The Town of Coupeville publishes a newsletter six times a year. We reprint portions regarding the Town’s governmental activities. For the full contents of the current newsletter, click this link.
Middle Housing Code Update
The Town is nearly ready to begin our formal adoption process. Be on the lookout for public notification for the Planning Commission public hearing at the beginning of March. For more information on the proposed updates, visit the project site here.
Temporary Public Restrooms In Downtown Coupeville
After losing our public restrooms in the Chamber building a few years ago (they could no longer handle public use, the sewer line had issues, we could not keep them sanitary and the building owner was not interested in extending the lease) the Town, Chamber and Coupeville Historic Association have been looking for an alternative. Porta Potties were not the answer, we got more complaints about porta potties than we did about not having restrooms downtown.
The Town is going to install a temporary fix by installing three more permanent, yet still portable, restrooms on the west, exterior end of the Rec Hall. The restrooms will be plumbed into the Rec Hall water and sewer lines and have sinks with running water and toilets that flush. We will paint the exterior to match the Rec Hall so they blend in as much as possible. We understand this is not an ideal location, however, after evaluating several other sites in the downtown area, it is the most efficient and cost-effective location for a temporary fix. This location does not require cutting into roads or getting easements for water and sewer lines on private property and installing new lines. We will be working to find a more permanent solution.
As a reminder, the Town has: remodeled restrooms in Town Park, which are accessible from the downtown area via a path on Front Street, restrooms in the public parking lot on Alexander, and the library and port have graciously offered their restrooms for public use. If you visit LaConner, Anacortes, Port Townsend or many other small, historic towns, you will see there is not access to public restrooms on every block. This is because owners of historic buildings are not required to provide public restrooms, as newer retail spaces are, so there are fewer options for our visitors in the downtown area unless they are a restaurant customer. We will continue to work on this issue and appreciate your help in educating our visitors to the many public facilities we have in town. Thank you!
BOARDWALK AND NEW MAIN STREET SIDEWALK
The town will be replacing the boardwalk on Front Street and constructing the last block of sidewalk needed to complete the North Main Street sidewalks. The sidewalk will extend from Coveland to Front on the east side of Main Street. The Boardwalk needs structural work underneath to keep it safe and extend its life. We are close to awarding the contract, but until we negotiate with the selected contractor, we do not have a timeline to share.
It is our expectation Front and Main Streets will remain open most of the time and access will be provided to the two
businesses which have store entrances on the boardwalk. We will try to complete work before the busy summer season
and will work around the Mussel Fest and Water Festival. Some parking spaces will be needed for pedestrian access and construction zones. Road and sidewalk work is never easy, but I’m sure you all appreciate this type of work requires milder temperatures and less precipitation. The Town will keep the businesses on Front street notified of the schedule when it is finalized, and we will do everything in our power to make the project as quick and painless as possible for the customers in the downtown area.
PLANNING DEPARTMENT NEWS
Coastal Adaptation Strategy
The Town of Coupeville is conducting a Coastal Adaptation Survey to receive input about the appropriateness and preference of our initial action ideas. The survey can be found on the project site. Thank you for taking the time to participate!
