Meeting Recap | Next steps for Odlin County Park facility upgrades

Staff shared why the department is pursuing this project, why the existing site was chosen, how project funds are separate from the County’s general fund and not funded by property taxes, and addressed questions/concerns from attendees

||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS |||

The San Juan County Parks, Recreation, & Fair Department hosted a community meeting for Lopez Islanders to provide feedback on plans to construct a new facility for the County Parks operation on Lopez Island. The meeting was held online on Monday, March 23 and over 35 community members joined. A recording of the meeting is available here. 

Meeting Recap

County staff, including the Parks & Fair Director Brandon Andrews and Councilmember Jane Fuller, shared information about the proposed project.  

The facility is planned to serve as a visitor contact station, maintenance facility, and office for park rangers on Lopez Island. The facility seeks to replace the existing carport structure to house appropriate facilities for the care of public lands on Lopez Island. The facility will provide protection from the elements for better year-round work, securely and safely store equipment, and separate the office and visitor contact station from staff living quarters.  Learn more about the proposed project here: https://www.sanjuancountywa.gov/2401/Current-Projects

During the meeting, staff shared why the department is pursuing this project, why the existing site was chosen, how project funds are separate from the County’s general fund and not funded by property taxes, and addressed questions/concerns from attendees.  

The project, should it proceed, would be funded by capital project dollars (separate from the County’s General Fund). The capital project dollars are generated by a quarter of a percent real-estate excise tax that is collected from municipalities that plan under the Growth Management Act.  

Community Questions 

Much of the meeting was devoted to community questions, with attendees asking about the rationale for the selected site and plans for tree removal.  

The location and siting of the project were carefully chosen following critical area guidelines and limitations in the existing built and natural environment. To date, the department has completed the architectural and engineering design, cultural impact survey with no findings, local permitting (water connection and septic permit pending), and has received a mitigated determination of no significance through the SEPA process. The department has plans for the trees currently slated for removal – offering the trees to affiliated tribes for cultural use first, then considering park uses if any trees remain. 

Additional project context and information is available on the Parks & Fair Department website here: Current Projects | San Juan County, WA 

Next Steps  

The project has canceled the request for bids, and staff are continuing to engage with members of the public to refine the plans. Next steps include:  

Next steps for the project include:  

• Community volunteer group walk-through: A community volunteer groupismeeting onApril 7th and again on April 15th to walk the site and consider a full range of options for siting the building.
• Parks and Recreation Commission meeting: A Parks and Recreation Commission meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 22nd at 4:00pmto convey the community comments from March 23rd, the findings of the community work group over the past month, and the Department’s analysis of feasibility and trade-offs for each option. The recommendation of the commission will be included in the upcoming community and Council meetings. Meeting link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/26847790070907?p=VFgqgeGW8WUFMH4gKJ; Meeting ID: 268 477 900 70907 ;Passcode: jU2vD6St
• Second community meeting: On Monday, April 27th,a second community meeting will be heldto present all recent research and recommendations. The online meeting will conclude with Parks & Fair Director Brandon Andrews sharing the intended recommendation to the San Juan County Council. Meeting link:https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/23993367027541?p=3Dc5C7yytf0P0bPAUI ; Meeting ID: 239 933 670 27541 ;Passcode: e9G6Lr2r
• Council Meeting: Parks & Fair Director Brandon Andrews will present information to the County Council during their regularly scheduled April 28 meeting. The community will have public access time to provide additional comments during this meeting.

Odlin County Park turns 100 in 2026, and the department looks forward to stewarding county parks and public lands through the next century. Part of that effort includes maintaining park infrastructure – and the facilities that enable appropriate service levels to the public.  

The best way to stay up to date with Parks & Fair news (and other County news!) is to sign up for news flashes sent directly to your email. Simply input your email to create your account, select the topics you’re interested in, and start receiving emails to your inbox. Sign up here: https://sanjuancountywa.gov/list.aspx. 

Contact: Brandon Andrews, Parks & Fair Director, brandona@sanjuancountywa.gov, 360-370-7452 

About San Juan County’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Fair

San Juan County’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Fair oversees public parks on all four ferry-served islands, manages camping, and hosts the San Juan County Fair. The department offices are located at 849 Argyle Avenue, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. For more information about San Juan County’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Fair, visit https://www.sanjuancountywa.gov/2170/Parks-Recreation-Fair.