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Roche Harbor Resort seeks map change; county staff propose conditions including open‑space requirement and buffer
Summary
Roche Harbor Resort has applied to redesignate 119 acres to shift future unit development away from wetlands; county staff and the planning commission recommended approval with conditions to preserve open space and recreational amenities.
Roche Harbor Resort has applied to amend the official map and master plan for the Roche Harbor resort area, proposing to move portions of the resort’s allowable dwelling units to a southern parcel after on‑site wetland studies showed the originally planned location was likely unsuitable.
Long‑range planner Sofia Kassem told the San Juan County Council Nov. 3 that the application would not increase the total number of dwelling units allowed under the 1996 master plan; instead it would shift where units could be built. Department staff and the planning commission recommended the council adopt a map amendment with conditions. Recommended conditions include: a requirement that the total dwelling‑unit cap under the master plan remain unchanged; a stipulation that new parcels added to the resort be subject to a minimum 40% open‑space requirement so open space is not concentrated in one area; preservation or replacement of existing public recreational amenities (trails, course areas) historically accessible to the public; and maintenance of a forested buffer along Roche Harbor Road and adjacent roads to reduce visibility and impacts from development.
Public comment and several council questions focused on the buffer width. Staff recommended a 100‑foot forested buffer measured from the road right‑of‑way; councilmembers and some commenters suggested larger setbacks. Planning staff noted existing conditions on some road segments show approximately 50 feet between the road right‑of‑way and mature forest canopy, and advised that a 150‑foot measurement from the right‑of‑way would yield about a 100‑foot forested buffer in many locations. Staff said they would raise that point with the applicant and report back at the prehearing briefing.
Next steps: staff expects to present an ordinance and final conditions to planning commission and council; a prehearing briefing is scheduled for Nov. 25, 2025. No formal rezoning or adoption vote occurred Nov. 3.
