Planning Commission gives council multiple First St. options

There are several directions town council members can take when it comes to future traffic flow and parking schemes on South First Street.

The La Conner governing panel was scheduled last night to hear separate recommendations from its planning staff and planning commission for options for downtown traffic and parking as part of an ongoing update of the transportation element of the town’s Comprehensive Plan.

Planner Michael Davolio and Assistant Planner Ajah Eills have proposed South First Street be converted to one-way southbound traffic with parallel parking on both sides of the street.

Planning commission chair Bruce Bradburn and members John Leaver and Cynthia Elliott endorsed that recommendation during their May 7 session at Maple Hall.

The commission’s other members, Sommer Holt and Carol Hedlin, favor two-way traffic on First Street with parking on one side. Their preference was also to be presented.

The primary motive for traffic and parking changes on First Street is public safety. Newer cars and trucks are wider, making it harder for emergency vehicles to get down the narrow street.

“I don’t like change,” said Mayor Marna Hanneman. The former planning commissioner attended the May 7 meeting. “But when it comes to public safety, we have to be conscious of it.”

Town officials have sought input on the downtown traffic and parking issue. There was a community mingle at the Civic Garden Club and a survey with over 60 responses.

The long-range plan is to extend South First Street to Caledonia once the Moore-Clark building’s encroachment on the town’s right-of-way is resolved.

“First Street, hopefully in my lifetime, will be one-way all the way to Caledonia,” Hanneman said. “Moore-Clark is encroaching on our property and that building needs to come down. It’s pretty unsafe.”

Davolio said he feared limiting parking to one side of First Street could have a negative impact on downtown businesses.

Holt noted that one-way traffic on First Street has been tried before and rejected. She noted,“Two-way traffic with parking on one side of the street would allow (Fire Chief) Aaron (Reinstra) space for his vehicles.”

Holt believes the town needs to hold off on a one-way First Street traffic plan “until we learn what’s going to happen with Moore-Clark.”

Davolio said the council isn’t obligated to make an immediate decision on First Street, a prospect met with favor by some in the audience.

“The transportation element is big stuff, it’s a broad overview,” said longtime La Conner resident and former planning commissioner Linda Talman, who has previously questioned the need to link specific traffic and parking strategies to the comp plan.

Commissioners likewise dealt with how best to utilize the south end Jenson Property, which the town acquired in 2022 for $60,000, about one-third its assessed value.

“There are a lot of issues to discuss,” Davolio said, “but there’s no real urgency to this. We can take our time on this.”

The half-acre site has been eyed for affordable housing, community gardens, a food forest, a rain garden and designation as wetlands, among other possibilities.

Hanneman said that at her May 4 Meet the Mayor event residents of nearby Channel Cove weren’t enthused about the property being developed for housing.

“They don’t want a lot more cars coming in,” said Hanneman.

“There have been various proposals,” Bradburn said, “but in terms of resource availability, for now, I guess it’s a case of leaving it alone. We’ll just keep it mowed.”

Prior to the planning meeting, theEmergency Management Commission met for an hour to resume their work on crafting a Community Emergency Management Plan for La Conner. In addition, chairman Jerry George introduced town resident Jonah Keith as a potential new commissioner. The commision has been shorthanded since the death earlier this year of Duane Carpenter.