| Outside the Lines: Ferry Tales XXXVII A Lot of Trouble Free parking for Guemes Ferry patrons at the 6th Street lot. With gasoline at over $2.50 a gallon, most of us are cautious about fuel consumption. There are smaller cars on the road. More people are ride sharing and there are very few single purpose trips. People do this hoping to defray some of the cost. When Guemes Ferry tickets increased in price, many vehicle passengers became walk-on passengers. The new upper level parking lot, at 6th and I, is almost always full, even though there is no lower access and people who park there must walk 6th street to the ferry. This can be an issue in icy, windy or rainy weather. Yet Guemes Ferry walk-on passengers are a tough lot and there are few other options. The 6th street lot became a bone of contention before it was built, between Bill Mitchell {muralist} and Skagit County. Artist Bill Mitchell wanted to preserve Anacortes' maritime history by creating a museum dedicated to fishing and canneries. Bill wanted to turn the old Apex Cannery into a museum site. The site/building had been put on the list to become a potential national historical site. It never won designation. So, as planned before the conflict, it became the parking lot for the Guemes Ferry. Skagit County Commissioner Don Munks said the County would commemorate the historical significance of the site and save some bricks from the old cannery building. Those saved bricks became the wall parallel to 6th Street. That wall of historically significant bricks blocks the view of the lot from the street and allows this parking lot to be a well-lit secluded nest for thieves and vandals. Petty theft and car prowls are common. Last week 15 cars had gas siphoned while parked overnight in the 6th Street lot. One Guemes resident had all four tires and wheels stolen. Now he has wheel locks on this car. Pretty pathetic! Rumor has it that Skagit County was going to install video security cameras. I wonder who will monitor these cameras. Is there any security plan in place? With the car ferry going in for repairs two days this week, and a ten day haul-out scheduled for May, more cars will be parked overnight. How can we impede being vandalized? Anacortes Police Department suggests:
Free parking for Guemes Ferry patrons at the 6th Street lot? Free for whom? Commentary by MJ Andrak [2.25.7] According to Anacortes Police Officer Bowers, suspects have been apprehended in the spree of fuel siphoning at the Guemes 6th street lot. In addition, Anacortes Police department has increased surveillance of the Guemes lot during the early morning hours. Most vehicle prowls occur between 3:00 AM and 5:00 AM according to APD. This does not preclude Officer Bowers advice to get a locking gas cap, “When the price of gas increases so does the incidence of fuel siphoning”, she added. [3.30.7] Send a message to the Commissioners, Public Works Director and ferry manager.
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