County Manager Mike Thomas is clear on one thing regarding the Prune Alley project: the plans have not been finalized.

“There was some miscommunication with the county and the Eastsound Planning Review Committee regarding county ideas. It’s only conceptual at this point – nothing is set in stone,” Thomas told the Sounder.

EPRC proposed a streetscape design that public works is now fine-tuning. The upgrades include building a curb gutter sidewalk and parallel parking and angled parking between Fern Street and Main Street.

“We are still having a discussion on what the streetscape will look like,” Thomas said. “The process has not concluded. We are working with the EPRC continually.”

The next EPRC meeting is on Thursday, June 5 at 3 p.m. in the Eastsound Fire Station. Anyone interested in learning more is invited to attend.

Thomas is hoping to finish the plan in the next month or two with the first phase starting in the fall and phase two beginning in 2015.

Many in attendance at last week’s council meeting on Orcas urged the county to maintain Eastsound’s rural character.

Laura Gibbons expressed concern about the proposed sidewalks running through her property’s old plum tree and requiring disruption of her Madrona tree roots.

Thomas said it was the first he had heard about the project interfering with that property’s trees.

“It feels like what public works is proposing is not what the council approved initially,” said Patty Miller, who is a former council member.

Eastsound resident Leith Templin said the project is necessary but needs to be done with care.

“It does need to be updated  – it is a hazard,” Templin said. “We need sidewalks. But we need to be careful how it’s done.”

Council chairman Rick Hughes told those in attendance that he does not support the ideas that public works initially unveiled.

“We are going to do this in a responsible way – my heart is in this project too,” he said.