Gudgells Add to Main St. Waterfront with Porter Waterfront Square

Men and machines at work before Christmas to build new Main Street property. Beach access is to the right of the photo and will be maintained throughout construction.

Susan and Wally Gudgell, owners of Fishing Bay LLC,  adding another retail/guest suites building on the Eastsound waterfront, between the Windermere Real Estate building and the Jillery/Allium/Madrona building, historically known as Porter’s Gas Station.

The small building, set back from Main Street, is the completion of the building project that started with construction of the Windermere office/retail building at the corner of Main Street and Haven Road.

Public access to the public East Sound beach will be  maintained  with a 15-foot corridor,  and will be preserved throughout the ongoing construction of the new building. Newland Construction is the company completing the building.

In a rendering by Kau/Stoltz local architects, the plans show two retail spaces at the lower level. These spaces will be set back from the street and neighboring storefronts, and the approach will be a courtyard with a “community gathering look,” said Susan Gudgell. The retail businesses are planned to occupy 420 and 300 square feet, and  will be accessible through a “garage-door” type opening such as that used by the  nearby “Nest.”

Rendering of the completed "Porter Waterfront Square" project.

On the second level will be three guest rooms, managed by Susan. Formerly she ran a B & B and so she is returning to her “hospitality roots — I enjoy that business,” Susan says. “Vacation rentals are doing well in Eastsound, and the location for retail is outstanding, with the synergy of this burgeoning area. We found in this area, retail space is really desired.”

What really drove the timing of the construction of the “Porter Waterfront Square” (the project’s working title)  is the county permitting process,  Susan added.  The building project was permitted at the same time that the required shoreline permit was approved, before construction of the Windermere building.

County Planner Fay Chaffee confirmed that the Gudgell’s shoreline permit was previously extended and a plan for the second building was approved and issued on Dec. 9, 2011.

An exemption to the roof pitch rules was granted by the Eastsound Design & Review Committee, and is also on file with the shoreline permit, Chaffee noted.