Public forum set Dec. 11 on town's south-end plan

Only 26 shopping days remain until Christmas. But another significant deadline looms even sooner.

The Town of La Conner will hold its second public workshop on proposed revitalization of the four-acre former south end industrial zone on Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. at Maple Hall.

That's just two weeks away.

Draft concepts for the area will be presented.

Planning Director Michael Davolio confirmed that a spokesperson for property owner Triton America, whose focus is aviation, has been invited to all meetings addressing south end redevelopment.

"The owner's representative has met twice with the Town," Assistant Planner Ajah Eills told planning commissioners at their Nov. 19 meeting. "We hope to have a third meeting."

The property south of Town Hall and west of the South Third Street public parking lot has been underutilized for decades, since the closure and demolition of the old San Juan Island pea cannery building and decision by British Petroleum to vacate the Moore-Clark fish feed plant.

Consultant Tom Beckwith and his team have craft revitalization scenarios, relying heavily upon responses to a survey available online since September. That data will probably be reviewed at the Dec. 3 planning commission meeting, Eills said.

Zoning changes will likely be made to encourage ­development.

Eills anticipates strategies for financing any south end redevelopment to be addressed at the Dec. 11 forum.

A state planning grant funds this plan.

Planning commissioners again discussed a non-voting student representative joining their board at their meeting. School staff have not responded completely.