[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6134035,"mediaKeyId","5688705-7ff570806d4dc8e9bd69e26ad9065465","parentId",5688705,"title","Residents ask council to block commercial staging on residential lot near 306 Center Street","audioSeconds",355,"startMs",1622000,"endMs",1267000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5688705-7ff570806d4dc8e9bd69e26ad9065465&start=1622&end=1267","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5688705-7ff570806d4dc8e9bd69e26ad9065465/thumbnail_1622000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6134035/La-Conner/Skagit-County/Washington/Residents-ask-council-to-block-commercial-staging-on-residential-lot-near-306-Center-Street","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6134035-dc1ca51f04550c74736f69717f2d35a4/orig.mp4?Expires=1773709671&Signature=nWhYx9AF-jGgZ6D88vSXLWBtHAiD~S8e4Fb496gRMEUYus40EhWRe3do807rUfq~AYr0iM5PcBAgUBEYoDQ8ErLKacJ7hghfgK42CN1Jp5J3iPucoqr0ObBZ6OkMNS-krMMs7HUm-Poy~MAiL7orQPMVTiZv4zr-6hWq40726lyc3RAImQ29vrHuVCYn-JzAbekaWmYMd9RJ3~fyJrLxnHGrDVpfcgX0XanzAqpypFswwr6DukRx4oBcTq67a4SPtaLfnhgn3oBZs7R33yqF1jhyLF-eftVen3Gv8fyDVxIkjvvKP5NXxWu185ILvr8IijAJINlp6BdjAnaHE-uQNA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","La Conner, WA","date","2025-08-26T00:00:00Z","article","Dozens of residents told the La Conner Town Council on an August meeting night that a vacant residential lot at the corner of North Ford and State streets should not be used as a staging, storage or equipment laydown area for the commercial redevelopment planned at 306 Center Street.

The comments centered on the town planner’s reported decision to allow the residential parcel to be used in support of the nearby commercial project. \"What I'd like to comment about is the town planner, Asia Ellis, decision to allow a vacant residential zone plot on the corner of North Ford and State Street to be used in the same site for the commercial zone town redevelopment at 306 Center Street,\" said Cathy Schreiner, who gave her address as 216 North Third Street.

The neighbors said they learned recently that contractor staging and storage could occur on the residential lot, and they asked the council to seek a formal code interpretation. \"We would ask that the council take a look at both the well written letter that Kathy submitted ... and come up with an interpretation that we think is more responsive to what I think is the request of the neighbors,\" said a speaker who identified himself as Don and said he is Cathy Schreiner's husband.

Why it matters: residents say use of the lot for heavy equipment and materials would expand construction impacts for months or years into a residential area two blocks from the redevelopment site, creating pedestrian-safety, noise, dust and drainage concerns and potentially forcing long-term changes to who can live in nearby housing.

Residents cited the town’s municipal code while urging action. Schreiner read provisions she said were from the municipal code chapter governing residential zones and noted permitted uses are limited and intended to \"promote economical and efficient use of the land, stable neighborhoods, and safety, efficiency, and convenience for the residents of the town.\" Linda Tallman, who lives on Center Street, said that accessory uses \"must be incidental\" to a primary residential use and argued that a fenced storage/laydown yard would not be incidental.

Neighbors described specific public-safety and quality-of-life concerns. \"Allowing heavy equipment and building materials up and down these streets from potentially 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., 6 days a week, will create a public nuisance, a threat to pedestrian safety, and a noisy disruptive environment,\" said Michelle, who gave her address as 218 North Ford Street. Gary Nelson and others raised traffic-control and curb-damage concerns for narrow streets and tight corners; Virginia Tucker, who lives at 204 North Third Street at a senior residence, said seniors and people using canes regularly walk the area and asked what contractor obligations would be imposed for cleanup, flagging and dust control.

The property owner spoke at the meeting. \"We have not been an agreement with anybody to do anything there,\" the owner, who identified himself as Harlan, said. He added that if a proposed use is illegal under the code, that should be enforced, but he objected to neighbors telling him he cannot use property that is allowed by law.

No formal council action was recorded at the meeting on the matter. Several residents asked the council to direct staff to provide a written code interpretation or otherwise clarify whether staging and storage for the 306 Center Street project is permitted in the residential zone; the transcript records requests for the council to \"take a look\" and to not allow the laydown use if the code does not permit it.

Context and next steps: residents referred to a letter submitted to council (on file with the town) and said the North End neighborhood first learned of the potential staging location in mid-August. Speakers asked the council either to prohibit the use or issue a clear interpretation of the town code; the transcript does not record a council directive or a staff response on the record at that meeting.

Residents who spoke identified potential mitigation alternatives informally, including using other fenced areas with better heavy-vehicle access and asking the contractor to stage at commercial lots with established vehicle access; council members or staff did not make commitments during the public comment period recorded in the transcript.

The council will consider these public comments as part of the town’s usual permitting and enforcement process; the meeting transcript does not show a formal referral, vote, or time frame for a written interpretation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town Council 2nd Meeting - August 26, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Dozens of residents told the La Conner Town Council on an August meeting night that a vacant residential lot at the corner of North Ford and State streets should not be used as a staging, storage or equipment laydown area for the commercial redevelopment planned at 306 Center Street.","taxTitle","La Conner, Skagit County, Washington","taxId",60298,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6134020,"La Conner council awards pest-control contract, approves DocuSign and reviews wastewater grant support offer",71,1398000,1469000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5688705-7ff570806d4dc8e9bd69e26ad9065465&start=1398&end=1469","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5688705-7ff570806d4dc8e9bd69e26ad9065465/thumbnail_1398000.jpg","/articles/6134020/La-Conner/Skagit-County/Washington/La-Conner-council-awards-pest-control-contract-approves-DocuSign-and-reviews-wastewater-grant-support-offer","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6134020-54aee1f6d837fa8de94bd709cd6c92a9/orig.mp4?Expires=1773709671&Signature=oX4qfmHp3SL9yQ3IavoK3g~sMZm9pJwfmyaMdvD3BsJ30BDlwPvuYK1GGyXfPHqq4HcRUBOpbP5U-Iwse2Cjl6xiwFpLRFDFBZ3xgNkY3Lo3VVheVBKWfy7oDWhDRJVdw~9W6oaICzAuwARKcQrr9AUV4DwUnTRgO5AamlvsUP~BC~5WYVBc69qHUskLXv8B7R8p9GILDIha993-nUQ3hJiqKAb8Jlh7TcntpaJECHIj3qNs01GVeUG3TO-30pNgLu44O5J5636o6bnaKSEfV75xDnNrGTCh8igt9heKjfXGNbuO1ytdv20RTyz8~pRtQh0rx6gN7Sug3FheMSGoKg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The La Conner Town Council approved several administrative items at the meeting, including a multi-site pest-control contract, a subscription to DocuSign for electronic signatures, and a staff-authorized agreement to have Wilson Engineering prepare a grant application for wastewater treatment-plant design.

Pest-control contract: Public works solicited bids for pest control at three town facilities and recommended awarding the contract (one-year service). \"I got 5 bids,\" a staff member said; the council voted to approve the recommendation. The motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.

DocuSign subscription: Staff proposed a DocuSign account to reduce paper and to allow invoices and receipts to be routed and signed electronically. The annual cost cited in the discussion was $2,800. A council member moved to approve the subscription and the motion passed on voice vote.

Wastewater grant application work: Wilson Engineering, which is performing work on the town’s wastewater treatment plant, offered to prepare a state grant application to fund the plant design; the firm proposed a $9,000 fee to prepare the application. Staff said the grant application is due the week of the meeting and that Wilson would submit the application; the council discussed the timing and staff said the agreement to engage Wilson for the application work was forthcoming. The transcript does not record a completed, signed contract for that $9,000 scope during the meeting, only that the firm offered to prepare the application and that staff expected the submission that week.

Fireboat payment timing: Council and staff discussed delivery and payments for a fire-boat unit to be delivered on Sept. 3, with a third payment of $119,000 scheduled at delivery and a remaining balance and change order to follow. Staff said they would cut the payment check on Sept. 3 so the vendor could change banks; the transcript records that the remainder payment and any change-order items would appear on the next claim.

Why it matters: The pest-control contract and DocuSign subscription are operational actions intended to address maintenance and administrative efficiency. The Wilson Engineering proposal, if accepted and the grant is successful, would fund design work for the wastewater treatment plant and shift design costs to the grant.

The transcript shows council approval votes for the pest-control contract and DocuSign subscription; it records discussion of the Wilson Engineering offer but does not record a completed motion to approve the $9,000 scope during the meeting.","Council authorized a multi-site pest-control contract, approved a DocuSign subscription for town processes, and discussed Wilson Engineering’s $9,000 proposal to prepare a wastewater treatment plant design grant application.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6134025,"La Conner council accepts Washington Street improvement project",62,1102000,1164000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5688705-7ff570806d4dc8e9bd69e26ad9065465&start=1102&end=1164","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5688705-7ff570806d4dc8e9bd69e26ad9065465/thumbnail_1102000.jpg","/articles/6134025/La-Conner/Skagit-County/Washington/La-Conner-council-accepts-Washington-Street-improvement-project","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6134025-b8cd499b382e86d2f2e4682f37655b34/orig.mp4?Expires=1773709671&Signature=BTb28RHF7mlKTlhDBeOAcWmYEUQc2C1Yq9yfw0PVMg4M15hIHqmdW95BZ1OGZpqqQP2nW~a8Zy-cmrnhsvq3VpQUj-ilaox~6gwtMQBXA3rdDgI8Jo~8zJCNSW3X44lx3e5GyonqA~wl0KGqEpRFjxObWDGcEq5aHCH4~hj6RdVIfyavcUnQiudf3TtKeHl5BT9E7qrucEEp8nwYHbDrCYbyEJ1i3WQeWjEpwFbFz7ctcK4jYV0lL6Tb22YhRr9lyBxh7nG6GxHTsRLrc~R9RxuKxWDndW1yS1DpaBaesh47or4zoJu~MI4bode4yjNEgWogMe544qr-Q0vrdpWEPg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The La Conner Town Council voted to accept the Washington Street/North Street improvement project as complete and approved final project acceptance at the council meeting.

During the discussion, council and staff members clarified issues about gravel staging and removal at the west side of Washington and who would pay for removal if the materials remained on site. Council members recorded that the contractor had asked to leave some gravel on site until return from vacation; staff said arrangements would be made and that removal would be handled as previously agreed.

A motion to approve project acceptance was made and seconded; the council approved the motion by voice vote. \"I move to approve the project acceptance for Washington Street, North Street,\" a council member said; another council member seconded. The transcript records an \"aye\" vote.

Why it matters: Final acceptance typically closes the town’s formal construction contract and starts warranty and closeout obligations; staff noted the project improved walking conditions and added four parking spaces near the post office.

No dissent or roll-call tally beyond a recorded unanimous voice vote appears in the meeting transcript.","Council voted to accept the Washington Street/North Street project as complete and approved final acceptance, with discussion about remaining gravel and repairs.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6134030,"La Conner council updates senior utility discount rules and raises business-license threshold to comply with state change",89,1184000,1273000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5688705-7ff570806d4dc8e9bd69e26ad9065465&start=1184&end=1273","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5688705-7ff570806d4dc8e9bd69e26ad9065465/thumbnail_1184000.jpg","/articles/6134030/La-Conner/Skagit-County/Washington/La-Conner-council-updates-senior-utility-discount-rules-and-raises-business-license-threshold-to-comply-with-state-change","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6134030-9ad8709f85d3166d3d4c485760e48add/orig.mp4?Expires=1773709671&Signature=JFhmT5CGTGqddCzCDTXZpimJ85lovHlCT-kr9w9zVg~XQ0HeQ8NKB6ayVlidbcH2T8yHZrfiodxCqzs2cm0Xm1U5jqp~8VSEQaVdnkubNV2MKpSu1iI1SKdetNc1ZZquMVQkKoJTGuCcVH54GYWbHwfGbD8~HhhpZhzh57JDn6m-yAOaVL7PZ91Rs4gDaMDBm7OsUOdtpgB6leaKTdkfLPRSHz34Qsi9yhttPHzb~mM1F-8zan~rPN1AIuETk-k~9cxlUsyWs0QAirGPPdtxKfbFBQZDNfpmo9sPF26Kp~DkO2rCu-eqPLr9utLABUb440OihK9zXDNZBTjiP4Q1xg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The La Conner Town Council approved two ordinances at its meeting to align local code with state rules and to remove administrative barriers for residents and small businesses.

Ordinance 12-62 amends the town’s utility-rate code so water and sewer senior discounts use consistent language and no longer require a senior to apply by April 1 of each year. The change relies on the town’s practice of using Skagit County property-tax exemption status to identify qualifying seniors and removes the separate April 1 application deadline the county no longer requires.

\"We use the same property tax deduction. So if the senior is eligible for property tax deduction, they would also be eligible for senior for a utility discount,\" a council member explained during the discussion.

Ordinance 12-63 updates the municipal code for local business licenses to conform to a state prohibition on charging a local license fee for businesses below a revenue threshold. The threshold was $2,000 in prior state guidance and will rise to $4,000 on Jan. 1, 2026; the ordinance updates the town code to match the higher threshold.

Councilors discussed how state business licensing works alongside local registration. Staff noted businesses still must register with the town, and once a firm’s gross receipts exceed the threshold it would be subject to the local licensing requirement.

Both ordinances were moved and seconded by council members and approved without extended debate; the transcript records unanimous \"aye\" responses at the votes.

Why it matters: The senior-discount change removes a potential administrative barrier for qualifying residents, and the business-license update keeps the town in compliance with state rules effective Jan. 1, 2026.

No fiscal impacts beyond the existing budget were identified in the discussion recorded in the meeting transcript.","Council passed two ordinances to align local rules with state policies: removing an April 1 application deadline for senior utility discounts (Ordinance 12-62) and raising the low-revenue business-license exemption threshold to match a statewide change (Ordinance 12-63).","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Residents ask council to block commercial staging on residential lot near 306 Center Street

La Conner council awards pest-control contract, approves DocuSign and reviews wastewater grant support offer

La Conner council accepts Washington Street improvement project

La Conner council updates senior utility discount rules and raises business-license threshold to comply with state change