Latest Headlines from Langley and South Whidbey

Covering these government agencies from Langley and South Whidbey Island.

Whidbey Island Public Hospital District (WhidbeyHealth)South Whidbey Fire/EMS
City of LangleySouth Whidbey Parks and Recreation District
South Whidbey School DistrictPort of South Whidbey

LANGLEY: Comment period open for Coles Valley PUD (SWR)

Commenters have until 4 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 23 to express their thoughts about the proposed Coles Valley PUD, or planned unit development, in Langley.
The application for the project was deemed complete on Sept. 19 by city staff. Previously, the project had received two notices of incomplete application for not having sufficient materials. The original application was submitted to the city in August 2022 and deemed incomplete in September 2022. An updated application was submitted June 14 of this year, but a second notice of incompleteness was issued June 28.
The project, which has been in the works for several years now, has many steps to take before achieving final approval. The 28-acre, 137-unit project has drawn scrutiny from both the public and members of the city council in the past.

The property owner, South Whidbey LLC, has agreed to sell the 40-acre parcel off Coles Road for $1.6 million to Home on Whidbey, a recently established community land trust, contingent on the approval of the PUD permitting by Langley’s planning department, according to an article in The Record earlier this year.
As part of the project, the city has required that 30% of the homes in the PUD must be affordable. A board member for Home on Whidbey has said that it’s possible the nonprofit housing organization could exceed that 30% threshold, depending on economic factors.

Continue Reading LANGLEY: Comment period open for Coles Valley PUD (SWR)

SOUTH WHIDBEY: School officials are misleading voters about the real cost of proposed school construction bonds (LIV FINNE/WPC)

At next month’s election, administrators at seven school districts are asking local voters to pass more school bond debt.
In 2020 a number of school districts made a similar request, but administrators hid the true cost of what they were proposing.  It appears to be happening again.

Continue Reading SOUTH WHIDBEY: School officials are misleading voters about the real cost of proposed school construction bonds (LIV FINNE/WPC)

LANGLEY: Vandals strike Seawall Park [AUDIO] (SWR)

The Village by the Sea recently experienced graffiti in one of its more scenic spots.
During a city council meeting Monday night, Langley Director of Public Works Randi Perry reported that “significant” graffiti has appeared on some picnic tables and benches at Seawall Park. Expenses to remove graffiti, she said, were also significant.
One picnic table that had been removed from the scene, sanded and restained was vandalized again within a week of its return.

Perry said staff are exploring the option of epoxy coating, which would not require picnic tables and benches to be re-sanded and restained. Councilmember Thomas Gill suggested a coating that would deter not only paint but also carvings.
Councilmember Rhonda Salerno asked Police Chief Tavier Wasser if surveillance cameras could be put up at Seawall Park. In response, Wasser said it’s outside of the city’s capabilities. He explained that having security footage would require someone to be in charge of maintaining it, and ordinances would need to be drafted before the department could begin recording it.
Wasser said in an email to The Record that there is nothing that links this graffiti to previous acts of vandalism that occurred at the Whidbey Island Fairgrounds and the South Whidbey Community Center in April.

Continue Reading LANGLEY: Vandals strike Seawall Park [AUDIO] (SWR)