Commissioners reviewed a coastal development permit (CDP20230016) for a new residence near Westport. Staff and Alta Archaeology reported three archaeological sites on or near the parcel, including one large pre-contact shell midden with associated historic-era material. The proposed project included a house location and a septic alignment that commissioners concluded approached or intersected the midden boundary.

Commissioners expressed concern that the septic trench and associated use might intrude on the resource. They discussed mitigation steps and practical constraints: marking (flagging) the site boundaries, ensuring project elements and construction activity remain out of the 100-foot avoidance zone required by county practice, and having tribal monitors and an archaeologist present for subsurface work. Because the current site plan appeared to place septic infrastructure too close to the recorded midden, the commission declined to accept the survey package as presented and required the applicant to work with the project's archaeologist to produce overlay maps showing the resource boundaries and to relocate or redesign the development to provide at least a 100-foot buffer. The commission set a return to the January 2026 hearing to review revised plans.

Quote: "The shell midden should be — and there should be total avoidance, with a parameter of 100 feet," Commissioner Cole said. The commission voted to require revised plans and overlays that demonstrate the avoidance buffer before the project proceeds.

Next step: Applicant to coordinate with Alta (or an RPA-qualified archaeologist) and staff to produce a revised site plan with archaeologist-verified boundaries and to return to the commission in January 2026. Discovery protocols will remain in place for any inadvertent finds.