The Eastsound Planning Review Committee has developed a list of priorities that range from the Mount property to Madrona point to streetscape planning.

During its regular meeting on April 3, the board presented its list of 2009 priorities to county planning department personnel, Orcas councilmen, and the public.

The six upcoming projects are: pursuing the decision for how to best use the Mount Property in the heart of Eastsound (between Orcas Athletics and the Outlook Inn), which has been evaluated for both stormwater and parking uses; pursuing the restoration of public access to Madrona Point in conjunction with its 20-year anniversary celebration (the property – owned by the Lummis – has been closed to the public after careless use of it); completing the streetscape plan that will depict long range plans for sidewalks, curbs and gutters, landscaping, and on-street parking; evaluate section 16.55.130CD from the Eastsound Subarea plan and ensure that the code is consistently enforced by the county (the code requires that building owners who plan improvements that cost over $25,000 must put in curbs, gutters, and sidewalks); adopt a housing element based on analysis of projected growth; and increase public outreach and community input.

Most agreed it was a worthy collection of projects, which will be pursued in coordination with the county. Council member Gene Knapp told the EPRC it was a “good start, but things throughout the year will come up.” He also said that reopening Madrona Point “seems optimistic.”

Ed Sutton of the Eastsound Sewer and Water District added that it was “very important to follow through on these priorities.”

Paul Kamin of the Eastsound Waters Users Association informed the board that the organization’s most recent results from studying nitrate contamination in the Blanchard area show that caffeine levels are not high. This means that the source of the aquifer contamination may not be septic systems in the region. Kamin thinks it could be coming from surface water contamination.

“This is very different than what we expected to see,” Kamin said. “This makes the issue more cloudy.”

EWUA will hold a public meeting in April outlining the study’s results. Watch the Islands’ Sounder for more information on this developing story.

The street peddling ordinance was also discussed; Knapp feels the county’s most recent draft is too long and complicated, but with more simple language would be acceptable. As it is now, there aren’t any regulations in place to monitor where people sell goods.

“We’re very close to agreement that there should not be public sales on sidewalks,” Knapp said. “If someone wants to sell something on their own property that is fine; but doing so on private property without permission would be in violation.”

The EPRC agreed with Knapp that the draft’s wording was too complicated; the board decided to present both sides of the street peddling issue at its upcoming open house to garner community feedback. The open house will be on Monday, May 4 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Eastsound Fire Hall.

San Juan County Long-Range Planner Colin Maycock presented information on the department’s application for an EPA Smart Growth grant, which would provide money to small communities for managing growth responsibly.

He also said Eastsound is very close to being compliant with the Growth Management Act. The growth hearings board rejected approval because of a provision that linked a sewer line to the potential LAMIRD area. The county is in the process of amending the plan to remove all references to that sewer line and resubmit it to hearings board.