By GAYLE SARAN

Staff reporter

Freeland property owners would be wise to leave Feb. 8 open on their calendars.

That is day they will get their first look at plans for a proposed sewer collection system for Freeland. The date for unveiling the plan, which will take place in two public workshops, was decided by the Freeland Sub-Area Planning Committee and Island County planning officials during a meeting Jan. 9.

Tom Roehl, chairman of the sub-area planning committee, said plans are for two public workshops on Feb. 8, the first at 11 a.m. and the second at 1 p.m. Each session is expected to take about 90 minutes. A location for the workshops has not yet been selected.

Three options for collection systems will be presented during the workshops, according to Roehl.

They are, “A step system, which is what Holmes Harbor has; a gravity system; and a hybrid of the two,” he said at last Thursday night’s meeting. “The general cost of each type will be part of the workshop.”

County staff will contact property owners by mail later this month about the specifics of the workshop.

Tentative events for the workshop include a presentation by TetraTech/KCM Engineers about different collection systems and costs to homeowners. Island County officials also will give historical information on the Freeland’s designation as a Rural Area of Intensive Development, or RAID, and discuss the impact of becoming Non-Municipal Urban Growth Area, or a NMUGA.

Following the formal presentations, the public will have an opportunity to ask questions and voice opinions.

“In order for the planning process to be successful, Freeland residents need to understand the issues related to NMUGA designation,” said Phil Bakke, the county’s planning official.

Issues discussed at the workshops will be subject of a meeting at 7 p.m. on Feb. 20 at Trinity Lutheran Church. At the meeting, county planners and engineers from Tetra Tech will meet with the sub-area planning committee to discuss the comments received from the public workshop.

The Freeland Sub-Area Planning committee had its first meeting in January 1999 to begin developing a general growth plan for Freeland and to make recommendations to the Island County Commissioners.

A Clinton planning committee was formed at the same time. That group finished its planning process in two years with the recommendation that Clinton should remain a RAID.