EPRC: Plans for Prune Alley Show Parking Woes

Hughes announces County Council meeting in Eastsound on Tuesday, May 20

— by Margie Doyle —

50% design for Fern and Prune Alley intersection

County Engineer Rachel Dietzman spread out the 50% design plans for Prune Alley, focusing on the three “corners” at the intersection of Fern Street and Prune Alley at the Eastsound Planning Review Committee (EPRC) meeting on May 1.

Graphics showed what Dietzman described as “work pieced together” from the Prune Alley “Streetscape” Plan for the length of the street that has been a focus of the EPRC, particularyly of committee member Fred Klein and island architect Ben Trogdon over the last two years. Because the county wasn’t awarded federal grant funds as hoped for last July, County Public Works is hoping to address the serious drainage problem at the Fern Street/Prune Alley intersection, and to install sidewalk in front of the Long House, so that residents have a safe way to get where they need to go.”

The plan also includes two “bulb-outs” or rounded curbs across Prune Alley at the 3-lot parcel owned by the county and two private property owners. The bulb-outs, as pictured above, show a space for a transit stop and for future traffic flow through the central county lot.

Dietzman said she would like to see the work described begun this year towards fulfillment of the Prune Alley Complete Street plan. She emphasized that the plan was an attempt to fix “serious” stormwater problems at Fern Street, the Island Market driveway aprons and at the Prune Alley crossing between the Lower Tavern and Ray’s Pharmacy.

The draft plan also includes:

• sidewalk in front of the Budnick property at the SE corner to Island Market parking lot
• sidewalk on that SE corner east on Fern Street;

The Prune Alley draft plan formulated by Fred Klein and Ben Trogdon

Fred Klein said he was disappointed by the plan in that the angled parking that had been proposed for the west side of the street at that intersection had been disregarded. He noted that the property owners had agreed they wanted to maintain existing vegetation and that “the primary consideration was how to get sidewalks and appropriate parking in place with future development of the three parcels.”

Later, Klein added that “parking would allow property owners to have reasonably viable commercial building” on the two lots flanking the public works’ lot.

Dietzman said, “As grand as your ideas are, they didn’t include a through-access point.”

EPRC member and county stormwater advisory member Gulliver Rankin said he was “surprised” by the 50% design plan. “We weren’t in the loop, I thought we’d be part of the planning. He asked how far along the plan was towards execution.

Dietzman said the work was anticipated for this fall.

Rankin said that the plan ignores the standards for landscaping where there is no on-street parking. He suggested the east-west sidewalk on the south side of Fern Street be eliminated. Orcas Port Manager Tony Simpson brought out that angled parking could take place just south of the Longhouse, on Fern Street.

When EPRC Chair Clyde Duke said that the loss of 16 proposed parking spaces would negatively impact the shortage of parking in Eastsound, Dietzman disputed whether there was a parking shortage in Eastsound. She said that a 2011 study showed that “parking was adequate based on the code and requirements.” EPRC member Jobin Suthergreen asked “How does the code relate to reality?”

Dietzman suggest that EPRC recommend “a parking ordinance with time-limited parking… part of your work is deciding if you want to have parking time limits. EPRC member Greg Ayers responded that enforcement would then be an issue.

Rankin brought up Eastsound employee parking at the school and at the parcel south of the airport runway. Dietzman brought up the CAO/wetlands issues at that location, and also bemoaned the fact that county road funds can’t be used for parking solutions.

Port Manager Tony Simpson suggested that angled parking be installed at the northeast corner of Fern Street, south of the Longhouse.  It was also suggested that the sidewalk at the south side of Fern Street be eliminated; in that case, the road centerline could be moved south to accommodate parking slots.

Klein also questioned whether affected property owners had been contacted. Dietzman said that she had not met with Budnick as scheduled; nor had she met with Rick Hughes, who owns property at the corner of Main and Prune Alley, which is proposed for drainage improvements this summer.

Cathy Faulkner of Orcas Pathways brought up concerns for a Transit Hub concept for the County lot that goes east and west from Prune Alley to North Beach Road. She advised creating an esthetic design review group to explore input. Faulkner said “It would be dangerous to make a transit through route in that property, due to a lack of enforcement and abuse.That would be a waste of land.”

Klein agreed, “It would be great to clear that up; it’s been a long-standing issue.”