PHOTO: Unpermitted work around Calvin White’s home in Douglas County, southeast of East Wenatchee along the Columbia River, has caused environmental damage and will need to be repaired. Five retaining walls, as well as fill rock placed in the river, must be removed, the hearing examiner ruled.
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jecflyer172 2 years ago
Another example of the wealthy trying to take advantage of the system
Chuck 2 years ago
Will there be any fines levied? If not, would there be no fines were it a vintage single-wide on an equivalent lot?
girlfawkes 2 years ago
To be fair, until further detail emerge, it cannot be assumed that Mr White even knew the construction was not permitted. This happens fairly often. . For example, a VERY well known HVAC and electric contractor in this area who was subcontracted through our home builder installed our HVAC system. 2 years later a county inspector knocks on our door asking to do a check on our system, as the company who did the install had never obtained permits nor had the work inspected. Our fault? No. Yet it happened with hundreds of area homes.
MY2CENTS 2 years ago
how many projects of this person have failed, or are in ruins because of his lack of managing? He surely has the money to fix his mansion to the like of the state and county. If the money is not there, he can leave it to the tax payers to correct the errors and make the tree huggers happy!
Dixie 2 years ago
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2 years ago
Mr. White is up to his eyeballs in deep financial doo-doo. He should have built that albatross somewhere along a riverfront in South America where he would have been able to get away with building it the way he did. Premium Construction and Premium Development, eh? Well, the premium for failure is the price one pays for thinking big at the wrong time with other peoples' money. It could happen to anyone, but in this case it happened to Mr. White. Every trend goes too far and then it reverses and goes the other way. I suspect Mr. White now knows that fact only too well.
Rich 2 years ago
For those that feel sorry for this person with the big house and riverfront problems, don’t. He has caused so many serious financial problems and other issues for others that they are to numerous to count, from Manson to the local area and in between. If in doubt check with the Wen. paper, Waterville Press and Business Journal, plus just ask around. Everything can be documented. Just feel lucky that you didn’t fall into his traps. I didn’t, but have kept myself informed over time of these types of people. The public would be surprised if they only paid attention to various issues such as this one, especially anything to do with real estate and land issues
1 year, 12 months ago
Peggy 1 year, 12 months ago
Well at least White's Family Lt Partnership, which apparently is whose name is on the tax bill, has kept the taxes paid on this mansion of over 10,000 square feet. The White family must be unusually large to need that much room. Again for those feeling sorry for Mr White, as a so-called developer and big time business man he should certainly be aware of what he can and cannot do according to any permits he was issued when building this mansion on the river.
1 year, 12 months ago
Annsboy 1 year, 12 months ago
This section of river is a waste way IMO. I have spent literally hundreds of days on that section of the river, believe me, thats an improvement. Look to the left of the photo, a steep drop with little or no vegetation, swift current and a steep drop off. There is nothing to be gained by "restoring" that section of the river to its former "glory" -It constantly gripes me to have the state telling us what we can and can't do on our own land, especially within reason. If you want to see and abomination, look up river from the odabashian bridge, behind the gravel place. they have been dumping gravel down that hill to the point it now juts into the river 20-30 feet! When I came here twenty years ago it was a small little slide now it's a navigation hazard to boats. -I looked at buying land on the river so I could have better access to water skiing but when I heard all the BS with "buffers" I decided it wasn't worth it. This it what we get with liberals in office taking our land rights, and for what? birds? birds winter here now because of those improvements, before all the water front development birds migrated, now? not so much.
jakill 1 year, 12 months ago
Putting rocks in the river, oh my gosh, the fish and water foul must be really struggling to survive such ecological destruction.
Gator 1 year, 12 months ago
I totally agree with WX. I can certainly understand a land owner being mad, if, for example, he has owned his land for years, and suddenly the state comes in and declares half his land a "wetland". . But, it's not like Mr. White is the victim of some random state law "switcheroo". As a developer, he sure knew what he was doing was and always has been illegal. Doesn't matter if it's rocks or trash or feces, it's illegal and detrimental to the shoreline of the river, and possibly to his neighbor's property values.
Annsboy 1 year, 12 months ago
In the article they are making them remove retaining walls, why? it's his property but there are "buffers" which again IMO is BS, believe you me the property tax goes right to the waters edge so he should have the right to do what he wants right to the edge of the water. placing some lighter colored rock over the darker rock, having been by the property in question it really isn't a darn bit different and I can't see how, along that stretch of the river makes one iota of difference....so how does that impact the environment? as I said I have been boating on the river for years and that is a definite improvement over the barren waste that was there before. -further down the river there are land owners with grass virtually to the waters edge, others have placed sand or scraped away the weeds along the shoreline, do we hear anything from the powers that be about those properties? Again I do not care, they paid the ticket for entrance into water front living leave them alone unless, as you said toxic waste is entering the river. Those who own riverfront don't want it trashed, those who live on the river moved there for a reason, to enjoy the tranquility of the river and the recreation it affords.
1 year, 12 months ago
Gator 1 year, 12 months ago
I'm not necessarily agreeing or disagreeing with your opinion, Jerald. But you don't seriously think that you have more ability to determine what is, or is not, detrimental to the river's shoreline than geological and/or ecological scientists who help determine these buffers - because you "have been boating on the river for years"? Do you?
Annsboy 1 year, 12 months ago
Gator, do you think they look at these things on a case by case basis? it's an all or nothing approach with these people. This isn't a wet land like porters pond, it's a land slide of rock into the river, so yes I think I can understand this situation as well as some flunkie at the DNR. -look at the Wenatchee side of the loop trail, there is far more "damage" to the waterfront along the trail than at the property in question and I don't see the DNR pitching fits about that or any other public works projects that effect the river.
Gator 1 year, 12 months ago
Jerald, I'll admit you are probably right that the DNR uses approximations, rather than localized studies in many cases. But that doesn't mean that you know more than they do about how the shoreline affects the river. . I apologize if this isn't the case, it really annoys me when people who are uneducated about a subject, seem to somehow think they know more than the experts who do that job for a living. It happens in my field of work all the time. . I drive a lot for my job, but I would never pretend to know how to engineer or design a car.
Gator 1 year, 12 months ago
Sorry to get off-topic....
Annsboy 1 year, 12 months ago
No problem, my point is that all river front is not the same. This is not a section where fish spawn due to swift current, nor do shore birds nest or winter on this small section. It is a straight shot down the river. Speaking as someone who would love to have access to the river as a home owner, it gripes me to see the government making it darn near impossible to build a boat dock or make your land look nice. These buffers where it does no good are a case study. Meanwhile the river walk trail (which I love) has all kinds of improvements to the waters edge, I see no difference between to two examples except the target. -again, removing retaining walls that are back some feet from the waters edge? how would you like non elected officials telling you to remove several thousand dollars worth of walls because they fall into a buffer zone that in this instance, serves little or no purpose.
Peggy 1 year, 12 months ago
Just a thought: it is a RIVER, not some person's playground. We who drive down highway 28 regularly have noticed over the years that all sorts of human changes have taken place and not just on the edge of the Columbia. Mr. White and his neighbor Mr. Barros have managed to provide berms along the highway which now obstruct the view that we ALL used to be able to enjoy. I doubt that that work was done via a permit either. When you have plenty of money you usually get to do what you want and to heck with the rest of us. There doesn't seem to be much concern for the common good anymore. Ah well, I am old so I guess I shouldn't care...
Annsboy 1 year, 12 months ago
Peggy, if you own a home in front of me and want to plant trees that may block my view it is your right to do so. When the government sticks their nose into property rights all the while taxing us darn near out of our homes something has to give. Your free view of the river is not a right at the expense of those who pay a tax to live there. Those who live on the river, like the two mentioned pay a darn high premium to do so, and as such we should allow darn near anything short of toxic spills. (I would, be ok with that if it killed the milfoil) -As such are we remembering the east Wenatchee BM spill a few years ago? Talk about a terrible place for a water treatment plant, and on both sides of the river?
mongoose40 1 year, 12 months ago
Where did we ever go wrong in letting our Govm't get so deep into our lives? Our freedoms are being taken away from us almost on a daily basis. If this is truly America, the land of the free, Mr. White's desire to beautify land that he paid for and is required to pay taxes on (to the same govm't that is trying to ruin his dream), should be applauded--not be labeled a criminal.
Come on! Would you rather he had a field of blue tarps and rusty junk cars on the riverbank? You that insist on giving our freedoms away, may someday find the 'law' knocking at your own door! Then what side are you going to be on? Think on it!
39221 1 year, 11 months ago
I am not sure what state Mr. Whites construction company is in. When it was prosperous, I am sure it provided many jobs for the people of Wenatchee. How many people on this forum are providing jobs for the community. He obviously made a mistake in not getting permits for work being done, but lets not throw stones at people for wanting and working for a prosperous life. This is America isnt it ! If our economy had not crumbled because of a corrupt banking system and government making them loan to anybody with a pulse people would applaud the Whites prosperity !!! Get government out of our lives !!
Dixie 1 year, 11 months ago
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