Eastsound group wants to plan, and be taken seriously

The Eastsound Planning Review Committee (EPRC) feels it's time to do some real planning.

"We've been reacting and responding. We've done very little planning," said chairperson Lisa Byers at a meeting of the EPRC April 7.

Even more importantly, the the local advisory group wants to feel that its recommendations will be taken seriously by county government. Commissioner Alan Lichter told the EPRC that there was no reason to worry. "You'll have the ear of the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) and all other branches of government," he said.

Despite these encouraging words, EPRC members remain fearful that their actions will be ignored, and they cite past history when expressing their suspicions. EPRC member Jim Murrey said the perception in the community is that the EPRC is made up of "people with no authority who spend their days wasting their time," and for this reason, he believes, few citizens attend the meetings. They have been taking place the first Thursday of each month at 1 p.m. About 10 people were at last week's gathering.

EPRC also hopes to revisit the Airport Overlay District, approved by county commissioners in 2003, which restricts development in and around the local airport. Pointing out that Spokane International, as well as Friday Harbor and Lopez, lack airport overlay districts, EPRC member Terry Gillespie contended that it unfairly targets those with property near the airport. "It stinks," he said. "It was rammed down our throats" by former planner Pat Mann, the Planning Commission and the BOCC.

EPRC member Ginny Hawker agreed that this was a case where county government ignored the local panel. "The community didn't like it," she said.

EPRC member Fred Munder warned that the process of changing the provisions of the overlay district will be arduous."It may be too unwieldy to go back through it," he said. Gillespie admitted this is probably true. He later said that the best Eastsound could probably hope for was to have the district "softened."

But even if it can't be changed, Murrey said he wants to give it another look. "Here's a chance to speak for the community," he said. "We can say, 'at least we tried.'"

Other issues that EPRC hopes to discuss at future meetings include the number of illegal signs that are scattered around Eastsound, and the lack of enforcement of existing land use laws. Byers advised the members to "create a list" of concerns and rank them. "Let's start chipping away at them," she said.

The time of some EPRC's future meetings is also about to change. There will be one dealing with the urban growth boundaries of Eastsound Village Thursday, April 21, at 7 p.m. at the Eastsound Senior Center.

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