306 Center St. project gets town approval

Brandon and Kate Atkinson, owners of the 306 Center Street La Conner property, got the letter they have long wanted: An administrative determination on April 4 from the Town of La Conner planning department approves their application for their three-story 20-unit building with “six first- floor motel-type units and 14 second and third floor long-term residential dwelling units that may be developed as apartments or condominiums.”

Planning Director Michael Davolio’s letter lists 15 conditions under which the developers can proceed to apply for Skagit County building permits. Five are fire safety requirements, ranging from removing landscaping to adding a fire hydrant on Center Street and placing power lines underground.

The conditions include:

- A special height inspection must be made once the building has been fully framed.

- Three mandate parking space modifications, from parking space size to requiring half for compact cars.

- A plan for managing the “­motel-type rental units” must be reviewed and approved by the town.

The town will approve revised plans before issuing its certificate of authorization to the Skagit County Planning and Development Department.

The letter briefly summarizes the proposal’s granting of conditional-use approval for residential housing above first floor commercial space from the town’s hearing examiner in February 2023 and its commercial zoning status, which was challenged by residents who were unsuccessful in appealing that hearing examiner decision.

Eight architectural, engineering and related documents were submitted in March. That followed 23 documents filed with the town in October.