Shaw Island community meeting recap

||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS |||

San Juan County held a community meeting on Shaw Island June 3, 2024 to discuss a possible property purchase for the Public Works Department. The meeting was attended by approximately 50 people both online and in person.

During the meeting, County staff outlined the current Public Works and Parks Department operational needs that would be met by purchasing the 16+ acre property on Neck Point. The property includes a residence, out buildings, and various storage structures. Public Works is the primary entity behind this potential purchase with needs for outdoor material storage and disposal (dirt) and maintenance facilities for staff (including running water and a restroom that staff don’t currently have access to). The County hopes this purchase may serve as a space to better enable mobilizing onto Shaw with increased regularity in the provision of ongoing essential public services.

The property is currently occupied, and the County asks the public to kindly respect the privacy of the current owners. The property is not open to the public at this time.

Frequently asked questions from the meeting include….

What kinds of activities will be performed at this site?

County staff intend to use this as a shop and workspace, restroom facility, and staging area for projects related to Public Works road maintenance and Parks Department maintenance.

Possible activities would include chipping, burning, or storing natural debris pulled from shoulders and roadsides, storing vehicles and/or equipment in the various protected structures, and engaging in small carpentry projects like picnic table construction and sign repairs for the County Park. County work crews may assemble at the property for assignments, use restroom facilities, and to take lunch breaks.

These activities will only be performed when County staff is present to provide services for Shaw Islanders. When crews are not mobilized to Shaw, the property will be a quiet storage yard.

What will the property look like under County ownership?

The County intends to maintain a visual buffer between the road and neighbors to support their privacy, dampen any noise, and maintain the rural character of the area.

The County is still considering options for the property’s layout. At this time, the County sees no need for additional structures to be built. The driveway may need to be widened to accommodate trucks.

What are the financial implications associated with purchasing the property?

This purchase would mostly be funded by proceeds from the recent sales of Public Works properties. The department has been diligently working to consolidate its operations on all islands and is seeking to use the cost savings to invest in services for Shaw Island.

What are the environmental concerns related to this project and how will they be considered?

One of the many reasons the County is interested in purchasing this property is to ensure that materials generated by Public Works projects are disposed of in an environmentally conscious and responsible way.

Most material stored on the property will be natural material pulled from ditches and roadsides – brush, dirt, grass, etc. that is not hazardous waste.

Materials retrieved from road restoration, relocation, or other work will also be properly stored for safe reuse, or removed from the island altogether if necessary.

The two parcels that the County is interested in purchasing are currently designated as ‘rural farm forest.’ Will the designation change if the County purchases the property?

Public Works will recommend that the property receive a designation to support the ‘construction yard’ land use activities created by Public Works operations.

Just like any other entity seeking to develop a parcel, Public Works will participate in the redesignation process.

What would happen to the 1-acre Public Works parcel the County currently owns on Shaw?

Public Works currently performs Shaw Island road operations out of a 1-acre parcel near the community center and fire district building. If the County purchases the property on Neck Point Rd, Public Works would consider consolidating its operations to the new property.

The County would then decide what to do with the existing 1-acre parcel taking into consideration additional community input.

How might this new property be used in the future?

At this time, the County has no other intended uses for this property than those previously stated. County staff will use it as a shop and workspace, restroom facility, and staging area for projects related to Public Works road maintenance and Parks Department maintenance.

It may be used for seasonal employee housing, if necessary, to accommodate Park staff.

Other public entities (for example the fire district) may come forward with ideas and needs for the property which will be considered together with the community.

What are the next steps?

The County is currently in the ‘due diligence’ phase with a decision deadline of June 26, 2024. The County Council will make the final decision as to whether it will purchase the property at the Regular County Council meeting on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.

Questions and comments may be directed to the Public Works Director, Colin Huntemer, at colinh@sanjuancountywa.gov.
Due to a technical glitch, only the final 30 minutes of the community meeting were recorded. The County apologizes for this error and will work to do better in the future. The final 30 minutes of the meeting can be viewed here: