Wow, I just discovered your organization at the Saturday Farmers’ Market. I am SO glad you exist. I try to follow all of the meetings of the city, but I truly don’t understand any of it. My interests are in preserving the shorelines in a safe, environmental way. ++I’m concerned about the MJB properties and what they are doing like luring the city into paying for restrooms, streets, streetlights, proper drainage systems, parking and all…
Date: July 13th, 2026 Subject: Nihart comment on AMC Title 19, Unified Development Code Hello Planning Commission: I have some concerns regarding the AMC Title 19, Unified Development Code proposal. I am hoping the Planning Commission members can help me understand better. How does doing a substantial process change at the same time as a huge time-consuming, complex process provide for “better” outcomes than completing the SMP/CAO updates and approval first than doing a process improvement…
Smart Growth Anacortes Date: July 15th, 2026 Subject: SGA AMC Title 19, Unified Development Code – Comments Corrected. To: Planning Commission Hello Again Planning Commission Members: SGA has taken more input on the AMC Title 19, Unified Development Code and has done more analysis. This has led to a more defined and directed set of comments. It is SGA’s hope that these comments are not seen as divisive but rather as a start…
Smart Growth Anacortes urges the Planning Commission to strengthen the proposed Title 19 Permit Streamlining Amendments to ensure early, meaningful public involvement and avoid unintended consequences in sensitive neighborhoods such as the R1 Zone. While we support efforts to improve efficiency, the current draft shifts too many permits to administrative review, reduces early engagement, and creates a “lock‑in” effect by limiting later review of site plans. We recommend requiring pre‑application neighborhood meetings, restoring pre‑decision public…
Date: July 13th, 2026 Subject: Nihart comment on AMC Title 19, Unified Development Code Hello Planning Commission: I have some concerns regarding the AMC Title 19, Unified Development Code proposal I am hoping the Planning Commission members can help me understand better. How does doing a substantial process change at the same time as a huge time-consuming, complex process provide for “better” outcomes than completing the SMP/CAO updates and approval first than doing a…
Dear editor, I am 74, forming most of my views during the Vietnamese war, 3 political assassinations, resignation of President Nixon, horrible environmental degradation, and the Arab Oil crisis. For me, the future needed to use less energy and form rules to decrease ecological destruction, as did most other voters in this State. This was the cauldron that created the Growth Management Act. I fought for and embraced it. The citizens of Anacortes (me) have…
Letter to Council and local citizens, Councilman Walters dislike of public comment and due process is apparent in his aversion to a conditional use permit process for impactful projects marks a major departure from previous City Council members recognition that: ‘neighbors have property rights too’ design standards need to take into account existing neighborhood character staff often have to deal with inaccurate applications and incomplete information, and neighbors have at a minimum a right to…
