04/17/2008: "Orcas Village Hearing Set For Friday"

IG_ORCAS_VILLAGE_PLAN_photo-1 (82k image)

A draft “Plan” for the Orcas Village is ready for prime time comment at 10:30 a.m. on Friday (04-18-08) at the Eastsound Fire Hall, and for those members of the public who can get off work, they may present their views on the Plan at that time to the Planning Commission, or they can mail in their comments, or -best of all- state their views and also turn in written comments.

The proposed Orcas Village Plan, along with the draft Development Regulations; the public input, and the county Staff Report, will form the basis for the Planning Commission members deliberations; deliberations that are expected to follow the close of the public input session, but the hearing may be continued to April 30th (at the same location), if the PC cannot compete their deliberations on Friday.

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According to the staff report, “The Orcas Village Activity Center was identified in the 1998 San Juan County Comprehensive Plan. Ordinance 11-2000 redrew the village’s boundary and adjusted the permitted residential density to the current, one unit per 2 acres.

The proposed plan is an attempt to find a few areas of consensual middle ground where possible. On those subjects where no clear preference could be determined, the plan hews to proposals that meet the San Juan County Comprehensive Plan and the requirements of the Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA).

The Orcas Village plan began in 1998, when a group of concerned citizens hired consultants, Amanda Azous and Peter Fisher to develop a plan. After researching the issues, meeting with village residents and other interested folks, the consultants published a plan. This plan focused on visual characteristics and the outright exclusion of many land uses. Furthermore, the 1999 plan recommended limiting the potential for any new commercial development in order to minimize the need for parking and to limit traffic."