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San Juan County Planning Commission approves 2026 six-year Transportation Improvement Program
Summary
The Planning Commission voted to recommend the 2026 six‑year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) to County Council, sending authorization for design and funding steps for emergent marine repairs and road projects. Commissioners asked staff for priority-array access and clarification of funding and SEPA steps.
The San Juan County Planning Commission on Sept. 19 voted to approve and forward the draft 2026 six‑year Transportation Improvement Program to County Council, giving public works staff direction to move projects into preliminary design and pursue funding once the TIP is adopted. The motion was made by Commissioner Gary and seconded by Commissioner Bill; the vote was recorded as four yeses and the chair in the affirmative.
Deputy Public Works Director Jesse Douglas Seitz presented the TIP, describing it as the county’s six‑year construction and capital program drawn from a 20‑year priority array. Seitz told the commission that the 2026 list is largely emergency and end‑of‑life marine facility repairs (Sheriff’s landing at Orcas Landing, Orcas Landing float repairs, Madrona Point and Waldron repairs) and a set of road and sidewalk projects the county hopes to advance once funding and design work are in place. He said adoption of the TIP by council authorizes the county to start spending and to begin engineering and design for larger projects.
Seitz noted the TIP package is a non‑project SEPA filing; each listed project will still require site‑specific SEPA and permitting review before construction. He also described three documents that make up the county’s transport program: the 20‑year priority array, the 6‑year TIP, and the annual construction program.
Commissioners asked staff how to access the priority array and whether projects that have fallen off prior TIP lists (for example, Upper Deer Harbor Road) remain tracked. Seitz responded that projects sometimes move back to the priority array, are reprioritized if grant opportunities appear, or are held pending council direction; he said last year’s documents are posted on the San Juan County Public Works website.
The commission’s approval sends the TIP forward for council consideration and gives public works a green light to pursue grants and begin design work on the adopted projects. Jesse Douglas Seitz said he appreciated the commission’s time and looks forward to briefing council.
