306 Center Street permit problems

The application for the three-story condominiums and first floor rentals at 306 Center Street needs to be revised to meet the town’s code height requirement, Town of La Conner Planning Director Michael Davolio wrote property owner Bandon Atkinson at 10:50 p.m. Oct. 24. “[Y]our design plans appears to show an elevator shaft that exceeds the town’s 30’ height limit. This drawing will not be approved.”

Davolio’s communication might have been prompted by questions at the town council meeting earlier that evening. Residents Linda Talman and Leslie Smith pointed out that the elevator shaft exceeded the 30-foot height restriction.

That afternoon Davolio wrote Atkinson that his permit application had five, not the six short-term rental units approved by the town’s hearing examiner in 2022. Davolio quoted Town code: “Hotel, motel, or apartment hotel’ means any building containing six or more guest rooms” and wrote that for the approval process to continue the application requires six first floor units.

Over 20 application documents for the project were submitted to the town Oct. 17.