Land Bank opts to buy shoreline

Long stretches of shoreline highlight the latest proposal of property purchases and conservation easements backed by officials of the San Juan County Land Bank.

On April 11, Land Bank commissioners unanimously approved tapping $1.2 million to acquire and protect three properties on three different islands. Final approval of the agency’s acquisition plan rests with county commissioners, who will review the proposal April 29.

Two of the three pending purchases, a portion of Crescent Beach on Orcas Island and a 20-acre parcel on Henry Island, make for a combined total of 2,500 feet of shoreline, or 30 yards more than a row of eight football fields.

The deal for the Crescent Beach property -- including 800 feet of waterfront -- calls for swapping land with Orcas Island attorney Scott McKay and paying $300,000 for his property. It involves trading a portion of the Buck Property that borders Orcas Power and Light Cooperative land in exchange for land north of Crescent Beach Road and the waterfront known as Stowers Beach.

McKay and the Land Bank promise to end a long-standing legal dispute over the beach if the deal goes through. A conservation easement restricting development will accompany the property McKay receives via the swap and sale.

With the deal, the Land Bank Crescent Beach Preserve will encompass most of the waterfront east of the village. It offers sweeping views of East Sound and an abundance of shorebirds and sea creatures that thrive in the shallow tidelands. The preserve is a dream come true, said Land Bank Commission Chairman Gene Knapp of Orcas Island.

“Even three to four years ago it seemed like a pipe dream,” Knapp said. “But this is the last one in the series of acquisitions that makes this preserve real.”

Another 1,750 feet of waterfront lies on Henry Island at Mosquito Pass, where the Land Bank and the San Juan Preservation Trust are partnering to protect both a 20-acre parcel and an adjacent 27-acre estuary and isthmus that separates Open Bay and Nelson Bay and connects what’s known as Little Henry Island to Big Henry Island. The isthmus has been identified as one of San Juan County’s most significant saltwater estuaries and may also contain important archaeological resources, according to the Land Bank.

“It’s a one-of-a-kind piece of land,” Knapp said.

Overall price is $950,000. The Preservation Trust will buy the property from Kip Smith for $475,000 while the Land Bank contributes $475,000 for a conservation easement that eliminates its residential development.

The Land Bank also intends to purchase and resell a 40-acre parcel northwest of the intersection of Cattle Point and False Bay roads for $435,000 from Mary Jane Anderson. A conservation easement that minimizes visual impact of development from Cattle Point Road will be placed on the property before it’s placed back on the market. The easement is intended to preserve scenic values along the road to American Camp.

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