County Council on Orcas Focuses on Preview of Transportation Improvement Plans

— by Margie Doyle —

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County Council members and staff came to Orcas on Sept. 11 for a four-hour meeting dominated by the review of Public Works on Orcas in anticipation of the 6-year Transportation Improvement Plan this fall. Those programs were explained by County Engineer Colin Huntermer and Public Works Manager Russ Harvey. The Council added to the agenda a presentation regarding land acquisition from the Eastsound Planning Review Committee (EPRC) and also heard comments and reports regarding

• the eelgrass-salmon–orca food chain;
• Orcas taxing districts’ initiation, expansion and planning;
• health district immunizations, particularly for chicken pox.

Citizen Access time:

• Fred Klein expressed concerns about the recent Prune Alley streetscape plan using only parallel parking from Main Street to School Road. LINK. He stated that 20 years of effort and recent plans would establish a streetscape along Prune Alley that “sets the character and tone of Eastsound.
  If you want to move ahead with a straight-shot solution, it will be a tremendous lost opportunity to maintain character and ambience that began with North Beach Road, a mundane solution. I urge you to take a step back and revisit the essence of what Eastsound can be.”
• Toby Cooper, a board member of the Friends of the San Juans, address the endangered Orca Whales and asked San Juan County to address “what we can do here: primarily the lack of food supply. The best thing we can do is feed the salmon that are here. The key is protecting eelgrass beds. Eastsound is blessed with a healthy productive eelgrass bed. There are only a few places around the county where habitat exists; there used to be one at Roche Harbor, but it disappeared.” Cooper reminded the meeting of the EPRC submissions to the Comp regarding near-shore revisions; and asked for public support behind stormwater protection. “We’d like your help in refining [our suggestions] and taking advice in EPRC.”
• Leith Templin, new EPRC member, and Lisa Byers, Executive Director of OPALCO, spoke to the Council regarding changes to the stretch of North Beach Road between School Road and Mt Baker  Road. Byers requested that changes to the road standards in front of April’s Grove affordable rental project “preserve the tree canopy along North Beach Road with a narrow road, and set a gravel pathway that winds through trees that are preserved so that we can keep the canopy. An important part of calming traffic as come into town is the role of narrow roads and tree canopies.”
  In response to questions by Rick Hughes regarding the trail plan that OPAL had submitted, she said that the plan submitted with the original application would take out one or two trees, but would keep the tree canopy. However, “A straight path or one with pervious concrete [such as along Mt. Baker Road] would take out as many as 30 trees.” Byers reminded the County Council and staff that the road standards are the only part of the April’s Grove design that is not finalized. “The EPRC and the county support our plan. We’d appreciate your decision as soon as possible,” she said.
  She updated the meeting on the April’s Grove affordable rental project as “Some way of addressing the lower-income individuals and striving to make sure more of our neighbors have homes they can afford. With your help, we’re 90% of the way toward full funding. We have secured a bridge loan and are moving to closing on financing this year and building next year. In building the townhouses, Byers said, “We will take some trees down this year, and do our best to inform community. It’s a hard decision to come to, [but] we’ve done our best to minimize the number of trees taken down.”
  In response to a question from Council Member Jamie Stephens regarding increased tax credits from the government that would lower the amount of funds OPAL needs to raise, Byers said, “If the proposal introduced by Senators Maria Cantwell and Orin Hatch is passed as part of the federal budget this year to increase tax credits, it would help relieve the funding gap that we have, but I’m not counting on it.”
• Sharon Abreu, county Democratic precinct chairwoman, urged the county to support shoreline protection and to consider voting yes on 1631 initiative for clean air, energy, water. Support of I-1631 LINK would benefit OPALCO, fire prevention, orca survival and the local economy, Abreu stated.
• Dan Christofferson expressed his concerns about road projects to enhance safety. He compared the situation on Orcas Island from the ferry landing into Eastsound with the roads from the ferry docks to Lopez Village and Friday Harbor, which “have safe access for bicyclists, not just vehicles.
  “We need a shoulder for bicyclists all the way to the Orcas Dump Waste Transfer Station, and beyond from map corner to Golf course: the road is very narrow,and not very long– why [is the road shoulder] not being moved up in TIP [Transportation Improvement Plan]?” He also complained of the lack of bicycle conveyance along North Beach Road between School Road and Mt. Baker; and stated that Prune Alley needs to include shoulders for bicyclists as well.
• Sadie Bailey countered Christofferson’s remarks with her belief that there is a real need for trees, and urged the Council to keep their eyes on the Port Master Plan updates for Orcas Island and San Juan Island. “There are issues here we need to resolve.”

EPRC request to consider donation of Zukin property

Brian Wiese, who serves on both the County Land Bank Commission and the EPRC, introduced new information about the Zukin property on “A” Street to the county council. Previously, the Council had been approached about purchasing the property for downtown parking in Eastsound.

Now Zukin, a member of the San Juan Preservation Trust, has offered to donate the western, wetlands portion of his property to the Land Trust. However, it was not in the Trust’s, nor the Land Bank’s mission to purchase the property, according to Wiese. However, the Land Bank considered it might make some sense to arrange the land’s conveyance to the county because Public Works owns much of the Eastsound swale adjacent to the Zukin property. Wiese said, “The Land Bank considers negotiating [the western portion] as a donation and direct pass-through to the County and Public Works.”

He added that preserving the swale has been a high recommendation in the revision of the Eastsound Plan for water quality and preserving greenspace. Paul Kamin, co-chair of the EPRC said that the county advisory committee unanimously supported the recommendation. He added that it was reasonable to engage with Zukin for the purchase of the eastern portion of his parcel as well.

11:17 Discussion of County Road Project Update with Colin Huntermer, County Engineer and Russ Harvey Public Works describing capital projects on Orcas Island, primarily dealing with roads.

1) Orcas Ferry Landing efforts continue on the Village Park and Ride above ferry terminal; removing hazard trees and beautifying the parking lot; and installing two electrical vehicle charging stations.
Pedestrian access at ferry landing: contract to extend the “lego-like”wall has been awarded to Carlson Construction to complete the work by the end of year.
2) Orcas Road improvements Project – OPALCO high voltage transmission lines The County has awarded the contract to secure $800,000 for bulk aggregate to expedite construction of road basework from ferry landing to Eastsound. Traffic control plan will be established with the contractor once selected; anticipating a possible 15-minute delay at times. Councilman Hughes suggested that arrangements be made with WSF so that delays don’t happen within one hour of ferry departure times. The road contract will be advertised in December or January.
3) West Beach culvert  is a county project that has received two grants of $235,000 and $75,000. A couple of construction easements need to be obtained. The contract will be awarded in February of March and construction  will be set for after Labor Day, closing the entire road.
4) Deer Harbor Hamlet Trails project was initiated by Deer Harbor Planning Review Committee (DHPRC), with award of two $50,000 grants. There are some concerns about trails being used for parking.
5) Upper Deer Harbor Road Improvements will go before the County Hearing Examiner in a few months, with the plan to have the project designed and all permits submitted by the end of this year
6) Marina lease for Deer Harbor float space expires in less than two years, in 2020, currently $11,000 per year provides for 20 feet of float space. Huntermer said it was appropriate that the Council start considering how to address the lease for a marine facility for public access to “one of the biggest marinas on the islands.”
Hughes asked that the County Manager oversee the discussion of the lease soon, “maybe after this budget session.” He added that he supports renewal of this lease; and that the park project for landscaping and bench placement is done, “unless we receive another request.”
7) Eastsound Prune Alley Road improvements
Huntermer said that Public Works had been asked by the Council “to develop a plan we could stand behind and get work done on an accelerated schedule which would mean breaking ground in 2020.” That meant a new approach to Streetscapes, as was discussed earlier in public testimony.LINK
Huntermer said the road has been reclassified from rural access to rural major collector so it can qualify for federal STP funding. Ecology funding for stormwater improvements, may be an opportunity  to apply for a community development block grant.
This may require adoption of a county ordinance for the street-specific standard”as we did on Haven Road. This plan will integrate stormwater projects and complement the stormwater grant project.This has been a priority project for years, to continue to not deliver as a priority project is unacceptable.”
Providing small stretches of sidewalks in Eastsound are small, high-value, low-cost improvement projects.
8) Haven Road at the forefront  is almost complete. Remaining is connecting sidewalks to Main Street, and  $110,000 in transportation alternative federal funds have been allocated to that project
9) Street-specific standards for build-out
Conditions for those standards are based on adjoining land use designations.”We hope to complete with EPRC, and development regulations.”
10) Marine facilities on Orcas Island
Public Works has limited funds to replace boat ramps at Obstruction Pass where fuel delivery that can’t come onto the ferry takes place. The cost is estimated at $175,000; and the cost for repairing floats at Orcas Landing is about $130,000.
West Sound presents replacement of the floats: Public Works Director Russ Harvey said,  “We would like to take out the creosote pilings that constantly “bleed” into the bay; and replace the two floats with one float.” The cost is estimated at $200,000. : Harvey said it would be desirable “to replace concrete floats with a full-length float that wouldn’t bounce around so much; that’s tough on the superstructure. Also we should replace the pile system: $200,000 would for the  gangway, floats and pilings, [and]construction costs. It would not include staff costs for permitting and design.”
The Eastsound facility needs “comprehensive study in consideration of its extensive age.”
Waldron Island’s annual repairs on its county dock run about $20,000 per year.

Addressing public comments and the report from Mark Tompkins regarding immunizations will follow in a future article.