Commission reviews options to close East Sound lower‑income housing deficit; staff suggest mix of upzoning and limited UGA expansion

San Juan County planning commissioners reviewed consultant findings March 21 on options to address a shortfall in housing capacity for lower‑income households in the East Sound urban growth area (UGA), and by consensus asked staff to carry a menu of upzoning and limited expansion options forward to county council for further review.

The issue in brief: Leland Consulting presented the county’s land capacity analysis and said that under the Commerce “Housing for All” allocation framework the East Sound subarea shows a deficit in capacity for households earning up to 80% of area median income. Consultants presented a combination of measures — modest upzoning within the UGA, changing minimum densities in village commercial zones, and limited expansion of the UGA onto certain contiguous parcels — that together could eliminate the deficit and leave a modest surplus for the planning period.

Key numbers and options - County allocation: consultants said the county’s total housing need for the planning period is 3,180 units, 2,264 of those outside Friday Harbor. The initial land capacity analysis showed a 227‑unit deficit for households at 0–80% AMI in East Sound. - Proposed changes that were presented and analyzed included: increasing minimum density in the village commercial designation (estimated +28 units), rezoning four small parcels to village commercial (estimated +20 units), an L‑shaped upzone to allow 12 units/acre on underused parcels (estimated +39 units), and limited UGA expansion onto a parcel already owned by a nonprofit affordable‑housing provider (presented estimate ~107 units serving lower incomes). Two additional expansion areas proposed by the East Sound Planning Review Committee were estimated at roughly 40 units each. - Combined, the consultants said, the proposals would eliminate the deficit and yield a surplus of about 51 units in the 0–80% AMI band under the assumptions used.

Public and commission comments - Commissioners and public commenters raised practical concerns about relying solely on UGA expansion, noting that development timelines depend on landowner decisions and financing (citing Friday Harbor expansions that have taken many years). Several commissioners favored including the parcel already owned by an affordable‑housing provider because ownership increases the likelihood of near‑term development for deed‑restricted housing. - Commissioners also emphasized that upzoning alone does not guarantee affordable outcomes; market‑rate development can result on rezoned parcels unless paired with incentives, density bonuses, or funding for nonprofit developers. Staff and consultants acknowledged that additional regulatory and program tools would be needed (for example, density bonuses or code changes) to encourage affordability.

Commission action - The planning commission did not make a formal roll‑call vote on map changes at the March 21 meeting. By consensus the commission asked staff to carry the menu of upzoning and limited expansion options presented (including the nonprofit‑owned parcel and the L‑shaped upzone plus village commercial changes) forward to county council for further review. Sofia (planning staff) said the group’s input would be refined, brought to council and then returned to the planning commission during the public hearing phase of the comp plan update.

Context and next steps - Consultants and staff noted that Department of Commerce guidance encourages jurisdictions to explore upzoning within UGAs before proposing UGA expansion. Consultants said they considered additional upzoning opportunities within East Sound but found limited redevelopable land because of environmental constraints, airport setbacks and deed restrictions on some parcels. - Staff said map amendments for multiple areas (East Sound UGA, Friday Harbor UGA, and mineral resource lands overlay) will be considered during the comp plan update process and will be adopted together; Friday Harbor’s update depends on the county’s capacity showing. The planning commission will review a consolidated draft map during a future hearing and make a formal recommendation to council.

Ending - Staff asked commissioners to send any written clarifications or specific edits by email; the presentation and consultant memo will be updated and forwarded to council for its review, and the full comp plan map packet will be scheduled for subsequent public hearings.