Growth Management is failing. It is time for Orcas Island residents to revisit the Eastsound Subarea Plan. Written 20 years ago to describe a rural crossroads before anyone had heard of Growth Management let alone urban growth, the plan is overdue for review.

The intent of the plan when first written was to make Eastsound a place where small business was clearly permitted at a time when it was unclear what was permitted anywhere. Commercial and community uses were encouraged – permitted – around Main Street and North Beach roads and “industrial” uses around the airport. Residential uses, if thought of at all, were the remainder.

Today, with a plan little changed since its inception, planning for residential uses is a primary purpose of the Eastsound Urban Growth Area plan.

Growth Management, based upon concentrating growth in the county Urban Growth Areas, is not working. A recent survey of building permits on Orcas and San Juan Islands, after a decade of growth management, revealed no sign or trend toward increasing growth in towns, Eastsound and Friday Harbor. In order to encourage growth in urban areas the county has restricted rural growth to large parcel sizes and drawn a tight growth boundary around the towns. It is not working. If we are to make Growth Management work, Eastsound and Friday Harbor must become attractive, practical places to live with the space and planning to allow it to happen. It is time the Eastsound Planning Review Committee, whose job it is to plan for Eastsound, started planning and the rest of us to join the conversation. Or get help to do so.

Friday Harbor aside, Eastsound needs attention. The present policy of “Not In My Back Yard” and we’ll think about that tomorrow is a lost opportunity.

John Campbell

Orcas