FRIDAY HARBOR TOWN COUNCIL

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Rosenfeld wants to protect town's ambience

posted 02/25/02
Town Councilmember Howie Rosenfeld urged the council to consider taking action before a fast food restaurant is built in Friday Harbor. A survey ad in a local newspaper was published earlier this month asking readers to select their top three choices for a fast food restaurant. The respondants would receive a coupon for worth $4 when the restaurant opened. "Is this body interested in being proactive and doing what a few other towns like Nantucket have done to prevent desecration of the town's ambiance?" Rosenfeld asked at the Feb. 21, 2002 council meeting.

Councilmember Vonda Sheiman referred to the legal limits of what towns can do in the state of Washington. "There are problems saying you can't have a McDonald but you can have a Radio Shack," she said.

Rosenfeld suggested the town could make the currently voluntary historic preservation guidelines mandatory.

Councilmember Bill LaPorte said, " We already have a sign ordinance. Are we trying to eliminate McDonalds by name? We have chains of all kinds, Texaco, KeyBank, Chevron..."

"I am not specifically trying to stop a fast food chain from coming into Friday Harbor. We'd be making sure if one comes in it looks fitting for Friday Harbor not Mount Vernon. That it doesn't look like a strip mall," Rosenfeld said.

Councilmember David Jones suggested the town's planning commission tackle the issue during their review of the town's comprehensive plan.

LaPorte explained that the town council puts together a legislative agenda in March to determine the issues that will be dealt with. He suggested Jones and Rosenfeld could make recommendations then. The council as a whole decides on the agenda and prioritizes the items.