The current rules governing development at the March Point industrial area are vague and inadequate for the energy transitions underway in the 21st century. The City of Anacortes has an opportunity in the Comprehensive Plan Update 2025 to preemptively mitigate the risks and ensure environmental conditions are placed on future developments by adopting specific language in the Comprehensive Plan and regulations before projects take shape. Without an update, confusion and messy permitting processes will stall projects and lead to undesirable uses in this industrial area. Updating rules now can set specific, clear expectations and processes.
March Point is Vulnerable
Other jurisdictions to the north and south of March Point including Whatcom County (Cherry Point), King County, Tacoma and Vancouver all have legislation that prohibits new and expanded fossil fuel industries and establishes protective conditions for permitting existing refineries and terminals bolstered by environmental review and public processes. Still March Point has no such restrictions making it a vulnerable target for siting undesirable, environmentally harmful uses such as an Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) storage and marine fueling and/or bunkering facility or a major fossil fuel transfer and export facility.
Dueling Jurisdictions
The March Point heavy impact industrial zone falls within the City of Anacortes’ Urban Growth Area (UGA). Development at March Point is subject to Anacortes Municipal Code, and is shaped by the Anacortes Comprehensive Plan policies, although Skagit County manages the permitting and environmental review processes for projects. This can make for a messy process at times, which makes safeguards and public processes all the more important.
What You Can Do
Tell the City of Anacortes that we need to:
- Protect public health, the environment and worker safety by including regulations to guide future uses
- Update the Comprehensive Plan to establish a vision for March Point
- Prohibit future uses such as an LNG terminal, xylene plant, or new bulk fuel shipment terminals at March Point
- Restrict authorized uses for new or modified equipment to prevent piecemeal permitting
- Follow pre-established public processes for notification and public comment