Neighbors concerned about public access

The bluff on the purchased property feeds sand into the beach. Mickey and Fran Blair bought their property on Henry Lane on Camano Island in the 1960s because it had private beach access.

That is something they would lose if the waterfront property Island County recently purchased becomes a park, Mickey said.

Residents of Henry Lane voiced multiple concerns about the property becoming open for public use. The property is between Camano City and Onamac.

The county signed a sale and purchase agreement with owner Corinne Hieb Dec. 24, 2008, said Island County Commissioner John Dean. Although the county holds the title to the property, Hieb will have possession until the balance is paid.

The total cost of the property was about $987,000.

People have floated various ideas, including a baseball or soccer field or a boat launch, Dean said. However, the county's goal was to acquire the property and determine its use afterward. Preserving public waterfront access is a county priority, he said.

"We don't have any firm plans," Dean said.

Like Cama Beach State Park, any use for the Henry Lane property will be in the future, rather than immediate, especially with the cur- rent economy, he said.

Hieb said her desire was to leave a legacy for her husband, Henry. Since Henry died, keeping up the property has been a challenge for her.

When she first looked at selling the property three years ago, Hieb said the realtor told her that condos were likely. That wasn't something she wanted. She thought a

park would be better.

"It grieves me to think that there is so much belligerence about this," she said.

The county has 20 easements to Hieb's property on file, said Don Mason, with the county's general services administration.

Dean said the county will honor the easements.

"Your rights will remain," Dean said.

John Bomgardner, who holds one of the easements on the Henry Lane property, said the county should have created a plan for the property before purchasing it.

"It seems to me that this was just not thought through," he said

Already, the property gets crowded when only some of those who have easements launch their boats on the beach, Bomgardner said.

The reality is with $4 million cut from the Island County budget, planning that would have normally been done wasn't possible, Dean said.

Ideally, the county would have the use determined before purchase, said Bill Oakes, county public works director.

"A lot of times it doesn't work that way in county government," he said.

This winter, the county will begin its comprehensive parks plan, Oakes said.

The property is currently zoned rural residential, which means pedestrian use would be permitted, but the county would have to rezone the property if it planned to develop a park, said Matt Kukuk, county resource enhancement manager. That rezoning is a public process.

The county has until October 2011 to pay the full amount for the property, Mason said. The county will start making monthly payments on the property this October.

The Henry Lane property is in two tax parcels. The upland four acres will be purchased with about $300,000 from the state's capital budget. The county will resubmit an application for the Conservation Futures Fund for the cost of the lowland three acres, Kukuk said.

A community meeting was held due to a recommendation from the community advisory board, which advises the county commissioners on Conservation Futures Fund applications.

All landowners in the county pay into the Conservation Futures Fund through property taxes, Kukuk said. Properties that can be purchased with the fund must meet criteria, including protection and restoration, public access and education options, urgency and community support.

The county felt the property fit into those guidelines with the upland wildlife, near shore and shoreline habitats, Kukuk said. There is a large eelgrass bed offshore from the property that is important to protect for salmon. In addition, the property has feeder bluffs, where the bluff feeds sand into the natural geological process. It's important to protect the bluffs from bulkheads, he said.

The property has restoration options, with English ivy and blackberries that are invasive, nonnative species, Kukuk said.

Fran said she wonders why the county paid almost $1 million for such a small piece of waterfront.

During high tide, little to none of the beach is accessible, she said.

In addition, Fran questions how public access would impact the bordering properties on the beach.

Henry Lane is a single lane, and the gated road residents use to access the beach with their vehicles and boats is an even narrower road.

Mickey said he doesn't see how people would access the property without using Henry Lane. The footbridge mentioned as an option during the meeting is in poor condition, and one that Mickey wouldn't want to walk across.

Currently, neighbors try to stick to 5 miles an hour on Henry Lane, Fran said.

One person suggested that the county sign Henry Lane over to the residents.

Dean said it was a positive suggestion. The road is part of the Hieb parcel, Kukuk said.

Oakes said he would look into whether or not it was possible to sign the road over to the neighbors.

"We are going to try to find a solution that works for everybody," Dean said.