Eastsound Advisory Group Reviews Local Plans

Thursday, May 2 at 3 p.m. in the Eastsound Fire Hall

By Margie Doyle

The Eastsound Planning Review Committee (EPRC)  will be looking at plans for development in Eastsound, both from the county and from Orcas Islanders themselves.

In previous months, the county advisory committee, made up of Clyde Duke, Teri Williams, Fred Klein, Gulliver Rankin (on vacation leave), with EPRC nominees Greg Ayers and Jobim Sutherland, have reviewed individual property development plans, and proposed revisions to the County Comprehensive Plan (CCP).

Teri Williams reported at the March meeting that  Bob Jean, the  Interim county manager emphasized the importance of  observing open public meetings requirements by county advisory committees, including quorums and “meetings” outside formally announced meetings, such as can occur on the ferries. It was noted that council members are in the habit of sitting apart from each other on ferries, so as to avoid the appearance of conducting county business outside formal public meetings.

Bathan Shaner and Austin Adams spoke to the local advisory committee about the county’s plans to maintain the trees on Eastsound county roads. EPRC member Fred Klein suggested the businessmen make a proposal of scope and schedule of services and approach commercial property owners on North Beach Road and Main Street, and in the future, Prune Alley with their proposal.

Teri Williams added that the Subarea plan says”Property owners responsible for maintaining the landscape” and so the county council and/or public works should be asked to send out a letter to property owners saying so.

They also heard from Shawna Franklin and Leon Somme who hope to purchase a piece of land on the corner of Fern and Madrona Streets and build a Kayak School. They said, “We don’t want to get too deep if we’re going down the wrong path.”

They committee said that it appeared zoning and uses were allowable, except for conditional use for storage of 1,000 sq ft. Williams suggested the couple “do a sit down with Renee [Beliveau, County Planning and Development Director], and indicate their plans to store boats, noting that “storage is not called out.”

Senior Planner Colin Maycock sent some additional information about acceptable uses within the county regulations, and changes proposed by the committee at a special meeting.

At the EPRC’s next meeting on April 4, with only Fred Klein and Clyde Duke in attendance, there was not a quorum. The meeting was called to order so that the requirement of holding the meeting might be met, and it was noted that vacancies in the committee are in the process of being  filled.

After the formal meeting was closed, those in attendance discussed the kiosk issue. Nate Averna for Deer Harbor Charters said that it had been difficult to get their permit in a timely manner in the past.

Fred Klein said that they had just received the permit application from the county in the previous week, although it had been filed in November, according to Averna. Klein said there was only a rough sketch and some inaccurate square footage in the application that he saw.  Klein noted that he was speaking ad hoc: “It’s fair to say some people onEPRC are concerned about the proliferation of kiosks when there is a lot of unrented commercial space.

“I have a personal concern about architectural standards in the village. If your sole goal was to make me happy, you’d put a nice pitched roof on [a kiosk], but there’s no such regulation…. I wanted to explain why, in spite of the fact that you’ve had this for several years and it’s been approved, why you got some flak this time.”

Parking space regulations for buildings was also brought up as a concern to the Deer Harbors kiosk application.

Averna responded, “We’ll conform to whatever you want and would like to know what you want.”

Clyde Duke, EPRC Chair said “The EPRC will help with consistency and continuity; there is no standard set for your building.”

He added, “The EPRC’s “touch” is really soft; if you really want the answers, they’re there. The regulations may change… so it might help  your process to come before the EPRC before submitting your application.”

Averna said, “I didn’t know that was an option, now I do.”