Subject:

The proposed urban village along N. Samish Way

What they said then:

In the July 2008 issue of the BBJ, we wrote about a series of public meetings held by city planners to discuss all aspects of a proposed mixed-use urban village along N. Samish Way. Hot topics included boundaries, building heights and the creation of a more bike- and pedestrian-friendly environment.

At the time, many businesses in the area were unsure about the idea: “I think it will be very hard to build an urban village here because there’s so many existing businesses and there’s no attraction here,” said Brian Lee, who manages the Aloha Motel, one of eight motels along the street. “I think it’s a good idea, but I’m not sure how it can be done.”

After receiving public comments, city staff went to work designing a draft master plan.

What they say now:

City staff presented draft concepts in late February and are currently accepting public comments as part of the environmental review process.

The draft plan calls for a tree-lined median through N. Samish Way and includes building incentives like the floor-area-ratio that was first adopted in the Old Town subarea plan.

The master plan is scheduled to go before the planning commission in June and then to the City Council for final approval. To learn more, visit www.cob.org and search for “Samish Way urban village.”