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Finnegan Ridge residents press council on safety, stormwater and transparency in multiyear development
Summary
Residents of Finnegan Ridge urged the Friday Harbor Town Council to address long‑running safety and transparency problems with the Finnegan Way development — citing narrow separations between buildings, unresolved stormwater and sedimentation, incomplete parking and landscaping, and slow records responses — and asked the council for a status follow‑up.
Residents of Finnegan Ridge urged the Friday Harbor Town Council on April 2 to take concrete steps to resolve what they described as long‑standing safety, stormwater and transparency problems arising from a multiyear private development along Finnegan Way.
Several residents testified during public comment that units built under earlier approvals differ from what was promised. “Many of these buildings are 5 or 6 feet apart,” said Mason Wiley, a Finnegan Ridge resident, raising fire‑safety concerns tied to the separation between buildings. Neighbors also told the council they face sedimentation and stormwater damage downhill from the development and that some planned parking spaces and sidewalks either were never built or are not usable.
“My concerns are three: transparency, communication, and accountability,” said Jennifer Harkness, who identified herself as a Finnegan Way resident and HOA leader. Harkness asked the council to require that finalized plans be publicly posted, to improve response timelines for records requests and to ensure the developer and town consistently meet permitting standards.
Other commenters described financial and community impacts. Kate Rockwoods, vice president of the road HOA, said the project’s original affordability claims were not realized and that several units have been held as rentals rather than sold to island residents. Drew Lura, HOA treasurer, said parking shown in earlier plans is missing in practice and that vehicles are regularly parking in a fire lane, which he called “a large, a big hazard.” Property owner Greg Maynard said he has documented stormwater and overbanked‑fill problems dating to 2019 and urged the town to act on those records.
Town staff and council responded with technical clarifications and next steps. Community development director Ryan Erickson said the project still requires final landscaping, striping of parking stalls, curb stops, soil amendments for planting areas and stabilization of exposed slopes; he said those items must be completed before final occupancy for remaining units. Erickson described the walking paths and green‑space elements that were approved and said staff will verify grading and stormwater direction on site.
On the specific question of building separation, staff and residents discussed the International Residential Code and exceptions that can allow closer spacing when fire‑rated construction details are used. Erickson and residents disagreed about how the code was interpreted in earlier approvals; Erickson said that some exceptions allow five‑foot separations if certain fire‑rated walls or protections are in place and that staff would follow up.
Council members acknowledged the community’s frustration and asked staff to return with an update. The council agreed to put the Finnegan Way project on a future agenda for a follow‑up briefing so residents can track outstanding corrections and inspection results.
What’s next: Council directed staff to verify that landscaping, parking striping, curb stops and slope stabilization are completed and to report back at the next appropriate meeting; the council did not direct a stop to occupancy but emphasized that outstanding remedial items must be completed before final approvals are issued.
