New fence protects narrow lot for enjoyment of property owners and their guests
Lillian Harris knows that Orcas Islanders and tourists alike have “always” crossed through the wooded private property from the Orcas ferry lines to the Post Office.
That was fine, she said, but recently litter and liability considerations have prompted her to install a fence around the perimeter of her strip of property rising from the vacation rental cottage just beyond the Orcas Village Store.
Dog excrement and soiled baby diapers have been left for the property owners to dispose of, and so, in order to care for the property and make it more agreeable for vacation renters, Harris installed a split-rail fence this summer that rises north up the hill from Orcas Road beyond the cottage.
Upon installing the fence and private gate, Harris also posted signs to notify trail walkers of the change, and cleared another trail to the Post Office around her property. Chris Harris (no relation) is working with Lillian to clean up the site, and said, “We tried to give people warning that the fence is there, and that they should go around, rather than climb over it, so they aren’t startled by the change.”
The owners plan to landscape the area and put in a picnic table and bench.
