Country Corner LAMIRD to be Finalized Apr. 27

EPRC prevails in maintaining the integrity of the Eastsound Sub-area  Plan

The proposed commercial LAMIRD (Limited Area of More Intense Rural Development) that comprises [intlink id=”7557″ type=”post”]Country Corner [/intlink]– the six lots at the corner of  Crescent Beach Road and Terrill Roads (as they are popularly referred to) — is scheduled to become established by County law on April 27.

That is the day that changes to the County Comprehensive Plan can be made, now that the docket process has been revised from once to three times per year.

The ordinance establishing the Commercial LAMIRD at Country Corner has gone through the review process, including public hearings on Orcas Island, county staff review,  recommendations from the Planning Commission and discussion by the County Council. Since the establishment of the LAMIRD involves modification of the county map and part of the Comprehensive Plan, it is on the Apr. 27 docket to approve the finalized ordinance.

Orcas West County Council Member Richard Fralick told the Eastsound Planning Review Committee (EPRC) on April 1 that the Council advised the Prosecuting Attorney’s office (which drafts the ordinance) to observe the changes the EPRC felt advisable after hearing the Planning Commission recommendations for the law, namely:

• Changing the siting of storage facilities to a conditional use
• Changing eating and drinking establishments to a discretionary use
• Retaining the six lots of the commercial LAMIRD in the Eastsound Sub-area Plan, rather than removing the LAMIRD from the Plan.

The Council also restored the siting of wireless facilities in the LAMIRD as a conditional use, and changed the residential zoning for one unit per two acres.