SEQUIM — A representative of the Sequim citizens park advisory board has advised the city against allowing buses to drive into Carrie Blake Park during the Sequim Lavender Growers Association’s Lavender Farm Faire.
“The park is for families, kids, etc.,” said board member Roger Fell, who is also a member of the Sequim Lavender Growers Association.
Fell, who made the recommendation before the City Council on Monday night, said the parks board saw a “potentially dangerous situation” in the park, which has a playground adjacent to Guy Cole Center, where the Lavender Farmers Association plans to have tour buses pick up and drop off lavender farm tour participants.
Both lavender festivals planned in July have until May 20 to submit a “shared” signs, parking, transportation and pedestrian plan to the city of Sequim, the interim city planner said.
Joe Irvin said city festival permits for the Sequim Lavender Growers Association’s Lavender Festival at West Fir Street and the newly formed Sequim Lavender Farmers Association’s Sequim Lavender Farms Faire at Carrie Blake Park have been approved but are conditioned upon the rival organizations working together to make “a joint submittal” showing a sign, parking, traffic and pedestrian plan.
“There is still some issues that need to be coordinated between both groups,” Irvin said, adding he was confident there would be enough parking for the two simultaneous events July 15-17.
The separate festivals are the result of the Sequim Lavender Farmers Association, which earlier this year broke away from the original Sequim Lavender Growers Association, citing philosophical and administrative differences.
While the original group will offer self-guided tours of its farms, the Lavender Farmers Association is planning on tour buses taking visitors from Carrie Blake Park to the pioneering original lavender farms around the Sequim-Dungeness Valley.
Scott Nagel, Sequim Lavender Farmers Association executive director, Monday explained that under that group’s city permit, Carrie Blake Park would be closed to parking, with the Blake property and Trinity United Methodist Church lot on South Blake Avenue open to parking.
A shuttle bus would take those who do not want to walk to Carrie Blake Park’s Guy Cole Convention Center, where they will be able to catch tour buses, Nagel said.
“This will actually be safer for people,” Nagel said.
The Sequim Lavender Growers Association, which is putting on the 14th annual Sequim Lavender Festival, will use the same shuttle parking lots it has used in the past — Bell Creek Plaza at QFC supermarket off East Washington Street, and the J.C. Penney parking lot at Sequim Village Center south of West Washington Street at South Seventh Avenue.
The growers association will stage its event on West Fir Street, where it has in the past, while the lavender farmers association will stage its Sequim Lavender Farm Faire at Carrie Blake Park, the city Water Reclamation Park and the James Center for the Performing Arts bandshell.
Mary Jendrucko, Sequim Lavender Growers Association executive director, said its traffic, transportation and pedestrian plan would not change, but the group was happy to work with the Lavender Farmers Association meet the city’s conditions.
“Our position has always been we are willing to work with them,” Jendrucko said, to meet the city’s conditions for the respective festival permits.
Nagel said he did not anticipate parking problems because there was plenty of capacity.
“There’s more than enough capacity, for more than 1,000 cars in that area,” he said.
Nagel said he was expecting 10,000 ticket buyers for the farmers association’s bus tours, as has been the case in past festivals.
City Public Works Director Paul Haines said the preferred entrance for such tour buses in the future would be at the Rhodefer Road entrance into the east side of the park. The road will be improved in the coming year, Haines said.
Regarding the festival signs, traffic, transportation and pedestrian plan, Haines said: “We’re going to address how we move people all over the east side” of Sequim during the two lavender festivals.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
