— by Joe Symons —
A year ago, in Feb 2018, I submitted a formal docket application (https://doebay.net/sunshine/PCDocketsubmission.pdf) requesting that San Juan County do a comprehensive buildout/impact analysis as part of the comp plan update process. Many residents joined the application as co-applicants.
I am very discouraged that a decision to take no action was made by County Council in contradiction to the Planning Commission’s unanimous recommendation that my (and other docket requests) be adopted/considered. My docket request has the number 18-001. This decision was made last July and I found out about it by chance this morning [Jan 8, 2019]. You can read the County Council decision at https://www.sanjuanco.com/DocumentCenter/View/16534/Resolution-31-2018-Adopting-a-Docket-to-Comp-Plan. Attachment A at the bottom of the document shows the status of each document application.
You can watch the County Council discuss that they have no intention of doing a buildout analysis at https://media.avcaptureall.com/session.html?sessionid=c0e42068-2617-4b0b-9b66-f930298d5ce9&prefilter=30,5838 (scroll forward on the video timeline to 58 minutes in: I found the conversation to be not only disheartening but obscure.)
There was no direct notice by the County to docket applicants re the status of their application. It would appear that the public would have to follow every CC meeting and resolution to divine what the county is up to, regardless of a specific request for information.
Why it is that applicants are/were not notified of the status of their application? This seems entirely inappropriate and far below a reasonable standard of care for an official public request.
Much more importantly, why did Council vote to take no action on arguably the most important element of the future of this county, the implications of buildout, such as impact on taxes, on water and other limited resources, on our sense of community, on the flood of visitors and the unrestricted issuance of vacation rental permits, on what we all (including the council) agreed is our Vision for the future?
The chart, at https://doebay.net/sunshine/proptaxincrease20052018.pdf, shows that the taxes on my house have gone up 300% in the past 13 years. There have been no improvements or modifications to that house. During this same period, the population of the county has grown about 11%.
My conservative estimate, using county data, of the actual buildout population (which does not include the impact of visitors) is ~80,000. We are at 16,000 now. If that works for you, no action on your part is required.
I invite readers concerned about the impact of growth to leave a comment here and to write or call their Council member and ask why they refused to authorize a comprehensive analysis of our future.
This is the 2nd time Council has refused to do a buildout analysis. The first time was in 2001 when I asked for the same thing, which, again, the Planning Commission unanimously supported and stated that it should “have the highest priority of county government.” Then, as now, it was ignored.
Thanks, Joe – our local Paul Rvere! In 1970, a saddened songwriter Joni Mitchell wrote “They paved Paradise, put up a parking lot” while in Hawaii for the first time. You’re so right, sir: Short-term Indifference equals Long-term Regret.
You are right, Joe. Plugging your ears & covering your eyes is not a good way to prepare for an oncoming train. We should at least know what is coming down the tracks !
YO! Why are SJCounty & its commissioners so resistant to a Buildout Analysis? Can’t be just what Jamie Stephens said, they’re “up to their eyeballs”… can’t be they think two Planning Commissions representing citizens are stupid or wrong in their strong prioritized recommendations to Council to do a complete buildout analysis… can’t be they are afraid of the facts and what people will think if they see the facts, can it?
The buildout analysis would provide vital information as to how when & where our islands populations grow. It is Basic Good Management, which our county has again refused to do. They have stated there will be no further action in this regard, & dismissed the idea basically without public discussion or proper notifications. How dictatorial and irresponsible is that?!?! Do we not need baseline information and careful management in order to do a proper job of stewardship and governance?
There is an upsurge of growth now. I ask you Bill Watson Jamie Stephens and Rick Hughes, how are you not even curious to get this vital “lay of the land” in order to do proper planning? This should be high priority, & you already have the information to compile & analyze, so what’s the hold up?
I am alarmed. I consider this a dereliction of duty.