Submitted by San Juan County.

During this week’s Council meeting, staff briefed Council on a formal request to site an Essential Public Facility for the Department of Public Works on Shaw Island. During the meeting, Council also set a public hearing for May 20 to allow for members of the community to make public comment on the topic.

Project background

The County’s Public Works Department is seeking to site an essential public facility on Shaw Island to support the operations and maintenance of public transportation infrastructure on the island. The department is following the process outlined in San Juan County Code 18.30.055 to formally site and permit the facilities and is following guidance from the County’s Comprehensive Plan, the state’s Growth Management Act and the Shaw Island Subarea Plan.

Public Works has evaluated the three parcels owned by Public Works on Shaw Island – including the two parcels purchased on Neck Point Road in June and the parcel currently used for Public Works functions on Blind Bay Road. County staff have submitted a full site analysis and a State Environmental Policy Act checklist to the Department of Community Development, for which a public comment period will be held in early May. Specific dates are yet to be determined, but notice will be provided.

Learn more about the project on the County’s website: https://www.sanjuancountywa.gov/278/Current-Projects.

About the facility

The requested EPF would support the Public Works Department in maintaining public transportation infrastructure on Shaw Island. This facility will provide for specific needs, including a space for material disposal, a burn site for woody debris and an outdoor storage yard, and serve as a maintenance facility, among other uses.

To review the EPF proposal, please visit https://www.sanjuancountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/32260/Request-for-Siting-an-Essential-Public-Facility-on-Shaw. Copies of the proposal will be mailed without charge upon request.

You can learn more about this project via past news flashes:

• May 23, 2024: Shaw Island Community Meeting on June 3rd: County Considers Purchasing Property on Shaw Island.

• June 7, 2024: Shaw Island Community Meeting Recap from June 3.

• June 20, 2024: Potential Land Purchase on Shaw Island for Public Works Operations.

• June 27, 2024: County Purchases Property on Shaw Island for Public Works Operations.

• November 26, 2024: County Reviews Essential Public Facility Application on Shaw Island at Upcoming Public Meeting.

How to participate in the public hearing:

Written comments may be submitted in advance of the hearing by mail, email or at the hearing, or by delivery in person. Mail can be sent to 350 Court St. #1, Friday Harbor, WA 98250; email to councilpc@sanjuancountywa.gov.

You can attend the Council meeting in person. You may speak in person, and sign-ups will be available in the room. The meeting will be held in the Council Hearing Room at 55 Second St., Friday Harbor, WA.

You can also call in to make a comment. To call in and sign up for Public Comment, visit: https://www.sanjuancountywa.gov/1879/Public-Comment-Signup. After signing up, call in at 9 a.m. to join meeting via telephone: +1 360-726-3293, phone conference ID: 630 068 600#.

If you are watching or listening to the Council livestream, please turn it off when calling in for Public Comment.

You can access the livestream at https://sanjuancowa.portal.civicclerk.com/.

If you forget to sign up – no worries! Just make yourself known when the Council Chair asks for any additional comments.

Note: The Council wants to hear your ideas or concerns. To ensure equal opportunity for the public to comment, comments may be limited in length. Each person may address the Council one time during the public comment period.

Questions about the public hearing? Reach out to Clerk to the Council, Sally Rogers at sallyr@sanjuancountywa.gov.

For more information, please contact Mackenzie Sims, capital programs manager, at mackenzies@sanjuancountywa.gov.