Residents and environmental advocates urged Island County on Sept. 16 to retain the original population projections and allocations for the Oak Harbor urban growth area (UGA) rather than approving a reduction the city requested. Marnie Jackson, executive director of the Whidbey Environmental Action Network, and Dean Enel, a South Whidbey resident, both asked commissioners to hold Oak Harbor accountable for providing infrastructure and zoning inside city limits before any UGA adjustments.

Jackson told the board the county should require Oak Harbor to "responsibly rezone and plan for infrastructure improvements to accommodate the necessary growth within the city limits." She cited the Growth Management Act (GMA) and a Sept. 17, 2024 Kimley Horn land capacity memorandum that removed parcels from analysis because of "infrastructure constraints," arguing the city should address those constraints rather than seek lower population targets.

Enel said the county's past difficulty achieving a functional UGA around Freeland underscores the irony of allowing Oak Harbor to reduce its allocation without first demonstrating the city can maximize its internal capacity. "I think the county should deny the request and take action to show Oak Harbor how to create a functional UGA to accept our true projected population growth as required by GMA," he said.

During later commissioner comments, the chair acknowledged the concerns and said the board heard and agreed the situation is difficult; the board did not act on the Oak Harbor allocation at the Sept. 16 meeting because the item was pulled from the published agenda pending further work.

Ending: The board delayed any formal action on Oak Harbor's UGA at the Sept. 16 meeting; speakers asked the county to require the city to pursue infrastructure and zoning within city limits before accepting a reduced allocation.