The May Eastsound Planning Review Committee meeting featured reports from Ed Sutton, Eastsound Sewer and Water District (ESWD) commissioner, and County Council member Gene Knapp, as well as its regular reports.

Sutton reported that the ESWD is ready to discuss the final draft of its Capital Plan at its regular meeting, May 8. Once approved, that report will be forwarded to the County Development and Planning Department (CDPD) and the Growth Management Hearings Board. The report outlines the District’s capital plan to provide urban level wastewater treatment services within the proposed UGA.

Sutton also reported that the District expects to complete connection of all developed parcels within the Urban Growth Area (UGA) during the next 18 months. In order to provide financial relief for low-income households, the District is working with the USDA to acquire federal grant money that will allow connection charges to be pro-rated as monthly payments for as long as 20 years. Once that program is established, notification will be made to the community for grant applications.

Sutton also said that in the future, the District expects to begin research into reclaimed water uses and aquifer replenishment.

Sutton said that there is a significant amount of water reclaimed from treatment operations available for non-potable use, such as watering athletic fields.

Sutton said further that the District may also be able to assist the County with regard to stormwater issues as State law gives authority to public utilities to manage and control stormwater in urban areas.

Stormwater funding

Knapp reported on the county’s most recent stormwater funding plan, which proposes a $2 million loan from the Land Bank to fund Eastsound stormwater improvements over the next six years. (Lopez Village and Friday Harbor, the two other UGA-designated areas in the county, already have stormwater systems in place.) For the long-term, new stormwater fees of an estimated $6 million for projects over a 17-year span, are expected to be approved by the County Council sometime in July.

Knapp also said that the county is facing “a year of overload on critical Land Use issues,” and cited the stormwater Master Plan, the Orcas Village Plan, the Eastsound sub-area plan, the San Juan Island transfer station plan, the Critical Areas Ordinance and the Eastsound land use analysis among them.

Alder Cottages

EPRC chair Peter Fisher said that Sean DeMerritt had submitted his latest plan for Alder Cottages, phase two, for the lot east of the Washington Federal bank on Main Street. The plan calls for two buildings facing Main Street, with mixed-use on their first level, and single-family residence planned for the second level.

EPRC member Brian Ehrmantraut commented that the roof lines appeared to be the same pitch as the former version of the plan, submitted in 2007.

Fisher said that the next step for the project would be a binding site plan, whereby the footprints of the buildings could not be changed. Two western lots on the parcel are designated “unknown future use” and Fisher noted they could have six to 12 homes on them. EPRC member Audrey Moreland noted that the engineering drawing indicated County Engineer John Van Lund had signed off on the parking plan. DeMeritt’s plans call for a mid-July start date.

critical areas ordinance

CAO committee member Patty Miller said that the updates in the ordinance’s revision will be widereaching, with many new regulations mandated by the state. “It’s a lot for people to absorb what it’s going to mean for them,on issues such as stormwater, groundwater and critical aquifer recharge,” Miller said.

She added that as more information becomes available, using “the best available science, there will be more and more restrictions.”

For more infromation on the EPRC meeting, go to www.islandsssounder.com