make sure we get the gate done.”
20 Aug 2023 Landowner Derrick Eberle emailed Commissioner Ozias: “Checking in to see if there is anything the team needs before the automated gates are installed next month.”
22 Aug 2023 Commissioner Ozias emailed landowner Derrick Eberle: “We just opened bids today and will be awarding them next week.”
23 Aug 2023 An early morning fire destroyed a family’s home north of the Towne Road closure. A mother and her two daughters were saved from the blaze before responding fire vehicles arrived, but their two dogs were lost. Multiple responding units attempted to arrive via Towne Road but were forced to detour five miles when they found a locked gate closing the road north of the Dungeness Creamery.
23 Aug 2023 Clallam County Fire District 3 emailed PenCom (911 dispatch) with the attached “Road Closure Notice.”
24 Aug 2023 A supervisor at PenCom (911 dispatch) replied via email that the road closure had been entered into the system.
31 Aug 2023 A county employee emailed the DCD, “I was out on the Dungeness levee this morning and at the gate off Anderson Rd, someone incorrectly locked the gate so that the Fire Department’s lock will no longer open the gate.”
8 Sep 2023 The Commissioners publicly announced they were considering four resurfacing options for Towne Road. Funding would likely not be available for 2-3 years.
14 Sep 2023 Fire Chief Dan Orr said in an email: “...the added response time certainly added to the loss for that family,” regarding the home that was destroyed in an August 23rd fire.
18 Sep 2023 Landowner Derrick Eberle emailed County Biologist Cathy Lear: “Hello Cathy, Thank you for emailing me about the upcoming meeting for the Towne Road levee setback concepts. I'm looking forward to attending.“
25 Sep 2023 Landowner Derrick Eberle emailed Commissioner Ozias, DCD Director Emery, and Biologist Lear: “We were assured by the County at the onset of this project years ago that there would not be a long-term adverse effect to our way of life on this farm. It was always discussed, whether there is a road or no road, we would maintain the ability to drive both ways (from Towne and Sequim-Dungeness) to our farm. We (as well our neighbors Nash Huber and Sarah McCarthy) need that two-way connection to remain for both private and business uses.”
25 Sep 2023 Sheriff Brian King said in an email: “Closing a road would inevitably have some impact to public safety.”
26 Sep 2023 Commissioner Ozias emailed landowner Derrick Eberle about automatic gates: “I will continue to stay on top of this detail until we have some resolution.”
26 Sep 2023 Landowner Derrick Eberle emailed Commissioner Ozias: “...you can see our discomfort that it continues to advance and now is part of the public discussion.”
26 Sep 2023 Landowner Derrick Eberle emailed County Biologist Cathy Lear: “…we were assured by the two of you that we would still have the same access we do now, both ways, after the conclusion of the project.”
26 Sep 2023 County leaders hosted an “informational meeting” in Sequim at Guy Cole Convention Center.
2 Oct 2023 Commissioner Ozias asked who would be taking the first steps to designate tsunami evacuation designation for Towne Road.
5 Oct 2023 Commissioner Ozias said in an email: “This project is not being driven out of, or managed by, the Commissioners but rather the Department of Community Development.”
5 Oct 2023 Fire Chief Orr submitted his official public comment to all three Commissioners: “The Dungeness community has three ways in which they connect with the rest of the county heading south. Eliminating one of these connections does not seem prudent and gives the appearance of recreation over essential connectivity.”
10 Oct 2023 The Jamestown Tribe submitted a letter to the Commissioners: “The new levee is functioning as an outdoor classroom for drawing the public close to the river and watching restoration in progress. It’s the Tribe’s recommendation to leave the levee incomplete for three years as a better plan transpires.”
14 Nov 2023 Elyssa Tappero, The Tsunami Program Manager for the Washington Emergency Management Division, said via email: “...it also sounds like your local emergency management is in favor of the road being reopened to the public anyway to ensure folks in the area have as many evacuation routes (for any hazard) as possible and have shared this opinion with the county commissioners.”
16 Nov 2023 Landowner Bri Eberle emailed Commissioner Ozias and asked if the county could do anything to stop Jeff Tozzer’s “bullying and harassing behavior.”
29 Nov 2023 DCD Director Bruce Emery released results of a public survey that still showed a majority wanted Towne Road open to two-way, through traffic.
4 Dec 2023 At the Commissioners’ Work Session, Director of the Department of Community Development, Bruce Emery, recommended “Option 2” to the Commissioners (two lanes of traffic with a wide trail separated by a guardrail). The Director’s recommendation was initially embraced by a majority of the Board, however, Commissioner Ozias ultimately steered the discussion away from a formal acceptance of the recommendation.
5 Dec 2023 At the Commissioners’ meeting, Commissioner Ozias was unable to attend in person but participated via video feed. Despite the DCD’s recommendation to move forward with Option 2, no resolution was proposed, no vote was taken, and no decision was finalized. Commissioner Ozias departed the meeting five minutes before public comment.
12 Dec 2023 Commissioner Ozias emailed a concerned resident: “Should we not be able to put a plan together that results in a completed road within current available funding then my hope is that we are able to take an interim step – like an improved gate.”
18 Dec 2023 The Community encouraged Commissioners to adopt a resolution to construct Towne Road in 2024 and provide a measurable timeline for the project.
26 Dec 2023 The Commissioners passed a resolution committing to surface and reopen Towne Road to through, two-way traffic by September 30th, 2024.
8 Jan 2024 An anonymous website was launched by a DLTA (Dungeness Levee Trail Advocates) that sought support to close Towne Road permanently. This motive and language closely matched Jamestown Tribe’s suggestion in January 2023.
29 Jan 2024 Bonneville Environmental Foundation sent a letter asking the commissioners to pause the Towne Road project.
30 Jan 2024 Jamestown Tribe sent a letter asking for the commissioners to pause the Towne Road project and even offered to donate land.
12 Feb 2024 A week late, the DCD and Road Department provided the commissioners with a Towne Road update.
19 Feb 2024 DLTA, dissatisfied with the road/trail compromise, held a rally calling for the halt of completing the Towne Road project.
30 Dec 2024 RCO grant of $1.5M will expire.
This is awesome, Jeff. So much work went into this, I hope it's all worth it. It has been my experience that these local politicians pretty much do what they like and to hell with us mere citizens.