LopezRocks - Item

Yes, it is true that I allowed the County Department of Public Works to remove the table at the county road end on Weeks Points Way, and here’s why.

In recent months, I was contacted by property owners on Weeks Point Way to discuss the increasing public nuisance and disturbance they have been experiencing, both during the day and into the evening on the county road end at Weeks Point Way.

This situation has been worsening since COVID, and property owners in the neighborhood have raised their concerns with the Public Works Department and the County Sheriff’s staff on Lopez numerous times to no effect. Out of frustration they chose to raise their concerns with me.

While most Lopezians and visitors care for and respect the county property where the table is located, all too often individuals use this as a daytime and evening hangout as if it were a park, which, to be clear it is not. It is a road end.

The ‘day use only’ signs belong to the property owners on either side, and the County has tried numerous times to keep them from posting their personal signs on County property which is illegal.

This Weeks Point Way property was deeded to the County in 1958 by former property owner Lloyd Weeks to be used as a road providing the public with access to the water. It is occasionally used as a county barge landing, including for houses. It was never intended or designated as a county park.

When I asked the Public Works Department to look up the origins of the picnic table, there was no record of it as a county asset nor was there a record of formal decision by the county commissioners to have it placed there.

Yes, it has been there for approximately 20 years when according to former county commissioner Rhea Miller who was serving at that time it was placed there to improve this road end.

Those who enjoy this picnic table are not exposed to the daily remnants left behind by those who disrespect this property - those are cleaned up by the property owners at their own time and expense - nor do they experience the disturbances that occur there.

The county’s Public Works staff do not have the resources to clean up this site daily for the public to enjoy, nor do the Sheriff’s deputies on Lopez have the resources to be patrolling this area.

Very unfortunately, the care and respect for public property in our islands has diminished significantly in recent times and individuals have taken to abusing county property. This worsening situation on Weeks Point Way is mirrored by similar behavior that forced the recent removal of the public toilet at the Hunter Bay dock a few weeks ago. We’ve also seen abuse of the public toilet by the school sports field (provided by the Lopez Pack), causing it to be moved and locked when there is no school sporting event. Some may also recall that the Land Bank kiosk at Lopez Hill was recently destroyed. There are multiple instances of these kinds of public abuses of county property occurring on the other islands as well, particularly Orcas Island.

Sadly, when people do not respect county property there are limits to what the county can do to maintain them. In this case, the property owners adjacent to the county road end, and multiple other property owners in the neighborhood, want the public disturbance and nuisance at that picnic table to end. Public Works offered to remove the picnic table which I allowed.

While I appreciate the public interest in this site and the table that was there, the public nuisance and disturbance occurring at this location could not be allowed to continue unaddressed.

My actions were taken in response to requests by community members who live on Weeks Point Way and have the right to quiet enjoyment of their property. I sincerely regret that this action has upset some members of our Lopez community.

Jane Fuller
San Juan County Council Member, District 3