The Planning Commission and County Council are holding a hearing this Friday and need to hear comments on projected residential (AND VISITOR) population growth in the county for the next 20 years. This is the official start of public input on the update to the San Juan County Comprehensive Plan.
Where: Friday, June 16, in Friday Harbor County Council chambers 8:30 am. This a joint planning commission and Council hearing.
What: The subject is a presentation on the projected residential population growth in the county for the next 20 years.
What you can do—preparation:
You can read the official memos from the Department of Community Development on the population projections. These are here and here. Spoiler alert: these are long and challenging.
What you can do—action:
Write a letter to the Planning Commission expressing your views. Here are some areas in which you may have concerns:
a. Adequacy of baseline “full-time resident” population
b. Adequacy of property-owner, non full time resident
c. Adequacy of characterization of visitor population
d. Impacts of population on other elements of the comp plan
e. Relevance of the population projection since it does not influence the rate of growth or the location of growth
f. How a 20 year population projection fits into the overall buildout of the county
Here is the official scoop on writing:
Written comments must be submitted to the Clerk of the San Juan County Council at, or in advance
of the hearing by mail, Email or in person delivery. Written comments submitted prior to 8:00 a.m. on
June 15 will be copied for the County Council and Planning Commission. If written comments are
submitted after 8:00 a.m. June 15, 2017, or at the hearing, please provide seventeen (17) copies.
Please deliver written comments to the Clerk of the San Juan County Council at 55 Second Street,
Friday Harbor, WA, 98250, or mail them to 355 Court Street, #1 Friday Harbor, WA.
Emails must be directed to [email protected].
Please title the Email subject line:
Population Projection Comments from (your last name or agency name).
For the record, include your full address in all correspondence.
Thank you for your voice!
