The Anacortes Planning Commission approved the shoreline permit for the Guemes Ferry terminal building at its regular meeting June 25.

Discussion on the permit application submitted by the Skagit County engineering department was continued from the May 28 planning commission meeting. The permit was required because the building will be within 200 feet of the water line.

Before the project moves forward, the county will have to obtain a city building permit and have the county board of commissioners approve the $500,000 construction project.

County assistant engineer Jeff Miller said the proposed two-story, 64-foot by 20-foot building is intended to consolidate several buildings and reduce the ferry’s footprint on the site. It would also clean up the neighborhood by removing “somewhat raggedy” multiple small buildings.

The building will house a new ticket office, storage facility, offices, ferry traffic waiting area, crew lunch room and shop area.

Unlike the 1979 building that was meant to be a temporary structure, the new building will go on solid land 10 feet to the south and above the high water mark at the end of I Avenue.

Miller said the building cannot be constructed on the ferry landing, which is technically categorized as a bridge. He said such a structure would not be allowed on the water and that the building would have a longer life span than the dock it sits on. The county is seeking grants to replace the Anacortes dock, a project estimated at $3.5 million.

The area leading to the ferry dock will be reconfigured into two holding lanes with the intent of taking waiting traffic off Sixth Street.

The concern during the public comment period at the last meeting centered on the potential loss of parking spaces east of the holding lane on an unmarked gravel area. A parking lot next to the terminal accommodating about 70 cars would not be affected.

Commissioner Clay Leming expressed concern that parking spaces may be lost when the site is reconfigured.

“With respect to the parking issue there should be no net loss. Absolutely no net loss,” he said.

City planner Ian Munce said such an absolute condition would be problematic if the county finds itself with two or three fewer spaces. He also said the city is considering residential parking permits to “allow people who live there some peace.”

Conditions put onto the project by the planning commission included installing hooded low intensity lighting, fully paving the northeast parking lot and access lanes and addressing off-site improvements.

Police Chief Bonnie Bowers recommended other conditions, such as requiring surveillance cameras and illumination in parking areas, and requiring additional parking enforcement during passenger ferry-only periods.

“We think surveillance cameras would be a good addition,” Munce said.

Commissioner Betty Kuehn moved to approve the shoreline permit after noting that her concern is that there is no damage to the public interest.

“I think they need a new building,” she said.

Leming agreed, although he said he still had some concerns about the layout.

The permit was unanimously approved.