Council hears Center Street complaint and June Pride Month plans

The La Conner Town Council heard criticism on the Center Street condominium project and La Conner’s upcoming plans for pride month at its May 10 meeting. It ran 75 minutes.

La Conner resident Jim Matthews lamented that the Center Street project was decided by a hearing examiner and not council.

“This is a democracy,” said Matthews, “and our duly elected officials didn’t have any say in that.”

Mayor Ramon Hayes said the hearing examiner format allows decisions to be rendered by a third-party professional from outside town.

“The process was based on established code,” Hayes said.

The system, Matthews countered, “needs to be seriously looked at.” Matthews predicted the 20-unit structure would have a negative impact on the surrounding neighborhood.

“It’s a disaster in the works,” he said. “It’s going to be like tulip time year-round. Everything north of Morris (Street) will be affected. It won’t be good for the town. It may be good for the developer.”

“That property,” Hayes noted, “wasn’t always commercial. Somebody wanted to do something there in the ‘80s.”

Swinomish Indian Tribal Community member Katherine Paul, a La Conner resident, shared the Tribe’s Pride Month plans, including a Pride Parade and Pride Paddle on the Swinomish Channel.

“We would like to include the Town of La Conner like last year and strengthen the relationship between the town and Tribe,” Paul said.

Pride activities are set June 16-18, she said. “We’re looking for that connection with the town for such a monumental event.”

Tillinghast Drive resident Ryan Anderson shared concern with plans to remove street trees whose root systems are buckling the sidewalk. “There is research into alternatives other than cutting down trees and which keep the integrity of the sidewalk,” he said. “All these alternative options are fabulous.”

Skagit County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Beau Montgomery was introduced as the successor to Sgt. Jenny Sheahan-Lee as administer of the La Conner Detachment.

Sheahan-Lee is retiring at the end of the month after 40 years in law enforcement and returning to La Conner in February.

Councilmember MaryLee Chamberlain said the communications committee is planning a second public forum on local housing and development issues.

“We want to do a deeper dive,” she said. “It provides an opportunity for face-to-face communication.”