Editor,

This letter is in response to the March 8 article, “Wonn Road beach access settlement possible, sources say.”

Having owned the property in dispute on Greenbank beach for 36 years, we could have provided all the documentation to support Bruce Montgomery’s right to restrict access had you even bothered to check your facts.

Washington state deeded the second-class tidelands to adjoining property owners in the early 1900s. The plat of Greenbank Beach was recorded in 1944 and included all second-class tidelands in front of and adjacent to each lot. This meant that the second-class tidelands in front of Wonn Road were divided between lots 17 and 18 of the plat, but at no time was there public beach access since the time of the plat.

Our family purchased our property (lot 17) in 1970 and had posted ‘private property’ and ‘no public beach access’ signs for 36 years at the end of the road. Only Greenbank beach lot owners had an ingress/egress easement to get access across our tidelands.

It seems like every 10 years or so, a different group makes a run at gaining beach access they don’t have a right to. We prevailed in every challenge.

We chose to sell to the Montgomerys due to their long attachment and respect for Greenbank Beach.

WALTER AND SALLY KIRKPATRICK

Kennewick, WA