05/25/2007: "Annexation Of Buck Property Still A Question"

Approximately sixty people showed up Thursday night for a joint Friday Harbor City Council (Council) and Planning Commission (Commission) public hearing (background story below). The hearing was held to receive public comment on a number of requested redesignations of property (Staff Report) , within Friday Harbor, and a proposed plans to expand the UGA (Urban Growth Area) Boundaries of Friday Harbor.

After a staff presentation the floor was opened up to public comment, and it quickly became a one-sided forum for affordable housing in general, and in particular for the inclusion of the “Buck Property” into the UGA Boundaries of Friday Harbor. As Larry Soll of the San Juan Community Home Trust (SJCLT) correctly noted, that of the nineteen people who spoke in favorer of expanding the boundaries to include the Buck property, “no one spoke against it”.

As one participant noted after the meeting, perhaps someone may have introduced at least a counter point to the testimony, if they had felt comfortable enough to speak, but in a departure from normal protocol, neither the Mayor, or the Chair of the Planning Commission, make any effort to stop the audience applause that filled the room after each speaker spoke on the need for affordable housing, and the need to include the Buck property as a site for a proposed affordable housing development by the San Juan Community Home Trust.

At the end of the hearing the Town Council excused themselves so that the Town Planning Commission -and advisory group only to the Council- could begin deliberations on the proposed land use reclassifications and UGA expansion. Once the Commission voted and approved their recommendations, the Council would then review them, deliberate, and then take final action.

All of the reclassifications were quickly approved without further discussion, but the Commissioners quickly became bogged down when it came to how, and to what extent, they should make recommendations to the Town Council on expanding the UGA boundaries.

Because of the demands of the GMA (Growth Management Act), the Town must address the question of where and how future growth may occur, but there are a number of ways it can be accomplished other than simply expanding the Town limits.

Commissioner Laura Arnold -who was once the County Planning Department Director) said that she would like to have some time to review the pros and cons of how the Town can best address the proposals, and suggested the Commission not make a decision then, but come back in a week for deliberations. It was decided the Commission would continue the meeting until next Thursday at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will be open to the public, but not open to public comment.