Thursday, March, 3 – 5 p.m., Eastsound Fire Hall
— by Margie Doyle —
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Eastsound’s advisory planning board, the Eastsound Planning Review Committee (EPRC), will decide at its next meeting on the design standards of the new sidewalks planned for Prune Alley. The improvements have been discussed at EPRC monthly meetings since 2011. At the Feb 4 meeting, Assistant County Engineer Colin Huntemer, shepherding the process, described the discussions as nearing “the endgame. The only standard remaining for discussion is No. 904 “Crosswalk Layout Detail.” County Public Works Director Brian Vincent also attended the meeting.
The advisory EPRC voted to recommend approval (by a 5-1 vote with EPRC member Bob Maynard opposing) of all elements of the Street Standards except for 904 — the Crosswalk Layout Detail. Following a lengthy discussion regarding vegetation, line of sight, traffic concerns and village character, the EPRC requested that Huntemer present an additional option in addition to the three alternatives for corner designs given at the February EPRC meeting.
In discussing the three alternatives, Orcas landscaper Michael Budnick noted that any vegetation planted “has to be tough without water, fertilizer or care. The green sets off the town; there has to be some kind of vegetation. I’m glad it came up.”
Fred Klein questioned the application of national urban standards to Eastsound’s streets: “The scale concerns me about the amount of hardscape. I favor minimal amounts of concrete, some of this goes back to the conversations around town 20 years ago when the idea of putting sidewalks and curbs was the first step on the road to degradation and losing the character that we love so much about Eastsound.”
Clyde Duke said the street corner “hardscapes can be done differently to lend themselves to landscaping.”
Martha Fuller suggested that planters in the middle of the corner would not obstruct line of sight, and said, “We can improve our safety without turning into San Diego.”
As always, the public is welcome and encouraged to attend the monthly meeting of the county advisory board. There are public speaking times scheduled near the beginning and the end of the meeting.
The County Council will make the final decision regarding the EPRC recommendation.
Excellent addition option of the green space between…could be in planters and removable, or planted low shrubs.
But where are the street lights?? My vote has always been for a tall one at each corner pictured here….possibly with the same design as at Outlook Inn, giving a soft light, no glare.
Which option is least expensive and likely to require the least amount of expense to maintain?
That’s my vote.
Before sidewalks are installed, there should be consideration to the high amount of SPEEDING traffic on Prune Alley. This street is used as an express way because of considerable distance between stops. Far more beneficial to the neighborhood at this time would be two speedbumps at Fern St and Rose st.
No speed bumps, PLEASE! Radar speed signs, instead; they work, they’re cheap.
Logically the present street names (‘North Beach Road’ and ‘Prune Alley’) should be exchanged for all the obvious reasons. Suggest setting a date say two years out or so for all those involved have time to make changes (notifications, signs, letterheads, etc.). Hopefully the Chamber of Commerce, Property Owners, and Rick Hughes will support this change.
What are the problems with the present street design regulations? They look good to me.
Post 20 mph signs at all entries to the Commercial Village area and enforce by the Sheriff.
‘A’ Street is now a ‘dead end’. There needs to be a new ’round a about’ and exit to Enchanted Forest Road. Past Bad Long Range Planning left us with this critical problem.
It looks like the drawings show the corners of North Beach, Prune Alley and School Rd – is that correct ? As a school bus driver I am concerned about the corner from North Beach to School Rd – we already have concerns with making that left turn if a vehicle is stopped at the School Rd stop sign – now it looks like there will be a bump out ? And then cars parked along that side ? This looks like it will make for a tighter turning radius for us. Has anyone from the County studied that corner as the buses are coming to school in the morning and leaving school in the afternoon ?
This doesn’t look anything like a rural street will look. How can we know based on these pictures?
@ Bill Trogdon – No, no, NO! NO “round a bout” street to Enchanted Road – NOT Orion Lane by Lavender Hollow, and not through the pitiful remains of Eastsound Swale! People speed terribly on Orion Lane – also a “dead end” – aready. NO. We want your neighborhood to stay a neighborhood, not a highway of convenience for people too spoiled and lazy to drive a few blocks out of their way to leave something of Eastsound alone for a change.
People can drive an extra block or two and protect our kids who live there and the Christian School children! NO! – Or is it “through roads” over our kids and pets, and light pollution so that we residents can’t enjoy our night skies anymore. For heaven’s sake, STOP with the carnage of Eastsound and making every road a speedway!
I’d prefer sidewalks of compacted gravel, with street curbs defining the driving area. On street parking can be banned on the west side of Prune Alley
to provide a sidewalk on that side of the street, (where many folks prefer to walk currently.) and also on the east side of North Beach road in this area. A Parking area can be put in the vacant lots where the old Senior Center used to be to alleviate constricted parking in the summertime. The trees could be left and protected from vehicle damage.
Jodi Luft raises an important question as the design pertains to school bus traffic; the County/EPRC need a careful review of that issue.
Prune Alley was always anticipated as being redesigned to match the sidewalks, etc of North Beach Rd when funds were available.
Interestingly, the very first meeting to discuss a future design for A Street was 40 years ago. A traffic engineer, Tony Puma, met with a large attendance at the Seaview Theatre and nothing has changed since then !!
A new look to Prune Alley would complete the visual presentation of Eastsound and give some continuity to the Village ambience.
As a long time resident of Eastsound, I would dearly love to see this project completed asap (certainly within my lifetime, if possible).
“New Option” is clearly the best! Congrats to whoever came up with it!
Speed bumps? Roundabouts? Through road on A Street? MORE radar speed signs? We moved here to get away from those, and I expect tourists come here for the same reason. Like Sadie and Fred, I am concerned with the options that lean toward national urban engineering “best practices” and don’t fit with a village. Certainly, the school bus turning should be resolved before moving forward.
Any chance we could see the existing photos that were used to create the proposals? That would help visualize the differences.
New option seems most village-friendly.
Does anyone recall the reason for the bulb-outs being put in? They appear to take up space from the street and affect turning radius.