Eastsound Visioning Group Reaches Consensus

— from Fred Klein —

Starting on Saturday, January 7th, and concluding on Saturday, January 14th, a group of thirty four Orcas Islanders met for twelve hours to address the following:

Goal: To reach a consensus on a Vision Statement describing our hopes and dreams for Eastsound in 2035; and to draft a statement of that consensus to be published and shared with the community at large.

The group’s work was done under the auspices of the Eastsound Planning and Review Committee; EPRC members Bob Maynard, Fred Klein, and Jeff Otis participated in the workshop; this is their report back to the full committee.

We reached consensus that we wanted to create a powerful and inspiring Vision Statement, sometimes referred to as the “preamble”, which includes and is supported by “pillars” which include language intended to ensure that the VS is a force to be reckoned with when subsequent Goals & Policies and Regulations are crafted…and,

We reached consensus on the text of a Draft Vision Statement, subject to final editing by volunteers…and…subject to the addition of the supportive language of the “pillars.”

The text of the Draft Vision Statement (VS) is as follows:

“Eastsound is an engaging, model community of diverse individuals who embrace and emulate the wild and generous nature of the Salish Sea. We cherish our multi-cultural legacy and honored land, sea, and sky. As an affordable, family- friendly, walkable village, we maintain a built environment worthy of this exceptional, place, bridging natural and developed spaces, and supporting our connectedness to each other. Our human-built environment constantly and elegantly reminds us we belong to our local ecosystem. We value open spaces and maintain views from town to surrounding waters, woods, mountains, and sky. As Eastsound prospers, we consciously nurture vibrant yet sustainable growth.

“We are committed to deep and restorative stewardship of our island history, culture, arts, and ecosystem.”

After editing by volunteer editors, and considerations by a group of 17 of the original participants, in a 5th meeting, there was general agreement on the following:

“Eastsound is a diverse, inter-generational community that embraces and emulates the wild and generous nature of Orcas Island and the Salish Sea. Our walkable village serves the entire island, as its commercial and cultural center, connects us to one another. We strive for a built environment that is worthy of our exceptional natural setting. We value open spaces and actively preserve views and access from the village to surrounding waters, woods, mountains, and sky. We are committed to deep and restorative stewardship of our island history, culture, arts, ecosystem and the built environment; and honor those who have stewarded before us. As Eastsound prospers, we consciously nurture vibrant yet sustainable growth in concert with the WA State Growth Management Act.

The VS above was intended as a “preamble” to be supported by “pillars,” statements and language intended to give force to the VS so it can serve as a guide for Goals & Policies. Time constraints precluded reaching consensus on the language for the “pillars,” however the following statements were submitted after completing of the consensus process by participants for future consideration:

• Eastsound continues its role as the vibrant commercial and cultural center of the island while providing essential public services for the entire island community.
• Eastsound welcomes sustainable and affordable residential neighborhoods within its boundaries as Orcas Island rediscovers and trends toward its historic pattern of development, namely that of having compact nodes of settlement located around the perimeter of our beloved rural landscape in concert with the mandates of the WA State GMA.
• Eastsound continues to host Orcas Island’s community of both performing and visual artists by providing venues for exhibiting, selling, and creating their works as well as providing opportunities for off-island talent to continually infuse and reinvigorate the island’s artistic scene.
• Eastsound expands its inviting, intimate streetscape, a mixture of varied on-street parking solutions, landscaping elements, street furniture, curbs and sidewalks to the entire village core.
• Eastsound adds an appropriately scaled street/sidewalk lighting, consistent with “dark sky” standards, for enhanced pedestrian safety and to encourage nightlife.
• The Eastsound Subarea Plan provides a means for Orcas and Eastsound residents to shape the future of Eastsound in the context of the County Comprehensive Plan.
• Eastsound will maintain and preserve its well-defined public open spaces.
• The natural environmental areas within the Eastsound UGA are our most precious resource and will be lovingly stewarded.
• Any future development of the built environment in Eastsound will need to occur without compromising the integrity of our cherished natural environment and the eco-system it supports.
• We recognize our shorelines and adjacent marine areas as a fragile eco-system whose health and viability is vital to the health of our community. In view of this, we will not allow development of any marinas or extensive mooring buoys in Fishing Bay.
• We recognize that Indian Island (I don’t know the Lummi name) itself is in a fragile ecological state and needs our protection and preservation. Part of its significance is its status as a nesting site for Oyster Catchers, and endangered species.

Further editing and adding additional content continues with the individual efforts by some of the Workshop participants.