From: "David Rogers" To: "Steve Sundin" ; "Tara Sundin" Subject: Fwd: FW: Costco in Bellingham Date: Thursday, March 29, 2012 10:12 AM Input from the DOE. Re: Bullet Point #2, she must not have been to the Bellingham Costco or she would understand the difficulties with expansion. Steve, I will return your call today. Regards, David. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ed Sewall Date: Thu, Mar 29, 2012 at 8:12 AM Subject: FW: Costco in Bellingham To: David Rogers Cc: Stephen Bullock FYI Ed -----Original Message----- *From:* Meyer, Susan (ECY) [mailto:sume461@ECY.WA.GOV] *Sent:* Wednesday, March 28, 2012 4:07 PM *To:* Ed Sewall *Cc:* Stockdale, Erik (ECY) *Subject:* Costco in Bellingham Dear Ed, Thank you for showing me around the potential Costco site and proposed mitigation area on March 15, 2012. It was very interesting to see the area in person, as the aerial photos do not portray the realities of the area’s current conditions. I have the following comments as a follow up to the site visit: · Although the entire area between I-5 and Northwest Avenue is mostly a highly functioning wetland complex, the potential Costco site does not seem to support the larger wetland areas as the northern portion of this wetland complex. The Costco site has several smaller pocket wetlands that may be isolated. Each of these wetlands serves certain functions in the landscape, though, and certainly combined, their functions increase. It will be necessary before moving forward with the project to determine what ecosystem services these wetlands provide to the watershed and what consequences would result if they were to be filled. · Costco would need to develop and document justification for why their current Bellingham store cannot be expanded. In addition, avoidance and minimization of wetland impacts on the potential site would need to be demonstrated. All available options that have less impacts need to be explored and documented. · The proposed mitigation site was logged in 2005 under a Forest Practice permit, and the 6-year moratorium for conversion has passed. Since part of the site wetlands were filled legally as part of the logging operations, that fill could be removed and the wetlands restored for mitigation. If there is enough area of reestablishment available, then the site may be acceptable for mitigation. Since replanting was part of the Forest Practice permit, and some trees were planted and others are naturally reestablishing, wetland enhancement will generate very little credit on this parcel. These are my key observations and comments at this time. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely, Susan Meyer Wetland Specialist Washington State Department of Ecology 3190 - 160th Ave. SE Bellevue, WA 98008 Phone (425)649-7168 Fax (425)649-7098 susan.meyer@ecy.wa.gov -- *David H Rogers* Director of Real Estate Development Costco Wholesale (425) 427-7554