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

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…