— from Jim Jonassen–

The process for updating the county’s comprehensive plan has begun and will unfold over the next eighteen months. Things missing from the Eastsound Urban Growth Area in the existing plan include parking and traffic plans and anything significant about a vision for the future. Out of concern for this Bob Maynard joined the EPRC last fall and with Greg Ayers as co-chair initiated a task group of volunteers to help enrich a community dialogue on the future to inform the plan update.

That task group has created a report and companion community survey Seeking a Vision for Eastsound: An invitation to engage available in hard copy at Orcas Island Public Library and online at: https://www.orcaslibrary.org/docs/vision4eastsound.pdf

The report is the illustration of ideas about the future expressed by stakeholders over the last year or so, but also includes planning and visual analysis of the village core and analysis of a number of housing and retail issues.

The EPRC will be hosting town halls and workshops on these issues in September/October.

A synopsis of  “Seeking a Vision for Eastsound, An invitation to engage,” follows:

The Purpose is to invite and inform a dialogue leading to a vision for Eastsound which may guide inevitable change in a positive direction.

Part One: Analysis of Village Core: This sets the limits of the document’s coverage to a quarter mile radius around the Fern Street ROW between North Beach and Prune Alley and then provides an analysis of current content, planning factors and a visual analysis of this village core.

Part Two: Precepts/Dreams Illustrated: This section provides illustration of and comment on dreams about the village future expressed by Eastsound stakeholders over the last year or so. It is presented in the following sections:

• Amenities/Ethos : 8 precepts dealing with village management to new amenities
• Character/Design : 8 precepts about design plus an exploration of village esthetics through buildings, Storefronts and streetscapes
• Retail/ Housing: 3 precepts plus an analysis of housing and retail density through 6 combined retail housing scenarios and 4 housing only scenarios ( maximum theoretical but extremely unlikely housing unit capacity of 556 units in highest density zoning on island).
• Infrastructure/ Greenspace: 3 precepts dealing with wetlands and Crescent Beach
• Public Space /Water Orientation; 18 precepts dealing with the village green, library Park, Fern Street ROW and the waterfront.
• Traffic/Parking: 8 precepts dealing with traffic and 12 dealing with parking
• Walking/Sidewalks/Trails: 10 precepts dealing with pedestrian and cycling issues

Part Three: Village Scenarios; alternate emphasis …3 alternative views of combined precepts emphasizing hometown, culture village or tourist/ visitor destination intended only as examples.

Afterword: A recap of some of the issues and an invitation to engage.

Appendix: compendium of stakeholder ideas, list of task group participants

Stakeholder Survey

Report and survey available at Orcas Library and at www.orcaslibrary.org/docs/vision4eastsound.pdf

**If you are reading theOrcasonian for free, thank your fellow islanders. If you would like to support theOrcasonian CLICK HERE to set your modestly-priced, voluntary subscription. Otherwise, no worries; we’re happy to share with you.**