Shoreline property owners press Island County for clearer permitting and more public input on comprehensive plan

Multiple residents and community groups urged Island County commissioners on June 10 to facilitate shoreline-protection permits, clarify shoreline policy changes and expand public engagement for the county’s comprehensive plan update.

Speakers from Freeland described urgent erosion and flooding threats to private roads, wells and driveways and asked the commissioners to move permit reviews along so property owners can construct bulkheads. Valerie Stephan said geotechnical consultants were postponing new reports until a pending code update, and she described blocked access during high tides and limited emergency response options. Kim Stefan said delay could leave homeowners at risk this winter if a bulkhead permit is not issued soon.

Brad Thompson, speaking for the South Whidbey Shoreline Group, told commissioners the formal comment record to the county’s shoreline and planning documents included input from 31 individuals or entities, with more than 160 items spanning some 200 pages. Thompson said the “overwhelming gist” of comments was that shoreline property owners want clearer avenues to protect their homes and requested code-definition changes, targeted code edits, and compliance with state law.

Marnie Jackson of Langley, representing an environmental group, urged a different approach. “Armoring often does not protect homes,” she said, and called for “a science-based approach” that includes habitat restoration and strategic relocation where appropriate. Jackson criticized the board’s public-participation process for the comprehensive-plan update, saying the community lacks an iterative feedback loop and that many draft elements have not been released beyond the Clinton subarea. She asked the county to publish a staggered schedule for draft-element release, hold workshops and fishbowl discussions with subject experts, and provide more accessible opportunities for dialogue beyond written comment.

Commissioners said they will review the public comments and noted the county has a tight state-driven timeline for certain deliverables; they also said planning staff have been praised by the state for broad outreach while acknowledging some residents still want more forums and clearer feedback. Staff and commissioners discussed a scheduled work session the next day to review shoreline planning (the record shows about an hour set aside for the topic).

Commenters referenced a letter from the Washington State Department of Ecology that, according to participants, allows the county flexibility to make changes during the comment period; commissioners said they would review that letter and the public record as part of the upcoming deliberations.