Commissioners Present: Benye Weber, Ann McDonald and Marshall Bronson

Others Present: Jim Patton (Executive Director), Donna Keeler (Master Site Plan Coordinator), Greenbank Residents: Tom Baenen, Deb Anderson, Glen & Janet Russell, Mark Fessler, Sharon Dunn, Mark Sheehan, Mary Jo & Michael Stansbury, Diane Watts and Wayne Flaaten, Langley Residents: Mike McVay and Todd Bitts, Coupeville Resident: Mike Diamanti, and seven others who did not sign in.

Call to Order: The special meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. by Commissioner Weber in the Greenbank Progressive Club, located at the corner of Bakken Road and Firehouse Road in Greenbank, WA, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Purpose of the Meeting: Weber stated that the purpose of the meeting was to provide a briefing to the public on the draft Master Site Plan for the Greenbank Farm. The Comprehensive Plan 2007-2026, adopted by the Board on May 9, 2007, identified the Master Site Plan as one of the Port's most important projects for the immediate future. This draft plan has taken more than one year to complete and represents the input of many contributing volunteers. The Board wishes to incorporate the views of the public to the maximum extent possible before adopting the plan.

The public were invited to attend this special meeting but public input was limited to questions, comments and suggestions for the Master Site Plan.

Welcome and Introductions: Weber introduced herself, her fellow Commissioners, Bronson and McDonald, Executive Director, Jim Patton, and Master Site Plan Coordinator, Donna Keeler. She welcomed the public and thanked them all for coming to the meeting.

Presentation of the draft Master Site Plan (MSP): Patton provided a one hour PowerPoint presentation on the draft MSP (on file at the Port office and on the website at www.portofcoupeville.org).

Questions, Comments and Suggestions (public participation):

An unidentified individual asked if the draft would be available on the Port's website and was told it would be.

Michael Stansbury, President of the Greenbank Farm Management Group (GFMG) and Greenbank resident, gave kudos to the Board, Keeler and the focus groups and expressed his appreciation for their hard work on the draft MSP.

Glen Russell of Greenbank expressed his appreciation and support of the Conservation Easement, an important element of the MSP. He stated that he found it curious that the Board had not gotten behind the supporters of beach access to Holmes Harbor via Wonn Road. Such access would have strong potential for economic development, tourism, etc. which would support the MSP and the Comprehensive Plan initiatives and help create a maritime center that would bring boats and more people to the area. Russell said he would like to see the Port get behind this issue.

An unidentified individual suggested that the interior walls in the floor plan of the proposed multi-use building should be removable so the facility would have the flexibility to be used for different events.

Patton responded that this was a good idea and could be incorporated in the design of the building. Patton went on to say that movable walls would be consistent with the potential use of the proposed building as an emergency or disaster center. The site already has access to a potable water supply that flows with gravity, and could host a triage and shelter station and a helicopter evacuation pad. Patton said that the farm is already included in the county Emergency Plan and the proposed building could make an important contribution.

Mark Sheehan of Greenbank asked about the length of the public comment period and Patton said that he expected the Board to limit it to 30 days - ending on August 1^st. Sheehan said the MSP should focus on the appropriation mix of wildlife habitats and recreational trails. Agricultural fields are very important habitat areas, and trails could adversely impact habitat areas. The MSP should explicitly include a wildlife biologist in the trails planning process.

Regarding a new parking area, Sheehan said it seemed like a waste of agricultural land to pave more parking for dog walkers, and suggested they should just use the existing parking areas.

Sheehan suggested they should do an assessment of the current lighting at the farm. He said it is important to protect the night sky in this rural area and the farm should use no more than appropriate lighting to avoid light pollution, He said, however, that illumination is needed at the intersection of Highway 525 and Wonn Rd. to prevent accidents like the unfortunate death of a young woman a few years ago. Stansbury said the GFMG is working on reducing the lighting at the Farm while keeping the parking lot area safe.

Mike McVay of Langley noted that there is a lot of literature available on night lighting. He agreed with Sheehan about not adding more parking. McVay said a left turn lane was needed off State route 525 to Wonn Road. The lane could be extended from Smugglers Cove Road. He asked about the finances for the Farm and where is the financial information available. Weber said the GFMG 2008 Annual Report would be available on the Port website.

Pat Lawrence, a summer resident, voiced concern about the size of the proposed multi-purpose building, and asked if the existing buildings had been considered for the various uses instead of a new building. Patton said that increasing the uses of the existing buildings had been considered but would not be feasible. Lawrence said the new building should be built with special provisions for its acoustic properties so that it could accommodate concerts and other musical events.

Sheehan suggested that instead of taking an acre of land for the solar panels, why not use the roofs of the proposed new and even the old buildings? He was concerned about using agricultural land and wildlife habitat for a solid surface field of panels. He also said that the location cited in the briefing might be too far for people who would be interested in "techo-tourism" to walk to.

Matt Young, of the Market Farmers, said they are grateful for the new manifold that the Port purchased for the irrigation system. He said the farmers would like to see an expanded store - a place to sell products year-round, or an expansion of the Café or Wine Shop to accommodate such a store.

Debbie Anderson of Greenbank said she supports water access to the Greenbank Farm and asked if there was any chance of a partnership between the Port and the Nature Conservancy (which owns property northwest of the intersection of State Route 525 and Smugglers Cove Road) which might facilitate water access between the farm and Admiralty Inlet. She suggested the Port should partner with the Washington State Department of Transportation to preserve the wetland at the intersection of Route 525 and Wonn Road. Anderson also said some of the Community Supported Agriculture produce can be sold at the Greenbank Store. She and others expressed concerns about the current 55 mph speed limit on Route 525 as being too high to allow for turning safely into and out of Wonn Road.

There were no additional comments. On behalf of the Board, Weber thanked everyone for coming.

ADJOURNMENT: Commissioner Weber adjourned the meeting at 8:30 p.m.