Thursday, October 13, 6 p.m., Senior Center Lundeen Room
— from Orcas Chamber of Commerce —
The Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce and the Eastsound Planning Review Committee (EPRC) are hosting a public meeting seeking input to the Eastsound Urban Growth Subarea Plan, which is up for review this year. Public comment is sought for the update and the process will be kicked off by a community meeting on Thursday, October 13 at 6 p.m. in the Lundeen Room at the Orcas Senior Center.
County Councilman Rick Hughes, EPRC Chairman Greg Ayers, Chamber president Susan Gudgell and Executive Director Lance Evans will be in attendance.
The Eastsound Urban Growth Subarea is up for review this year. Important considerations are densities (housing, retail/ commercial, traffic/parking), village character (walk/bike ability, streetscape, design), and amenities, public spaces, and various opportunities.
Attendees may want to have read the document “Seeking a Vision for Eastsound; an invitation to engage” before the meeting. This document and a companion survey are available at the library and at www.orcaslibrary.org/docs/vision4eastsound.pdf.
For more information about the meeting, contact the Chamber office at 376-2273 or email info@orcasislandchamber.com.
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I went to tonight’s meeting. There was a good turnout. We have had similar discussions and “visionings” for many years now – at least 25 years. Meanwhile, much degradation has gone on in Eastsound – can we stop and take stock, review what already has been said again and again by the citizenry, and protect what is left while still realizing a realistic solution to how we will grow?
The future of Eastsound OUGHT to have been determined by the 50+% of our year-round residents mandated to live in the Eastsound UGA – most of which are working-class or poor. Many are young and unrepresented or under-represented.
Although I appreciate their good intentions, how is it that three authors of this document are making decisions for all of us about what is needed – decisions that allow for maximum buildout, and do not take care of Eastsound watershed or quality of life for those of us who live here? Seems a bit insulting to those of us who have shown up and actively participated over and over, and who basically were ignored or over-ridden by the solely economic aspect of the agenda. Our Comp Plan spelled it out. Economics is not the only element to balance a whole.
What we want is to retain the rural character of Eastsound. This includes forested stands of trees and healthy wetlands and watersheds – without those, we have no vision and no ground to stand on, figuratively and literally.
What we don’t want is runaway development that squeezes every dollar for tourism and increases income inequality . We don’t need a theme park shopping mecca and more shops. Even tourists want to see some natural beauty – not a dearth of trees and more “constructed wetlands.”
We’re a town, not a city. Maybe an in-depth study of the geographical layout of the place called Eastsound UGA, and how it looked and functioned 30 years ago, can inform our future vision. We can decide how we will steward the very earth and waters that support not only the people who live and work here, but the entire island and the non-human creatures that also call this place home.
The Comp Plan and GMA as pertains to us will be under review this year and next. Now would be the time to think, to see if growth is still happening as fast as predicted, and if not, step back the “maximum buildout” plan to something more sustainable.