Community engagement continues for Odlin County Park facility upgrades

||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS |||

The San Juan County Parks, Recreation, & Fair Department is seeking to construct a new facility to serve as a visitor contact station, maintenance facility, and office for park rangers on Lopez Island at Odlin County Park. The community is invited to provide feedback. Community recommendations will be presented to Council during the May 12 Council meeting on Lopez (not on April 28 as previously published). The date has been corrected in the copy below. 

SAN JUAN COUNTY, WA April 22, 2026 – The San Juan County Parks, Recreation, & Fair Department is seeking to construct a new facility to serve as a visitor contact station, maintenance facility, and office for park rangers on Lopez Island at Odlin County Park. The facility would replace the existing carport structure to house appropriate facilities for the care of public lands on Lopez Island. The facility will provide protection from the elements for better year-round work, securely and safely store equipment, and separate the office and visitor contact station from staff living quarters. 

Community Outreach 

The County hosted a community meeting for Lopez Islanders to provide feedback on Monday, March 23, 2026. Over 35 community members joined and a recording of the meeting is available here. A recap of the meeting was published here.

Additionally, a community volunteer group completed two walk-throughs of the site on April 7^th and again on April 15^th where a full range of options for siting the building was considered and discussed.

Upcoming Engagement Opportunities

The community is invited to participate in upcoming engagement opportunities including a commission meeting, a community meeting, and a Council meeting. 

• Parks and Recreation Commission meeting: A Parks and Recreation Commission meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 22^nd at 4:00pm to convey the community comments from the March meeting, the findings of the community work group, and the Department’s analysis of feasibility and trade-offs for each option. The recommendation of the commission will be included in the upcoming community and Council meetings. Meeting link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/26847790070907?p=VFgqgeGW8WUFMH4gKJ ; Meeting ID: 268 477 900 709 07 ; Passcode: jU2vD6St
• Second community meeting:  On Monday, April 27 from 5:00-6:00pm, a second community meeting will be held online to present all recent research and recommendations. Meeting link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/23993367027541?p=3Dc5C7yytf0P0bPAUI ; Meeting ID: 239 933 670 275 41 ; Passcode: e9G6Lr2r
• Council Meeting: Parks & Fair Director Brandon Andrews will present information to the County Council during their regularly scheduled May 12 meeting on Lopez. The community will have public access time to provide additional comments during this meeting.

About the Project 

The location and siting of the project were carefully chosen following critical area guidelines and limitations in the existing built and natural environment. To date, the department has completed the architectural and engineering design, cultural impact survey with no findings, local permitting (septic permit pending), and has received a mitigated determination of no significance through the SEPA process. The department has plans for the trees currently slated for removal – offering the trees to affiliated tribes for cultural use first, then considering park uses if any trees remain.

The project, should it proceed, would be funded by capital project dollars (separate from any property tax collecting, including the County’s General Fund). The capital project dollars are generated by a quarter of a percent real-estate excise tax that is collected from municipalities that plan under the Growth Management Act. Learn more about the project here: https://www.sanjuancountywa.gov/2401/Current-Projects 

Odlin County Park turns 100 in 2026, and the department looks forward to stewarding county parks and public lands through the next century. Part of that effort includes maintaining park infrastructure – and the facilities that enable appropriate service levels to the public. 

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Contact: Brandon Andrews, Parks & Fair Director, brandona@sanjuancountywa.gov, 360-370-7452

About San Juan County’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Fair    

San Juan County’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Fair oversees public parks on all four ferry-served islands, manages camping, and hosts the San Juan County Fair. The department offices are located at 849 Argyle Avenue, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. For more information about San Juan County’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Fair, visit https://www.sanjuancountywa.gov/2170/Parks-Recreation-Fair.