The county fairgrounds in Langley may not face the squeeze that some fear as the town grows in the future.

Fair officials have recently raised worries that the county fair may have only 10 years of life left in Langley as development consumes vacant land nearby. But city officials say the most intensive development that will occur in Langley will happen in other parts of town, and they stress that Langley’s leaders will make protecting public institutions, such as the fair, a priority as the city’s growth plan is updated.

Growth will likely occur all over town within the next decades.

“Not all growth will happen within 500 feet of the fairgrounds,” said Robert Gilman, a city councilman and the chairman of the comprehensive plan group.

Gilman said city zoning for public uses such as the fair are part of the on-going comprehensive plan review. The comprehensive plan is the city’s guide for growth over the next two decades, and scores of citizens have been working in recent weeks to update the plan.

While the land-use committee is still in the preliminary stages of its work, Gilman said he is confident that public use will be protected.

“One of Langley’s roles on South Whidbey is to be a place where we have public use institutions – the middle school, WICA, the fairgrounds,” he said.

“Those areas already zoned for public use are precious,” he added.

Growth in Langley has been a hot topic around town in recent weeks. Earlier this month, the fair’s consultant Norm Landerman-Moore told Island County Commissioners that the fair in Langley could be history in 10 years if new development landlocks the property in a way that makes regular operations impossible.

Landerman-Moore, an expert who has helped other entities plan recreational facilities and events near highly populated areas, did not return repeated calls for comment.

Much of the land around the fairgrounds is currently off-limits to the development of new subdivisions with small lots and tightly packed homes.

The pie-slice shaped piece of fair property is currently bordered by “public use” zoning on the north side toward the middle school.

Across Langley Road from the fairgrounds’ main entrance, land is zoned “neighborhood business,” but that will soon be rezoned to “public use.”

West of the fairgrounds triangle, at its south end, the land is zoned low-density residential. To the east across Langley Road and to the west, parcels are zoned medium-density residential.

Low-density residential zoning allows for 2.9 units per acre, while the medium density residential zoning allows for six units per acre, said city planner Alice Schisel said.

Compared with statewide standards for growth and development, the area surrounding the fairgrounds does not provide outrageous potential for growth.

In fact, high-density residential zones in Langley are located between Park and Anthes avenues, from the shoreline bluff to Sixth Street. The area also includes parcels with central business or public use zoning in the area between the bluff and Third Street.

Still, the perception may exist that the fairgrounds will be the canary in the coal mine on how future growth will impact existing properties.

There are high-profile developments planned near the fairgrounds and Langley Road. The future site of the Highlands, the largest development in Langley’s history with more than 50 new homes, is off Al Anderson Road. And on Sixth Street and Camano, the Garden Bungalows are being built.

City officials plan to spread growth throughout the city.

“Throughout the city and the urban growth area, there’s quite a bit of medium density areas. I wouldn’t say any areas are more or less likely to be developed,” Gilman said.

Gilman said the revision of the comp plan is an open process and a good opportunity for those interested in the future of those areas.

“The doors are always open,” Gilman said.

One of the key issues the comp plan land-use committee is considering is providing space for public institutions in undeveloped areas.

However, the corridor between WICA (Whidbey Island Center for the Arts) and the fairgrounds will be an important area for consideration as the school district and Langley Middle School rethink the use of the property. The fair board is also calling for zoning changes that would intensify the use of the fairground property.

“We are always looking for creative ways of serving the common good,” Gilman said.

Michaela marx Wheatley can be reached at 221-5300 or mmarxwheatley@southwhidbeyrecord.com.