Comp Plan Lull as Data Takes Shape

— by Matthew Gilbert, Orcas Issues reporter —

The County Planning Commission met on Friday March 15 with a modest agenda. Minutes from the last meeting were approved (go here to read them), Tim Blanchard’s term as chair and Pete Moe’s as Secretary were officially extended and Camille Uhlir was named the new vice-chair.

Planning Director Erika Shook then gave a short report, noting “there isn’t a lot of new information” since last month. The department is close to finishing the permit tracking system for all county parcels and permit holders, perhaps in the next week or two. The land capacity analysis – whose completion remains at the top of everyone’s list – is still in process. “There are still a few errors we’re working on and the loss of the original person in charge of the GIS (geographic information system) has slowed us down,” she explained, “but we can’t move forward on the Comp Plan without it.” She demurred on naming a completion date, but it is clearly a department priority.

The other update concerned the marijuana growing application for a Tier 3 operation on Lopez. “That application has been withdrawn,” she reported, noting that there was considerable public comment at the recent Council meeting. “The applicant is re-applying for a different location and a smaller permit (Tier 2),” but progress on that will be slow. “If we stop everything to deal with this, it takes time away from the Comp Plan process,” she said. “We also think such a land use can be addressed in the Plan.”

No members of the public were present, so the next agenda item, which took up the bulk of the remainder of the meeting, was a briefing on the San Juan County Fairgrounds Master Plan Update, presented by SJC Parks and Fair Director Dona Wuthnow. Some key takeaways:

• The current update, which is scheduled to occur every six years, is essentially a “vision planning process” that is looking to build community consensus.
• It’s a 20-year plan but the main focus is on a six-year capital plan that will prioritize a grandstand cover, storage, landscaping and maintenance, and future multi-use facilities, recognizing that the projects “must compete with other projects for county funding.”
• In 2010 the fairgrounds (which encompass 15 acres and 32,000 sq. ft. of facility space) were re-designated as “special use” to give it more flexibility on what was allowable, both facility-wise and for revenue generation. “The original buildings were usually single use,” explained Wuthnow, “which has limited us operationally.”
• The Fair has been under cash flow pressures “but it’s getting better. We need to keep a balance between serving ‘operating needs’ and serving community need (e.g., low-income housing).”
• Fairground facilities were used 292 days last year, clearly beyond the summer fair itself. The main 10k sq. ft. building is unique on San Juan.
• Revenue from RV parking, still modest, is “really taking off” since there are fewer spots elsewhere on the island. “It’s cheap to expand that service.”
• They are looking to work with outside “partners” such as developing cold storage for farmers.
• The first fair took place in 1906 at the waterfront; fairs at the current location began in 1924.

The next meeting of the Planning Commission is April 19 (third Friday of each month) at the County Council Hearing Room in the Legislative Building at 55 Second Street in Friday Harbor. For more information and updates on the Comp Plan process, visit the website.