The Anacortes Planning Commission on May 28 opened and closed a public hearing on proposed updates to the economic development and parks, recreation and open-space elements of the 2025 comprehensive plan and accepted public comment to be incorporated into a consolidated draft.

City planning staff, consultant Andrew Oliver (Leland Consulting via Makers), and John Lunsford of the parks department presented tracked edits to goals and policies and explained that tonight’s input will be used to prepare a consolidated draft for additional public review. Miss Grange of the planning department reviewed changes to the economic development tracker, including added language about incubator kitchens and high-capacity fiber in policy ED-1.5 and ED-1.8, a reference to a key tourist attraction under ED-3.10, encouragement for the state to reestablish an international ferry run to British Columbia, and supportive language for expanding culinary and hospitality programs at Skagit Valley College.

For parks and recreation, Lunsford and staff described edits including a refinement to PR-3.11 to reference “high-quality maintenance procedures,” removing a specific list of partners from PR-8.7 to keep the language broad, and adding a reference to U.S. Bike Route 10 in PR-9.2. Commissioners discussed whether to retain PR-6.6, an older policy that would require new residential development to provide impact-fee payments; several commissioners expressed support for keeping that policy in the next draft and staff agreed to update the draft accordingly.

Two members of the public spoke during the hearing. Marlene Finley, president of the nonprofit Evergreen Islands, spoke in support of several economic development policies including ED-4.7 (coordination with Skagit County on potential uses at Marchpoint), ED-8.2 (raising awareness of local business emission-reduction efforts, with the Curtis Wharf project cited as an example), and ED-2.13 (expanding bicycle parking and EV charging infrastructure). Kathleen Lawrence Flanagan of Anacortes asked about the status of an environmental-impact study and funding for the Guemes Channel (Guimas/Guimas in the record) trail and about the formation and membership of a proposed community subcommittee referenced in PR-4.3; staff said they would follow up with details after consulting with Parks Director Lunsford.

Staff said the parks/recreation and economic development elements are the last two of nine comprehensive-plan elements the commission is reviewing and that the next step is incorporation of commission and public feedback into the consolidated draft. The consolidated plan will then go out for broader public review and follow the city’s adoption process.

No vote or formal recommendation on the plan amendments was taken at the meeting; the hearing record will be used to revise the draft for subsequent review and action.