EPRC Debates Planning Commission Changes to Country Corner LAMIRD Plan

The Eastsound Planning Review Committee (EPRC) with new member Fred Klein dissenting, voted on Nov. 5 to send a letter to the Planning Commission and the County Council, recommending that the Country Corrner LAMIRD be accepted with changes that indicate their desire to have storage uses allowed as a discretionary use and that eating and drinking establishments be allowed as conditional uses.

Klein, who joined the EPRC in September, requested that the Council and Planning Commission be notified by Senior County Planner Colin Maycock, that the EPRC would like them to consider EPRC concerns regarding removing Country Corners from the Eastsound Subarea Plan, in effect since 1981.

Ted Tidrington joined the EPRC this month, bringing their membership to a full slate.; other members present at the meeting were EPRC members Patty Miller, Gulliver Rankin, Mindy Kayl, and Bob Connell. Audrey Moreland, EPRC member, was absent. Also in attendance at the meeting werewas County Staff from the Planning and Public Works Department, representatives of the Eastsound Sewer and Water District (ESWD) and the Eastsound Water Users Association (EWUA) as well as several members of the public.

Perhaps the larger than usual turnout was due to the announced agenda to discuss the CAO ordinance as it applied to Eastsound.

County Council member Richard Fralick announced the “Wetlands Workshop” that is to be held on Thursday, Nov. 12 in Eastsound at 11 a.m. That “field trip” will be followed in the afternoon by a 5 p.m. workshop discussion of the CAO proposal that will show the existing and proposed buffer areas for wetlands. The afternoon workshops are intended to be “solutions-based” said Miller, who presented a discussion paper for the EPRC meeting.

If a third County Council Member joins Fralick and Orcas East Councilman Gene Knapp, a special meeting of the council will be declared, as mandated by law.

A report on the CAO discussion at the EPRC meeting will be posted later today.

It was noted that the Nov. 5 meeting presented the third opportunity to discuss the Country Corner Plan, and discussion focused on whether or not to approve of the Planning Commission’s recommendations following their review of the draft proposal establishing a Limited Area of More Intense Rural Development (LAMIRD) at Country Corners.

The plan as modified by the Planning Commission calls for changes in allowable uses and development standards:

Allowances

• Daycares with 7 or more children — allowed as discretionary

Prohibitions

• Eating/drinking establishments — not allowed (changed from slowed as conditional use)
• Vacation rentals — not allowed (changed from allowed as conditional use)
• Mini-storage, moving storage — not allowed (changed from discretionary).

Chips Carpenter, owner of “The Barn,” the southern-most parcel of the proposed LAMIRD,  and his daughter Stacy spoke to the EPRC,  protesting the restriction of storage as an allowable use in the area. Carpenter claimed the prohibition was unfair, and noted that the barn had existed as a business for  25 years, providing services such as:

• Drive in movie
• 4H competitions
• Horse training
• Retail outlet for hay and feed
• Veterinarian
• Theater
• Roller skating
• Art works
• Storage operations

Caprenter asked that the Council return to Maycock’s original version in which uses are discretionary rather than prohibited. He said, “I’m looking more at my son and daughter down the road being able to adapt to whatever conditions are out there. Just having a sweeping prohibition hurts.”

MerisBartlett said she was “Happy with the change away from vacation and temporary types of rentals… I am for anything that will be safe in the community and will not encourage hanging out, storing substances in … the equivalent of a gym locker to pass substances that come back and forth across the border.

She spoke in favor of the EPRC and the County doing “something that addresses the scum that tends to hang out, I’m so sorry to have to say that on Orcas; I’d like my experience on Orcas to improve.”

Maycock noted that the Barn property contains six lots that can all be developed as commercial, and said that the problem with the Planning Commission’s storage prohibition is that Carpenter, as owner of the property,  could be encouraged to subdivide.

Miller then moved for EPRC to draft a letter to the County Council supporting the changes made by Planning Commission, except asking them to convert following items back to Maycock’s original recommendations:

1)      Mini- and moving storage allowed as discretionary uses

2)      Eating and drinking establishments allowed as conditional uses

Klein then asked that the discussion address why the LAMIRD needs to be separated from the Subarea plan. He said, “A LAMIRD is infinitely simpler that a UGA [Urban Growth Area].”

Following discussion, Klein moved that development of  Country Corner be dealt with through the rezoning process. When there was no second for that motion, Miller asked Maycock to be sure the County Council understands the history of establishing a LAMIRD, and Rankin proposed that the Prosecuting Attorney reevaluate removing the Country Corner from the subaraea plan.

The Council will hear the matter on Nov. 10, and a public hearing will be held after the prosecuting attorney renders an opinion.