— from Jeff Otis —
On Apr. 6 from 3 – 6 p.m. at the Eastsound Fire Station, the Eastsound Planning and Review Committee (EPRC) will be taking public comment on the Vision for Eastsound. If you’re not familiar with the proposed Vision for Eastsound, you can read the preamble below and the complete text at www.eastsound.vision. A written record of your comments is encouraged to be submitted to the EPRC and/or to the San Juan County Department of Community Development at eastsoundupdate@sanjuanco.com.
Have you heard about the process to update the Eastsound Plan? If not, now’s the time to get on-board and help your fellow islanders look ahead to 2035. Starting on April 8, community members will gather to initiate an eight-week process of shaping the future of Eastsound. There’s still time to sign-up and participate at doebay.net/eprc. For those of you who are unsure about diving into a two month planning process, you’re encouraged to attend the initial meeting on Apr. 8 between 1- 4 p.m. at the Senior Center to see what it’s all about. If you decide to join one of the work groups, the EPRC requests that you commit to completing the process. Understanding, of course, that not everyone will be able to make each meeting. Hope to see you there!
PREAMBLE TO THE EASTSOUND VISION (Draft):
Eastsound is a diverse, vibrant community that embraces and emulates the wild and generous nature of Orcas Island and the Salish Sea. Life here flourishes year round, in the village, land, sea, and sky.
The village serves as our island’s commercial and cultural center, connecting every facet of our community, each to the other.
We strive for a built environment that is worthy of our natural surroundings. We value and actively preserve open spaces, views, and access to the land and sea around us. We honor those who have stewarded this island before us. We are committed to our history, culture, arts, and to the deep and restorative stewardship of our ecosystem.
To ensure a thriving community for all, we champion sustainability and regenerative systems, tread lightly on the land, and shape our future in harmony with nature.
When is information going to be sent out to those of us who have signed up? Just asking… Merry
Links to the initial info are in the registration form. Work group participants are encouraged to download and read the ES vision statement, the ES Subarea Plan, the booklet “Seeking a Vision for Eastsound, an Invitation to Engage”, and comments from the various workshops. Additionally, I’ll email info to the participants about the planning process this weekend or early next week.