A letter sparked an impromptu gathering at the county-owned property between Prune Alley and North Beach Road known as the “Fern Street Path” on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 27.

More than a dozen community members met in hopes of finding out what was happening at the parcel, which had fences removed and the ground leveled – seemingly overnight.

“My goal has always been to open this space up,” said County Councilman Rick Hughes, who said he learned of the congregation when he was tagged in a Facebook discussion. “We need to have public access here. We have to do something with it over time, or we have to have a plan for it.”

The letter that prompted the gathering was written by concerned community member Dave Dunlap, who was not in attendance, and alleged that the pathway, completed in January, was just a ruse. Dunlap wrote that the path was actually to allow the county to construct a “full fledged parking lot.”

“There isn’t any deep, dark plan,” said Hughes, who explained that the county purchased the property with funds from the road department, and because of that a parking lot cannot be built there, regardless of whether the county wanted to or not. Hughes said he was surprised with the reaction the fence removal and ground leveling had because his intention was to make the park more open to the public.

He added that the garden that had been cultivated on the property for several years had been abandoned, and the whole lot had become overgrown.

“I’m sorry the garden was destroyed, but it wasn’t used,” Hughes said.

According to Hughes, the public works department relocated portions of the fence to run between the county-owned parcel and the adjacent lots, leveled the land out for liability purposes and intends to lay seed or sod the areas that were leveled. He said that the improvements are only temporary, as the county hopes to find a more permanent use for the property in the future.

“We’ve got a lot of changes coming to our community, in a lot of different ways,” said Hughes. “This is the time to figure out what to do.”

After the San Juan County Council approved the comprehensive plan last fall, local business owners, architects and engineers united to create a committee with the goal of developing a “book of ideas” that would spark conversation about the future of Eastsound. The 200-page report, entitled “Seeking a Vision for Eastsound: An invitation to engage,” was submitted to the Eastsound Planning Review Committee in May, and has been available to the public since June at www.orcaslibrary.org and in the library. The EPRC plans to use community feedback and survey results to shape future policy governing the aesthetic of the village.

The public is encouraged to attend a community meeting on Thursday, Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. at the Orcas Senior Center during which Hughes, EPRC Chairman Greg Ayers, Chamber of Commerce President Susan Gudgell and Executive Director Lance Evans will be available to hear comments and suggestions.

“The community has an opportunity to tell me what to do,” said Hughes, who encourages anyone with concerns to contact him and ask questions “before assuming the worst.”

“I’m here to represent you on any topic,” he said.

As for the Fern Street Path?

Ben Browner, Jared Lovejoy, Gretchen Krampf of Thrive and Hughes spoke extensively after the meeting about the future of the pathway and have taken a step toward creating a temporary oasis.

During the farmer’s market on Saturday, Oct. 1, a large pavilion tent covered the central part of the parcel under which four benches were built using wood slabs donated from West Sound Lumber. About 12 people volunteered their time weeding, seeding and assembling the benches. Artist Todd Spalti, creator of the indigenous bird sculpture near the Historical Society donated a 7-foot kinetic sculpture.

“We hope to catalyze more civic engagement of Orcas youth, we hope to connect more deeply with our neighbors around issues that matter, and we hope to co-create a neutral place where we can gather as a community over the next year,” said Browner in the description of the event on Facebook.

“This will be open to the public. People want public space; here it is,” said Hughes.