PORT TOWNSEND – Midway through Monday’s public hearing on a proposed master-planned resort in Brinnon, Jefferson County Commissioner Phil Johnson announced a second hearing.

The reason: Severe flooding that hit the Brinnon area on Monday, closing U.S. Highway 101 and making access to the hearing in Port Townsend difficult.

The second hearing on the controversial resort proposal will be held Thursday at 5 p.m., again in the Superior Court courtroom of the Jefferson County Courthouse, 1820 Jefferson St., Port Townsend.

Johnson also extended the time that written public comments will be accepted on the proposal, again because of Monday’s severe weather.

The deadline is now noon Friday, a 48-hour extension from the previous deadline.

Written comments can be sent to the commissioners at P.O. Box 1220, Port Townsend, WA 98368, or e-mailed to jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us.

Although some south county residents were unable to attend Monday’s hearing because of the flooding, the hearing did proceed as planned – with fewer than 20 people.

Most of them represented the resort developer, Canada-based Statesman Group of Companies Ltd. and Black Point Properties LLC.

The audience count was considerably less than the 150 people who showed at a Planning Commission hearing on the proposal in October.