Island County approves franchise transfer for Cool Road off‑site septic association on Camano Island

Island County commissioners on April 14 approved a franchise transfer for the Cool Road Off‑site Septic Association on Camano Island (Public Works file PW20250152), allowing the ownership transfer of an existing franchise that serves three houses via a shared drain field.

A county engineer summarized the project: the three homes connect to a main trunk line that discharges to a drain field of roughly half an acre; the existing franchise remains valid through 2035, and the transfer sets a five‑year term with a testing protocol to be implemented later. "This is the Cool Road Off‑site Septic Association, and we're transferring about 1,000 feet down Sunset Drive, connecting three houses to a drain field," the engineer said.

Commissioners asked technical questions about terminology (franchise templates standardize on the word “sewer” even where the system is an off‑site septic), right‑of‑way conduit sizing, the potential for future connections, and whether larger conduit could be required in plats to accommodate future growth. The county engineer said the design and reserve capacity are reviewed case by case, and that a larger conduit can be requested in new plat designs.

No members of the public spoke on the transfer. A motion to approve the Cool Road OSS Association franchise transfer was made, seconded, and carried unanimously.

The county noted any future expansion or oversizing to accommodate additional lots would typically be addressed through platting and design review rather than through the franchise transfer process.