GUEST COLUMN BY ROGER COLLIER

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Let's Try Solving the Problem, Commissioner…

posted 02/11/04
Those know anything about the so-called "guest house issue" must have been startled by some of the statements in Commissioner John Evans' Guest Column on the subject. Given the tone of Commissioner Evans' column, especially his misunderstanding of Friends of the San Juans' position, it's clear that a few corrections to his remarks are in order, in addition to those already provided by the Editor of the San Juan Islander.

What are Friends of the San Juans and Commissioner Evans arguing about? It's certainly not the right of island residents to construct outbuildings. It's whether to allow new rentable detached guest houses-including kitchen, bathroom, and living quarters-to be built on every rural and shoreline lot in San Juan County.

Three times in the past four years, the County's guest house regulations have been found in violation of State law, most recently by Superior Court. Nevertheless, these various decisions leave San Juan County residents with considerable latitude in meeting the need for guest accommodations. First, the use of the 1,100-plus existing guest houses is unaffected. Second, both new attached and internal guest house accommodations are allowed-and can be rented. Third, new guest accommodations that do not meet the exacting definition of a guest house are not affected by the various legal rulings.

Friends of the San Juans is concerned with the impact of allowing new rentable detached guest houses on every rural and shoreline lot. Already more than one in six island residences has a guest house, even after a four-year moratorium. According to the County's own consultant, 23 percent of these are rented, even though such rentals have been allowed only since the passage of the present Comprehensive Plan. And encouraging shoreline property owners to build a second rentable residence is likely to result not only in a wall of homes along our beaches and bays, but the overwhelming of shoreline neighborhoods by excessive transient housing. It's not the trivial issue that Commissioner Evans believes it to be.

It's hard to know exactly why the Commissioner is so determined to defeat the law. While his Guest Column lists various situations in which property owners might like to have a rentable detached guest house, he does not consider the existing legal alternatives. More significantly, his arguments are very different from those voiced by his fellow Commissioners and their attorney just a couple of weeks ago. "It's all about affordable housing," said County attorney Alan Marriner, summarizing the Commissioners' position. But now, according to Commissioner Evans, it isn't.

Friends of the San Juans has offered to enter into settlement negotiations on the guest house issue but, sadly, the County's response has been an absolute refusal to consider such discussions. One of the most disappointing things about the tone of Commissioner Evan's Guest Column is his implicit rejection of any compromise, regardless of possible benefit to taxpayers. As one individual familiar with the issue remarked when the claim was made that the guest house issue was about affordable housing: "The County could really have done a lot for affordable housing with the taxpayer money they've spent fighting the guest house issue."

Friends of the San Juans believes there are ways to alleviate the affordable housing problem, and that there are ways to prevent the wall of mega-homes that some fear along our shorelines. Friends of the San Juans also believes that almost all guest accommodation needs can be met within the existing law. Despite Commissioner Evans' apparent preference for accusations over accuracy, perhaps there's still time to work together to try to solve our County's problems-without spending more dollars on lawyers and consultants.

Roger Collier
President of Friends of the San Juans

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