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Planning department reports Curtis Wharf permit approval; Sharpe’s Corner and economic plan nearing completion
Summary
Planning staff told the commission the City Council approved the commission’s recommendation on the Curtis Wharf shoreline permit, Sharpe’s Corner study and an economic development strategic plan are near final drafts, and several commissioners who attended a North Star Symposium reported takeaways linking housing supply and homelessness.
Mister Coleman, of the Anacortes planning department, reported that the City Council approved the shoreline development permit for the Curtis Wharf project as recommended by the Planning Commission and provided a status update on several planning projects including a study of city-owned Sharpe’s Corner land and a near-final economic development strategic plan.
Coleman told the commission, "The shoreline development permit that the planning commission recommended approval of at its last meeting on May 28... went to the city council on Monday night, and they approved it as you recommended." He also said the planning department is close to completing a study of Sharpe’s Corner to assess whether the city-owned site could accommodate affordable housing in partnership with a housing provider, and that staff will circulate findings when they are ready.
Coleman described the economic development strategic plan as being near final draft, based on community surveys and workshops previously conducted. He said the department will notify the commission when the documents are released.
Commissioners who attended the North Star Symposium — a daylong workshop on housing, homelessness and behavioral health — shared impressions. Commissioners said the symposium emphasized a persistent correlation between housing supply/affordability and homelessness and described presentations that combined qualitative and data-driven perspectives. One commissioner summarized the central takeaway as: increasing affordable housing is a key tool to reduce homelessness, and data presented at the symposium showed areas with low vacancy rates face heightened risk of homelessness. Attendees referenced a presenter who highlighted Skagit County’s low vacancy rate (approximately 1 percent) as a warning signal.
Commissioners said the symposium included breakout sessions on middle housing and approaches to increasing density in ways compatible with neighborhood character. Several commissioners said the event was useful for expanding their understanding of housing-policy trade-offs; one commissioner said the event inspired follow-up questions about the presenter’s regression analysis and data methods and that he had contacted the presenter to exchange analysis ideas.
No formal commission action was taken on the planning department updates during the meeting. Coleman closed the update by saying the department will continue to advance the Sharpe’s Corner analysis and finalize the economic development strategic plan and will inform the commission when materials are available for review.
