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Nonprofits present broad public engagement results for San Juan County comprehensive plan
Summary
Friends of the San Juans, Family Resource Centers and Madrona Institute reported extensive outreach — dozens of focus groups, hundreds of participants and thousands of ideas — and urged the council to prioritize affordable housing, connected pedestrian infrastructure and climate-integrated policies.
A coalition of local nonprofits told the county council May 5 about a year-long community engagement campaign to inform San Juan County's comprehensive plan update.
"We have 36 total sessions, over 400 participants, 134 comment letters submitted," Eva Schulte, executive director of Friends of the San Juans, said while summarizing outreach conducted across islands and demographic groups. Schulte said the effort included targeted sessions for low-income, Spanish-speaking and disability communities and multiple anonymous-feedback options to encourage participation.
Jennifer Armstrong of the Joyce Al Sobel Family Resource Center read a letter highlighting three community priorities: managed, equitable growth; pedestrian safety and connectivity before adding density; and inclusive, accessible housing with supports for residents and workers.
Claudia Costa of the Madrona Institute said Climate Compass events produced 960 ideas from 258 participants and that climate concerns were tightly linked to housing, transportation and local food systems. "Across all demographics, the top priorities were transportation, limiting house sizes, local food systems, and renewable energy," Costa told the council.
Why it matters: Presenters stressed that the comprehensive plan and subsequent code updates will be the primary tools for addressing housing affordability, climate resilience and access to services — all issues the council is weighing while balancing a tight budget.
Follow up: Presenters offered to take council questions offline rather than use limited meeting time; council members accepted the offer and asked staff to include engagement materials in the public record for future deliberations.
