Community Meeting | Provide feedback on new facility at Odlin County Park on Lopez Island

The project has cancelled the request for bids, and the public is invited to a community meeting to learn more, ask questions, and provide feedback

||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS |||

The San Juan County Parks, Recreation, & Fair Department is seeking feedback on plans to construct a new facility for the County Parks operation on Lopez Island. The facility is planned to serve as a visitor contact station, maintenance facility, and office for park rangers on Lopez Island. The facility seeks to replace the existing carport structure to 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. The project has cancelled the request for bids, and the public is invited to a community meeting to learn more about the existing plans and process to this point, ask questions, and provide feedback on how to improve the project.

• WHAT: Community Meeting to provide feedback on new facility at Odlin County Park on Lopez Island
• WHEN: Monday, March 23rd at 5:00 pm
• WHERE: Online via Microsoft Teams.
  1. Join the meeting via this link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/22501300734468?p=kQKWqUKtUxdi2WJn3A ; Meeting ID: 225 013 007 344 68 ; Passcode: mH7NJ6jz  
  2. Join the meeting via phone: 360-726-3293; 983 299 684#

The meeting will be recorded and posted for those unable to attend.

“We’ve canceled the request for bids and are taking an indefinite pause as we lean into a more robust community engagement process,” said Parks & Fair Director Brandon Andrews. “We’d like to share why we’re pursuing this project, why the existing siting was chosen, how project funds are separate from the County’s general fund and not funded by property taxes, and address any other questions/concerns the community may have.” 

Project Background

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.

To date, the department has completed the architectural and engineering design, cultural impact survey with no findings, local permitting (water connection and septic permit pending), and has received a mitigated determination of no significance through the SEPA process. The location and siting of the project were carefully chosen following critical area guidelines and limitations in the existing built and natural environment. 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.

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.