The developer of the proposed Priest Road Center has sued the city seeking removal of three requirements placed on the project.

The lawsuit filed Nov. 20 by Sequim Y3K LLC alleges its Priest Road development vested on Aug. 20 but the city applied transportation impact fees and storm control requirements not approved until Oct. 6.

The city also is requiring a design review process approved after the development vested, the suit contends.

The shopping center proposed in July 2008 is planned to have four buildings totaling 70,775 square feet of retail, restaurant and office space on six acres.



Would surround Schuck's

It would surround the Schuck's Auto Supply store on the northeast corner of the Priest Road and West Washington Street intersection, across Priest Road from Walmart.

The developer is Sequim-Y3K LLC, which includes Ed and Kathrin Sumpter of Sequim and Frederick and Donna Garner of Gresham, Ore.

According to the lawsuit, Sequim-Y3K LLC applied June 23, 2008, for a binding site plan on the property at Priest Road and Washington Street. The application was declared "substantially complete" on Aug. 20, 2008, but city

staff recommended on Oct. 6, 2009, that the

developer pay $151,540 for off-site road improvements, the lawsuit states.



City will fight

It alleges the method used to develop that figure was based upon unreasonable assumptions of traffic impacts from the project and of impacts from other potential projects.

The lawsuit states the city required the applicant to install not just storm water containment but also storm water monitoring wells.

Then at a Nov. 9, 2009, meeting, the council also required the applicant to go through the city's new design review process based upon an opinion from the city attorney, according to the lawsuit.

The council unanimously approved having City Attorney Craig Ritchie defend the lawsuit.



Reach Brian Gawley at bgawley@

sequimgazette.com.