EPRC Concerns Heat Up

Thursday, May 7 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Eastsound Fire Hall

— by Margie Doyle, updated May 6 at 9 a.m. —

The Eastsound Planning Review Committee meets with two new members this Thursday, May 7: Bob Maynard and Martha Fuller. They will join standing EPRC members Greg Ayers, Clyde Duke, Ken Katz, Fred Klein and Jobin Suthergreen, in reviewing plans for the growth and preservation of Eastsound. (Ayers, Klein and Suthergreen have agreed to renew their terms of service on the board.)

In recently monthly meetings they’ve heard from Orcas residents, developers, business people and safety officials on:

• a marijuana grow operation in a scarce service-light-industrial zone;
• a temporary commercial structure in the heart of Eastsound;
• the library’s expansion plans;
• public notification of re-zoning;
• amenities to provide disability access;
• upholding village character;
• tenant operations on a permitted service light industrial site;
• a gate through the county-owned “Fern Street Extension” or “Transportation Hub” across from the Village Green.

Although the EPRC has no official enforcement function, and as a county advisory committee, it receives less than $500 from the county each year, its importance was underlined at a recent County meeting on Orcas Island when County Councilman Jamie Stephens asked if the EPRC hadn’t approved a developer’s plans. He was reminded that the committee has no ability to force people to comply with county regulations, that its function was to provide informed review and recommendations only.

At the April meeting, the following items were discussed:

Wood furniture store in “downtown” Eastsound

The Richardson furniture building, which operates as a tenant on the lot just south of Tres Fabu. Last year the building was erected as a temporary structure that required no permits and was simply to be a furniture storeroom. This year, they have been asked to comply with the Eastsound Sub-area Plan design standards.

John Campbell, who serves on the Eastsound Design Review Committee (EDRC), distributed a summary regarding the three issues of non-compliance: roof slope, roof materials,  and siding materials. The roof materials could be granted an exception, “but not the roof slope or siding materials.” said Campbell. The EDRC did grant a five-month “stay of execution” so they could operate over the summer,” but no exception after that.

“I’d like to add that I had a difficult time finding the purpose and intent for exceptions,” Campbell added. “The prescriptive requirements of roof slope and siding materials are nothing but ordinary economical standards of construction. We didn’t want design review to be a popularity or a beauty contest, but village character is a legitimate basis for architectural review.

“There’s a value in anomalies, so that’s the puzzle,” Campbell concluded.

EPRC member Gulliver Ranker said that the Richardson project had been presented as a storage shed, or showroom, “just as a building,” which doesn’t require commercial standards and permits.

Clyde Duke observed that now, after the fact, the business owners are selling their furniture: “with the public entering the structure it becomes a commercial enterprise.”

Duke said that the Richardsons are still addressing parking issues with County Development and Planning. Campbell said this case, “encourages people to have early discussions if they want an exception.”

Seaview Street Fuel Spills

Following the second fuel spill on his company’s property thisyear, Brian Vanderyacht attended the meeting to work with the EPRC and other local officials on necessary permits, repair and
of the property at the end of Seaview Street, (see: orcasissues.com/eprc-follow-up-on-seaview-street-gas-spill)

Eastsound Sub-area Plan Update

Eastsound Sub-area map within bold borders

EPRC member Gulliver Rankin commented that the current Sub-area Plan is now in effect and that the public “still has the opportunity to comment to [the Planning Commission] and the Council for changes to land-use tables. I don’t think they’ll retract businesses that have complied when they put their permit in.”

It is expected that the Planning Commission will review the updates prepared by the EPRC in August; and that the final draft of the plan will go before the County Council this year.

Eastsound Lighting

Fred Klein addressed the ongoing conversation about street lighting in Eastsound. A presentation on different forms of lighting that was made to the Town Hall meeting on March 26 is now available at the library, and will be added to the County website as an attachment to the EPRC minutes.

Other projects

Council member Rick Hughes said that possible funding for Prune Alley Streetscape and stormwater funding should be announced in May.

Improvements to the Mount Treatment plant behind the Stage on the Green in Eastsound is under discussion with local stakeholders. Hughes said, “Right now it’s kind of a swampy mess. We’re looking at different ways to improve, to get the invasive species out of there.”

The parking situation in Eastsound, which is worsened in summer months, is being addressed by an agreement with Orcas Island Schools Superintendent Eric Webb agreeing to parking at the back of the high school, once the bond construction at the school is completed. It was brought up that in meetings with the Orcas Chamber of Commerce board, there had been discussion of the need for a a cultural change of the business owners and employees to make off-site parking such as at the school work. In the past, such an agreement with the school had been unsuccessful for that reason.

Plans for A Street traffic flow is the next main project after the Prune Alley plan is finalize. Part of the issue for A Street traffic is making provisions for large trucks to turn around. Currently, they use the private property at the Sea View Theatre parking lot and the lot behind the post office.