Eastsound Planners Discuss Vision and Details

— by Margie Doyle and Madeleine Treneer, updated July 16 at 4 p.m. —

The bulk of the Eastsound Planning Review Committee (EPRC) monthly meeting on Tuesday, July 12, was spent on refining the allowable uses in the tables of the Eastsound Subarea Plan update, approved by the County last December.

EPRC members Fred Klein, Bob Maynard, Jeff Otis, Greg Ayers(Chair), and Dan Vekved (Member Martha Fuller was absent), joined County Planner Colin Maycock, and Community Development Director Erika Shook to address the agenda, which included seven points involved in the update, comments from the public, updates on Eastsound’s Lighting and Prune Alley projects, parking, allowances for split zoning, the “Transportation Hub” at Fern Street between Prune Alley and North Beach Road, retail kiosks, design appeals process,  a housing update, Crescent Beach road alternatives, election of EPRC officers and drafting the annual report and workplan; and the newly-completed visioning project, Seeking a Vision for Eastsound 

Public Comments
The meeting started off with a public comment period, in which the members of the public suggest project ideas or express concerns. John Campbell updated those attending on the Village DeHaro development, a residential development on property to the east and uplands of Odd Fellows Hall, which he is proposing to develop with John Miller. Noting the steep slope of the building site, EPRC member Fred Klein said the project showed “exemplary planning.. on very challenging site topography.” He also pointed out that the developers have planned with parking at the rear of the property. The developers intend to apply for a building permit next year.

Naomi Aldort expressed concerns about the parking issues in town. In her opinion, the excess of parked vehicles detracts from the town’s beauty. She proposed re-routing traffic from the ferry to Mount Baker Road. EPRC Chair Greg Ayers remarked her concept was feasible and that the EPRC was in the process of discussing how to improve Eastsound aesthetically, referencing the Visioning Plan (noted above). Ayers also mentioned that Ms. Aldort’s viewpoint is shared by many. Ms. Aldort added that, in her view. there should be a walkway behind Darvill’s Bookstore, so that tourists can walk by the beach, and that beach access should be made easier. She also advocated for to more bike trails and walking trails in town, so that people wouldn’t have to use their cars to come to town. People would be healthier, safer and happier, she said.

It was announced that the Council had reviewed the Public Facilities Financing Assistance Program (PFFAP) funding applications on Monday, July 11, and would be weighing their merits on Wednesday July 13. The seven county-wide applications included three Orcas Island related applications, one through County Public Works to build a new Exchange Building, for $150,000;’ one from the Port of Orcas to develop property to the south of the airport as a park and ride lot for $250,000; and one from the Public Library to re-build the steps from the Library Park to the new library extension, for $60,000.

Subarea Plan Review
Throughout most of the meeting, the EPRC focused on the Subarea Plan review policies and land use regulations.  The committee reviewed the Eastsound Subarea zoning table, which lays out the allowable uses for different categories of property. They discussed the table and evaluated whether some lands or properties were rightly classified. EPRC Chair Ayers said, “There’s both a negative and a positive to density: we need more density for a vibrant community, [but] one-acre parcel owners may not want neighborhood to go to 40 units per acre. There’s got to be a balance. That’s a planning discussion well beyond what we’re doing here.

“We want to make sure people know what they can do, and provide the ability for neighbors to say, ‘I don’t want this.’ So we’ve switched some uses to ‘provisional’ to allow neighbors to have input,” said Ayers.

County Community Development Director Erika Shook weighed in on distinctions between urban and rural uses as defined by the Growth Management Act (GMA).

In shortening the agenda to accommodate the remaining items, EPRC member Dan Vekved mentioned that LED lighting should be no more than 3,000K, referring to the warmth of the light.

With just a half hour left in the regular meeting, Ayers concluded the discussion and revised the agenda to review three plans before them.

Projects for Review
The EPRC reviewed the short plat for the OPAL planned housing development along North Beach Road, just  north of Enchanted Forest Road. Questions about wetlands, drainage, sewer and water connections, right of ways and driveways were aired, and Community Development Director Erika Shook said that she would see that all permit materials were routed to the EPRC for its review. OPAL Director Lisa Byers said she was hoping to have review completed by the end of August “because it strengthens our application to the state to have the review complete.”

The EPRC  found no concerns with a renovation to add an additional room to an Eastsound residence.

The multi-unit development, Sunflower Properties, that is planned by builder Sean DeMeritt north of the Liquor Store on Prune Alley came in for some scrutiny as to parking regulations and compliance with design standards.

EPRC member Jeff Otis observed that the planned parking for the residences need to be available for public parking, and not restricted for use by the residents of the Sunflower development.”That may be an issue with the people who buy the property — knowing that they would know, which is … not necessarily a planning permitting issue

EPRC member Fred Klein spoke at length to the apparent disregard of established Eastsound Design Standards for this project. DeMeritt responded “I didn’t want you to check off on my designs; I wanted change, I don’t want to conform to standards.”

Klein then went into the history of design standards for Eastsound. “Land use regulation in this county has a short history; prior to 1979 you could build anything of any size for any use anywhere.  I realize the Comprehensive Plan may seem like an imposition, but we instituted the design standards in the aftermath of the desecration of the old school on North Beach Road that became “Our House.”  The goal of design standards is to ensure, to raise the level of possibility of the village be developed as an enhancement of the village character as it was determined by a series of meetings and broad community support about 25 years ago.

“I believe the single-family exemption from design standards was intended not to impose a burden on an individual toward his own home. What we’re looking at is multi-family condominium units that are masquerading as single family homes … and will not enhance the character of Eastsound as residents would like to see it.”

DeMeritt replied, “I think people like change; people are tired of 1930s-looking houses.”

Ayers said that the purpose of the review was to look at the proposed permit and suggest changes.

Vekved said that he too was “discouraged by non-compliance with design standards, what’s the point of having design standards if we don’t make an attempt to follow them? An attempt should be made to comply with standards — that don’t seem onerous to me.”

Otis said, “I would encourage you, Sean to think about following the standards…  because this is in a prominent area where other buildings  meet design requirements. It’s important to stay inside the design requirements.”

County News
Council member Rick Hughes addressed the meeting and announced upcoming meetings with State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Chief Lynn Griffith in the San Juan Islands next month:

• August 9 — Orcas
• August 10 — Lopez
• August 11 — San Juan

We’ll talk about the subjects of concern, including the 30-minute reservation rule, long-term planning, changes at the [former] Russell building , the park-and-ride location, and the proposed turn-around at the bottom of the stairs, where three small buildings are now located.

Hughes encouraged those in attendance to contact the public school to allow parking in the school parking lots; and said the county was having a similar discussion with the Orcas Island Community Church.

He announced that the county is considering a transient lodging ordinance to make all lodgings compliant with the regulations that govern B&Bs and hotels.

Hughes also said he’s participating in a multi-county group to review GMA changes that would be applicable to all 39 Washington counties. “While GMA has done a lot of great things for the state, it prohibits us from doing a lot of things that don’t make sense.”