Friday Harbor Town Council, February 6 2025

The agenda was amended to postpone the update on Purple Lane to February 20. The mayor made a statement in recognition of Black History Month. He read a proclamation of a Day of Remembrance on February 19th marking the forced removal of Japanese Americans from the west coast to internment camps in 1942 including two families from Friday Harbor, the Saokas and the Uyetsukas.

Joe Pasic, the new wastewater treatment plant manager, and Mikey Barringer a new employee in the public works department, were introduced to the council.  The Council approved an ordinance on vegetation maintenance updating the definitions and the list of prohibited vegetation nuisances. The town clerk announced that there would be a joint meeting of the San Juan County Council and the Town Council of Friday Harbor on March 12 from 9:00 to 12:00, location yet to be determined. The Town Council will hold its retreat on March 27 from 9:00 to 12:00 in Council Chambers.  They will discuss design standards, food trucks, stormwater issues on Rose Land, and pedestrian crossing issues.

The Planning Director listed items in a set of interim design standards to put in place for six months while final updated design standards go through the usual planning commission and public hearing process. This would be a simple checklist of standards as opposed to guidelines, which are more flexible but more time-consuming to approve. Items to be included are porches and recessed entries, modulated styles, lighting, signage, balconies, awnings, landscaping, retaining natural topography.

The Planning Director showed drawings of plans submitted for condos on the First Street site where earlier the Moby hotel had been planned. The developer plans to sell them all and to manage any. There will be a 50/50 split between those requiring year-round occupancy and those requiring permanent occupancy and those that can be short term rental. The Historic Preservation Board has approved the design.

The developers for the Guard Street plot recently rezoned multifamily submitted their plan for 38 townhouses. They will submit the permit requests soon. The project will be completed quickly with the units built off-site and trucked in.

The administrator said the county invited the town to take seats on the Homeless Taskforce; the planning Director and council member Richard Geffen will fill those slots. The city managers’ association is monitoring the legislative session bills of interest to local governments and opposing cuts to public works funding. The town hopes to have enough funding to contract for the new wastewater treatment plant later this year.  

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