The Valley Profile article on DirtFish in the September 28 Valley Record was informative and missed a few important points about this business.

DirtFish is currently in county land, and the county has allowed it to operate contrary to land use regulations for more than a year simply because the land may be annexed by Snoqualmie.

In its rush to annex the property, Snoqualmie has proposed language specifically exempting DirtFish and its parent company Snoqualmie Mill Ventures from provisions of the City Comprehensive Plan and current county regulations including land use and flood remediation.

The Comprehensive Plan states that the land is suitable for a business employing 1,400 people. At last count, DirtFish employed about 25 people, none of which were jobs held by local people paying $30,000 a year with benefits—the type of jobs which would support a family or allow the employee to buy a house.

I am pro-business, but not for just any business. The Valley needs businesses that provide real jobs that support families and operate within the law. DirtFish is a sad compromise for a plot of land that could truly revitalize the Valley, and operates in a scofflaw manner.

Imagine a business like Jeld-Wen Windows in Klamath Falls or Les Schwab in Prineville, Ore., operating on the land? I think Ross Bentley said it best about DirtFish: “not a single person is satisfied with where we’re at.”

Dave Eiffert

Snoqualmie