Editorial: Road or Garden? Who Gets to Decide?

— by Margie Doyle, updated Aug.1 at 10 a.m. —

Correction: the Eastsound Planning Review Committee (EPRC) will not meet the first Thursday in August. The Eastsound Sub-Area Plan will be discussed at a public hearing before the Planning Commission, August 15 at the Legislative Conference Room in Friday Harbor, beginning at 8:45 a.m. It will also be streamed to Orcas Island.- Thanks to Clyde Duke, EPRC Chair.

The Fern Street “Extension” parcel — ideal for a community garden? or a parking lot?

It seems we have a logical place and we have plenty of desire for a community garden — the county-owned lot across North Beach Road from the Village Green, or the “Fern Street Extension.”

That lot is sandwiched between two privately-owned lots. Owners of those lots have told Fred Klein and Ben Trogdon in Prune Alley Streetscape discussions that they have no plans to develop those lots, and like most property owners on Prune Alley, would dedicate a portion of their property frontage for sidewalks, curbs and gutters in the streetscape plan.

The EPRC has discussed this Streetscape Plan at almost every monthly meeting since 2006. In 2012 the County applied for federal funds that would pay for design and development of those plans as part of the Complete Streets program.

However, last summer the county learned that it had not been awarded any Complete Streets funding and so, as explained by County Engineer Rachel Dietzman at an EPRC Open House earlier this year, was only able to dedicate a small portion of funds to the Eastsound Streetscape design this year. Further implementation for the Streetscape Plan is not scheduled until 2017.

Recently, Antoinette Botsford, long-time island resident, gardener, educator and storyteller, wrote of various ideas for a community garden. Readers responded, saying

• “I like your vision and would help!”
• “This is a solid, purposeful idea”
• “a community garden would be a positive addition to our downtown area, not only for residents/gardeners but for tourists as well.”
• “I too would like to see a community demonstration garden rather than a transportation hub, and would be willing to join my name and effort with yours in that pursuit.”
• “Great idea, Antoinette!”
• “Transportation hub? OH NO, Mr. Bill! Garden , bees, worms, sculpture, paths..yes,yes.”
• “A public garden with bees, or “transportation hub”…which will it be? Golly, that’s a really hard choice. To create a “transportation hub” long before there’s any viable public transportation seems somehow, well, silly.”
• “I love the idea of a community garden of some sort and bee hives and have been saddened that I can’t walk through the gates anymore. Everyone loves a garden, even tourists! It exemplifies our island way of life.”
• “It may be that the County purchased this parcel with road funds and as a result there are limits on its use. Even that doesn’t warrant the creation of something so out-of-island-character as a transportation hub, however.”

And Fred Klein responded to Antoinette’s vision:

“Thank you for such an articulate presentation of the case for maintaining this parcel as a community garden with the addition of a ‘winding path’ connecting Prune Alley with North Beach Road.

“There are also other compelling visions floating around, including use of the site for outdoor art and sculpture. In addition, portions of the site which front on Prune Alley and North Beach Road should, IMHO, allow for continuation of our sidewalks, curbs, on-street parking, and landscaping features of our village streetscape.”

The Streetscape Plan seriously impacts any movement towards establishing a Community Garden on the Fern Street Extension lot. In the update of the Eastsound Sub-area Plan, which goes before the Planning Commission again on August 15, and then conceivably, on to the County Council this fall, sets forth a vision for that lot which includes elements of what it describes as a “Transportation Hub: “”To support and promote Non Motorized Transportation a Transportation Hub should be developed with community participation on the County Owned Parcel TPN # 271455211 (parcel purchased for Fern St.extension).”

Senior County Planner Colin Maycock encourages those who’d like to have a say in the final drafts of the Eastsound Sub-area Plan to write him at colinm@sanjuanco.com, by August 13 so that comments may be dispersed to the members of the County Planning Commission for its meeting on Friday, August 15.

The current draft of the Eastsound Sub-area Plan describes the Public Works parcel on page 19 of the plan as follows:
Transportation Hub
“To support and promote Non Motorized Transportation a
Transportation Hub should be developed with community participation on the County Owned Parcel TPN #271455211 (parcel purchased for Fern St. extension).
This goal will guide county improvements and support grant funding for paths, and street improvements that improve non-motorized transportation into and around Eastsound.

“If constructed the Transportation Hub to include
(but not limited to) one or more of the following:
d. Covered area with solar powered lighting from
roof panels;
e. Rainwater catchment for grass pavers, rain gardens and community gardens;
f. Storage lockers and bike racks/lockers;
g. Drinking fountain/self-closing water faucet;
h. Map of walking paths around Eastsound and Public Access to shoreline;
i. Dedicated spots for food vending trucks or licensed
vendors;
j. Permanent or temporary Kiosks;
k. Picnic tables with trash and recycling receptacles;
l. Public art;
m. Announcements of community events;
n. Emergency phone

in addition to:

a. ADA Pedestrian pass-through and off-street transit stop
b. Shuttle stop to off-site parking;
c. Ferry and Hamlets RIDESHARE location
(from page 19 of the Eastsound Sub-area Plan)

The plan states as its goal “to guide county improvements and support grant funding for paths,and street improvements that improve non-motorized transportation into and around Eastsound.”

But as the county wheels slowly grind out a new sub-area plan and development code for Eastsound, section 10 of that plan considers a Transportation Hub for the Fern Street Extension. The term “Transportation Hub” seems overblown for that slender lot; and our concern is the “my way or the highway” (!) approach that Public Works seems to have taken for the last three years. (See  orcasissues.com/eprc-faces-disappointing-streetscape-developments (June, 2011) and orcasissues.com/plans-corner-prune-alley-fern (May 2014).

Critical elements of draft plans drawn up by Klein and Trogdon are eliminated in the responding versions from Public Works. Klein noted at the May 2014 EPRC meeting that Prune Alley property owners had agreed they wanted to maintain existing vegetation and that “the primary consideration was how to get sidewalks and appropriate parking in place with future development of the three parcels.”

EPRC member and county stormwater advisory member Gulliver Rankin said at the same meeting that he was “surprised” by the Public Works design plan. “We weren’t in the loop, I thought we’d be part of the planning.”

Whether Public Works will be compelled to install a “pass-through” dictated by grant or funding restrictions or whether the public will be able to significantly inform the development of this lot into a Community Garden, or a “non-motorized Transportation Hub” or something entirely different was also brought up at the Planning Commission meeting with EPRC on June 20.

Property purchased by Public Works road funds has to be used for public works roads, according to County Prosecutor Randy Gaylord. Incidental uses may be allowed until funding for  for roads are obtained. It is also possible for Public Works to sell the property to another county entity, “if Public Works wants to do so,” said Gaylord.

We should hearken to Fred Klein’s repeated warnings that to envision that lot as a “Transportation Hub” is premature. On June 20, at the joint EPRC-County Planning Commission meeting, he said, “I know there are a number of groups of interested citizens, artists, gardeners, who have their eye on that piece of property. By defining it as a transportation hub, it would prejudice community conversation on how this parcel would be used.”

Councilman Rick Hughes has vowed that there will be no road between Prune Alley and North Beach Road.

But what does County Public Works, the purchaser of that linking lot, say?

This summer the lot to the north of the county parcel is occupied by a temporary furniture showroom. The gates to the county lot from North Beach Road and Prune Alley have been replaced by a continuous wood fence with no point of entry. Those who used to walk through that lot can no longer do so.

EPRC Chair Clyde Duke has said the use of the Fern Street Extension lot is “an ongoing discussion, and passionate among islanders. We feel [the property] is at the heart of our community, a green space and a pass-through. We’re concerned because we understood it was purchased with public works and discussed among public work staff.”

Does Public Works “ownership” mean that this county lot MUST be developed ONLY using road funds and incorporating road regulations?

In the words of Fred Klein, “”A collaborative effort by local design professionals and engaged citizens…including gardeners, artists, non-motorized transportation advocates and the owners of the abutting lots…will yield a design which would have broad-based community support and contribute to vitality in the core of our village.”

We think the time to work together to establish a vision and a plan for this Eastsound “heart land” is now. Careful reading of the language of the Sub-area Plan referencing this lot shows that many elements envisioned by Orcas residents are included.

County Public Works staff faithfully comes to EPRC meetings to work with this advisory committee on development of Eastsound property. They need to hear that Eastsound taxpayers and government supporters want a voice in how this property is developed.

Now is the time for those who are willing to work with county government to re-open the gates to the Fern Street Extension and to develop a garden, rainwater catchment, a walkway, a bike rack, a bulletin board, a water fountain, and so on, to come forward and set the wheels in motion.

If possible, attend the Eastsound Sub-area Plan discussion before the Planning Commission on August 15 in Friday Harbor. Come to the next EPRC meeting in Eastsound on Thursday, September 4 at 3 p.m. and make your wishes and assistance known to the planning and development advisors. They can’t speak for you if you don’t speak to them. I’ll see you there.

The Eastsound Planning Review Committee (EPRC) was established in 1981 under the authority of the Eastsound Subarea Plan by the San Juan County Commissioners.  It consists of seven Orcas Island residents, appointed by Commission [now Council] to advise the planning department, the planning commission and the County Council on land use and development matters affecting Eastsound.