Commission approves raising Coupeville Cash Store 22 inches to reduce flood risk

The Eby's Landing Historic Preservation Commission voted to recommend approval of certificate of appropriateness COA‑25‑041 for alterations to the Coupeville Cash Store, including elevating the overwater structure 22 inches, adding an accessible west entrance, expanding the west deck, extending siding, and installing a chairlift. Josh Pitts, the Town of Coupeville Community Planning Director, framed elevation as a preservation response to documented tidal flooding, saying sea‑level rise is “slow, relentless, and well documented, [and] has brought us to a tipping point.” The Commission found the proposal consistent with the Reserve's design guidelines and the town’s coastal adaptation strategy.

Lisa, the town’s assistant planner, described technical elements of the proposal and noted that the exact final elevation will be determined by engineering during permitting; she said the COA is a prerequisite for a shoreline variance hearing scheduled December 15 and that Ecology review and Army Corps permits follow. Applicant Barbara Summers said the building’s lower floor flooded during the 2022 king tide, that a hydraulic permit from Fish and Wildlife has been issued and an Army Corps permit is expected by year‑end, and stated plainly: “A seawall is not an option for us...so the only option for this building is to elevate the building.” Staff and the applicant discussed construction timing to avoid the main tourist season and restrictions of fish‑window work timing; staff explained that the project will likely proceed next summer/fall pending final permits and fisheries timing.