Lighthouse building plan down-sized

After last month’s public outcry over the proposed de-velopment and expansion of the old Lighthouse Inn building in La Conner, the owner has come back with a scaled-back plan.

The old structure had been sitting mostly vacant since 2010 and was deteriorating on La Conner’s waterfront. Last year California businessman Michael Girdner bought the property for $385,000 and has been working to refurbish it and turn it into The Galleria, with retail shops, apartments and office space.

On Aug. 2 a crowd mostly hostile to his original plan, which would have developed the property two stories high across the entire property, including a parking lot to the north, turned out at a Planning Commission meeting to voice their concerns.

“We attended that meeting,” said Girdner’s representative, David Elling of United Commercial Properties. “We just wanted to hear comments.”

In the new plan, “we have addressed every issue we are aware of,” Elling said.

The scaled-back plan still has two stories on the original building’s footprint but does not cover the parking lot. Also, it leaves parking spaces to the south, even though the town Park Commission plans to close off access to protect the open space feature between the Lighthouse and Ginger Grater buildings.

The south parking spaces will be covered and accessed from the street, rather than from the little pocket park currently there. According to the plans, the area over the building’s southern decks will be developed, as well.

Even so, “We’re cutting way back to accommodate those folks in the town and to at least get our doors open for business,” Elling said. And, yes, it costs a lot, though he won’t say how much, to have the architects draw up new plans.

With the new design, there would be retail spaces on the ground floor and three apartments and four little offices upstairs. The building height would be 30 feet tall, measuring from the sidewalk.

The lighthouse tower, presently sticks up a foot or two higher than the new roof line would be. Elling said the plan is to keep the lighthouse feature and raise it a little, so its new height would be 34 feet.

According to Town Administrator John Doyle, under municipal codes, buildings are not allowed to be built higher than 30 feet plus 1 foot above the “base flood elevation” — a federal standard that has newer homes with lots of steps leading to the first floor. In the case of the lighthouse building, which is on the waterfront, the flood elevation is considered the mean tide line, which is 8 feet below street level.

At 30 feet above the sidewalk, the developer could actually go a foot higher and still meet the codes, Doyle said.

The lighthouse tower going to 34 feet is another matter, he said. The developer will need to be granted a variance to have it poke up another four feet.

Elling said the lighthouse tower is for aesthetics and is a nod to the history of the century-old building, which was brought to town on a barge from Bellingham in the 1950s. “The light tower really can’t be cut back anymore to keep the look,” he said.

But if the locals don’t like it, the light tower can be eliminated, he said.

“We still do believe in La Conner and would still like to develop a business here,” Elling said. “We’re excited about working with the community, and we’re happy to listen to any ideas.”

Local residents, he said, “are welcome to come in and visit with us.”

The issue is set to go before the Planning Commission again on Oct. 4.

The commission will review the plan and make its recommendation to a hearing examiner, who will issue the final decision on whether the project can go ahead after a public hearing set for Oct. 16.

Plans and information are on the town’s website, http://www.townoflaconner.org.