This is not a workaround. find command try to open . directory.
You can see this behaviour by reading source
if ((dotfd = open(".", O_RDONLY, 0)) < 0)
err(1, ".");
or by executing
$> cd /usr/home/rsamson
$> sudo -u www truss /usr/bin/find /var/dat/import
I love cut and paste :D