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County tracks costs and enforcement challenges at Orcas Landing park-and-ride
Summary
Public Works told the council the Orcas Landing park-and-ride (built 2016–17) sees varied uses—commuters, delivery vans and abandoned vehicles—and that towing and disposal of junked cars has cost the county roughly $2,000 per vehicle; staffing gaps limit enforcement.
County Public Works staff and council members discussed operational issues at the Orcas Landing park-and-ride, including mixed uses, abandoned vehicles and charging-station arrangements.
Colin of Public Works said the facility was built in partnership with state ferries in 2016–17 as a free community resource and that it was never expected to generate revenue. The lot was intentionally designed as a multimodal, community-focused facility and includes a public charging unit with two stalls. Jesse, who helped design the facility, said the county explored rentable charging-station models but found installation and ongoing billing costs would outweigh revenue.
Council members and staff described the lot’s mixed use: commuters leaving cars for multiple days, Amazon delivery vans using the free spaces, and in some cases vehicles deliberately abandoned and stripped of plates. Colin said the county has removed about a dozen junk vehicles and that initial removal and disposal can exceed $2,000 per vehicle depending on condition and contents. Staff noted enforcement is hampered by a shortage of deputies on Orcas and by the broader legal and judicial costs of pursuing restitution from vehicle owners.
Council members discussed the rationale for 72-hour and seven-day limits (the lot is split geographically for different durations), and staff said the time limits were set so a deputy could tag and, if needed, return after seven days to authorize towing. Members also raised housing-related complexities when people live in vehicles, limiting options to tow them without providing alternatives.
Council directed staff to continue tracking costs and enforcement options; no ordinance was adopted at this meeting. Staff said they would report back with possible administrative or programmatic options for better enforcement and community outreach.
