Candidates say long‑standing permitting holdups have stalled MJB waterfront redevelopment
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Summary
City and county candidates at the forum described permitting and shoreline- and land-division requirements as the main obstacles delaying the MJB waterfront project, and differed on whether the city or developer should take the lead on temporary waterfront access while construction is underway.
Anacortes candidates repeatedly cited permitting delays and waterfront-access requirements as the primary reasons the long-stalled MJB waterfront redevelopment has not proceeded, though they differed over remedies and timelines.
“It's the land-division and the shoreline permit,” said Carolyn Moulton, the incumbent city councilmember, when asked why the MJB project remains on hold. She said council members cannot discuss private permit details beyond what is public: “As a city council member, I'm not allowed to know any more than anyone else of the public is,” she said, describing the issue as a communication problem within the permitting process.
Courtney Orrock, who said she has walked the MJB site with project representatives, described a specific friction point: the developer’s reluctance to construct a permanent esplanade (public waterfront walkway) before parcel construction is finished. “The developer is concerned about putting in a permanent esplanade when construction on those parcels would need to probably tear up that esplanade after it's been built,” Orrock said. She said the developer had discussed temporary solutions to demonstrate commitment to waterfront access while final work proceeds.
Other forum speakers described differing ideas for how the city might respond if the property remains vacant. Teresa Dela Rosa, a council candidate who described having lived in long-vacant local properties, said some constituents suggested vacancy taxes as one option to encourage action, but she framed that as an idea she would still need to study.
Why it matters: candidates and councilmembers agree MJB could be a major economic and waterfront-access project for Anacortes, but they also said it raises complex questions about permitting, shoreline access and public infrastructure.
Project scale and timing: at the forum Courtney Orrock characterized the projected MJB build‑out as large, citing an estimate of about a $1 billion build-out discussed by others; Moulton said she expects “progress on this in 2026” but emphasized the city must follow permit rules and maintain public transparency.
The forum did not produce any new permit actions or timelines and city speakers repeatedly declined to offer more detail than is publicly available. Candidates urged residents to follow the permitting process and attend upcoming public hearings to register support or concerns as the developer works through long‑plat and shoreline approvals.