County Councilman Hughes Reports to EPRC

— by Margie Doyle —

The Eastsound Planning Review Committee (EPRC) — which bears our island’s closest resemblance to an official town hall, conducted by a county-appointed advisory committee — heard on Thursday, Sept. 6, from County Councilman Rick Hughes in his official report, and also in response to public comments and items on the agenda.

Hughes apologized for the ferry fiasco of Aug. 25, the closing day of the County Fair, when Orcas Islanders were stranded on San Juan Island with children and livestock overnight due to errors in loading the ferry by the Washington State Ferry (WSF) staff. “I want everyone to realize there was nothing intentionally done. I’m sorry for the inconvenience; it was a very unfortunate situation.” The county plans to work with Washington State Univeristy (WSU) Extension and 4-H leaders and make sure there’s a boat in place to return fairgoers to their home islands.

Looking ahead to the 2019 Legislative session, Hughes said that a ferry caucus will be restored with representation from ferry-serviced communities, for more funding and passenger-only ferries. He also spoke of long-range plans to be aired at the end of September at meetings on Lopez, and San Juan Islands. Comments may also be made online at  https://wsflongrangeplan.com/  that will be “just as impactful as in person,” Hughes said.

“We need help from community members. Our FAC [Ferry Advisory Committee] and County Council submitted a plan; we need additional $100M per year; that will be on the online forum long-range plan.” He added that, as the ferry system is the largest polluter in the state, building new charging stations to use excess capacity from OPALCO for hybrid vehicles is a good idea.

He reported on the funds to be granted through the county’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC), which this year total $950,000; of which $765,000 is earmarked for facilities and $235,000 will be allocated to programs, split between the county Chambers of Commerce and the Visitors Bureau.  “All the applications were received and deliberations will start on Oct. 3,” Hughes reported. In the past, the fund “spent a fair amount to promote; now spending [is more focused] to maintain facilities.”

He referred to the letter co-written by the County Council and Islands Trust, expressing opposition to Canada’s efforts to purchase and implement the Trans-mountain Pipeline, although Canadian courts denied the appeal to authorize the pipeline. (orcasissues.com/island-leaders-in-canada-and-us-call-on-prime-minister-to-abandon-trans-mountain-expansion/ )

He reported on progress on the Orcas Road Project,  with utilities being moved between Nordstrom Lane to Swan Lane. That 1.25-mile stretch of road will be finished by the end of next summer.

The Haven Road sidewalks are in; and later this fall the sidewalks will be completed “so it won’t be a sidewalk to nowhere.” Dying trees are coming out and will be replaced in consultation junction with Haven Road neighbors.

Plans for sidewalks along Lovers Lane are moving forward, as are the Prune Alley Streetscape designs, which County Staff Colin Huntermer presented later in the meeting.

Hughes still is looking to Olympia to provide “trail assistance for some kind of walking trail from the Orcas Ferry Landing to Eastsound.” The final part of the work at Orcas Landing should be finished by years’ end, with the concrete “lego brick” continuing southwest towards the old fuel tanks, “turning [that area] into a park that’s ADA accessible.”

Public comment brought up the signage confusion at the ferry toll lanes in that the left turn into the lanes is not indicated on the main road, but after the turn should be made.

Hughes explained that the Deer Harbor Bridge Project will reach completion with landscaping of an area at the end of the bridge: “Hopefully we’ll finish the little park at edge of bridge that we never finished.” He also spoke of $100,000-worth of trails in the Deer Harbor Community for Camp Four Winds to the bridge.

He spoke of County Councilman Jamie Stephens’ work with the Orca whales population endangerment on Governor Inslee’s Southern Resident Killer Whale Task Force.

He emphasized that much work will begin in 2019 with the approval of the county budget.

In response to public comments about the necessity of citizens participating in the numerous meetings scheduled for the next two weeks:

• Community meeting on drug problems and community health on Sept. 9
• County Council meetings in Friday Harbor on Monday, Sept. 10 and on Orcas Island on Tuesday, Sept. 11
• Port of Orcas meeting on Thursday, Sept. 13 at  6 p.m. at Port offices and Port Master Plan meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 19 at Orcas Center;
• Orcas Public Health District Town Halls on Sept. 20;

Hughes made clear that any preference in the Port Master Plan for extension of the airport runway across Mt. Baker Road would not be approved by the County; and that extending Port property northeast into what is now Brandt’s Landing would not be permitted under the Shoreline Protection Act, which has recently created a ports, marina and transportation zone. “The Ditch [Brandt’s Landing] is considered a marine asset, and does not allow airport uses.

“The FAA [Federal Aviation Authority] can’t tell us to move [Mt. Baker] road; and the shoreline designation has been changed for the marina. The County controls land use on Port land; it can make laws that are more restrictive, but not less restrictive, than state or federal laws.

“Just because an organization makes a statement doesn’t mean the Port will follow suit; it’s required to be safe and meet standards; there are processes you have to go through. It would still have to come through the County.

“I encourage people to provide feedback to the Port but not over-react. What has been posted is the preferred recommendation of the consultants. It has not been reviewed by [Port Master Plan] advisory committee members or Port Commissioners.”

After it was announced that the public comment on the Master Plan’s preferred alternative closes Friday Oct. 5, EPRC members discussed whether their committee should comment on the airport plan.

EPRC involvement in Port Master Plan

EPRC members Brian Wiese and Charles Toxey made the distinction between the EPRC making recommendations to the County, rather than the Port: They clarified that the EPRC is not empowered to speak for the county, but to make recommendations to the county.

Rick Hughes said, “The County weighs in on plans only if it affects County roads, or County land.”

The discussion considered whether EPRC gained some leverage in the Port Master Plan in that it has done some vision work and some of the Port plans run counter to that. Toxey advised that rather than making “disparaging comment about unpreferred plans, the  EPRC should recommend plans.”

In a public comment from Tina Whitman, she said that the contributions of the Port Master Plan Advisory Committee members Paul Kamin, Charles Toxey and Rick Hughes as the EPRC Chair, a business owner and a member of the County Council, “seem fully within your purview.”

EPRC members affirmed that the DOWL engineering firm consultants gave their preference (see https://www.portoforcas.com/master-plan/) and  now comments are open until Oct. 5. The Port of Orcas is responsible to take comments and take them into consideration. The Port Commissioners will still make their decision.

EPRC Co-chair Margaret Payne expressed her discomfort at representing a conflict of interest in the matter, in that she is an employee of the Port and of Kenmore Air. “I can’t support Mt. Baker Road or extending the runway, but the reality is the numbers coming through the terminal are greatly increasing. The increase of passengers over seven years has been a fairly gentle slope until this summer, both Kenmore and San Juan [Air] have been slammed. I’m uncomfortable with this conflict of interest and couldn’t support a prohibition of building [an expanded terminal].”

The committee agreed to add the discussion to the EPRC’s Oct. 4 agenda and prepare a draft comment to review at that meeting.

The presentations on Eastsound StreetScape plans by county staff Shannon Wilbur and Colin Huntermer will be addressed in a future article.