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Surveying error discovered in
Friday Harbor House project
By Sharon Kivisto
posted 01/10/02
The discovery of a surveying error will require plans for the Friday Harbor House/Port of Friday Harbor project to be redrawn. Port staff found out Jan. 8, 2002 that the line delineating 200 feet from the shoreline was off by up to 18 feet. Port Auditor Marilyn O'Connor said, "Friday Harbor House wants to pull back and redesign. They don't want to go into the shoreline process." Development within 200 feet of the shoreline requires a shoreline use permit.
The error was discovered when engineers for Friday Harbor House double-checked key points. Port Commissioner Greg Hertel said, "I'm very upset with MPD. I hope they have omissions and errors insurance."
Friday Harbor House was planning to build an addition to their hotel on top of offices to be built by the Port of Friday Habor on the old Unocal property. The project has been controversial until an agreement was reached with opponents last month.
After getting over the initial shock, port staff found some bright sides to the problem. Port Director Steve Simpson said, "The view from above will be better, because the building will be pulled farther in, the elevation will be the same. "
O'Connor said because a U.S. Customs office would be a permitted use under the Shoreline Use Regulations, the bottom floor of the project could remain in the originally planned footprint." By doing so, the building would be terraced and the view of the building from the water side would be better she said.
Three-story building OK with Legion
posted:11/14/01
Eleven months after a proposal to build a four-story building on Front Street unleashed heated opposition, a three-story compromise was reached. At a gathering yesterday, (Nov. 13) in Friday Harbor House, Port Commissioner Brian Calvert said, "There's an end to the conflict. When dealing with conflict, I live by the proverb -- Do you want to be right or do you want to be happy? I'm happy to say, the Port, the American Legion and Friday Harbor House are both right and happy."
Upset over the loss of some of their view if the building was constructed, American Legion members opposed the plans and filed an injunction in March 2001. The four story building would have housed port offices on one floor, U.S. Customs offices on another and Friday Harbor House suites and meeting rooms on the top two floors.
Port Commissioner Greg Hertel said Marilyn O'Connor and other port staff deserve the credit for the compromise. They came to us and suggested we take the port offices out of the equation he said.
The shorter building met with approval from the American Legion. Calvert said the group gave its unanimous approval. He thanked attorney Carla Higginson for her work on the compromise.
Higginson said under the agreement:
- the building will not be higher than the retaining wall behind the American Legion.
- The Legion will not oppose the Front Street turn around project of the remodel of the existing port offices.
- And the Legion recognizes the port gave up some property rights.
Architect Alan Grainger showed drawings of the proposed three-story building at the gathering. A board room on the top floor opens onto a garden. Meetings for up to 24 people could be accommodated in the space. Two guest suites and a lounge round out the top floor. Three guest suites would take up the middle floor. The bottom floor would house U.S. Customs offices. Grainger said the new plans allow for a better pedestrian traffic flow for guests coming up to Friday Harbor House from the marina.
Langdon Simmons, one of the owners of Friday Harbor House, was happy about the cooperation of the neighbors. If construction goes as planned "there will be a grand opening in 2003," he said.
