A small, historic building on the north end of Vashon Island could soon find new life as a neighborhood grocery store if King County approves the plan later this year.

Jennifer Potter, the owner of The Vashon-Maury Grange Hall, is leading the effort to repurpose the property at 10365 SW Cowan Road into “Heights Grocery,” which will require a zoning amendment through the county comprehensive plan process.

A long-time Vashon resident, Potter envisions the store as a convenient stop for islanders to pick up basic groceries such as milk and eggs. Conveniently located near the ferry dock and next to the park-and-ride, it would also feature a small coffee booth and outdoor seating area.

Potter is known for her civic and cultural contributions to island life.

Working for the Vashon Island Chamber of Commerce as its event manager, she produced Vashon’s Strawberry Festival, WinterFest and other seasonal street celebrations from 2018-2021, and volunteered on the Chamber’s events committee for many years prior to that.

She has also served as a board member for Vashon-Maury Island Preschool and the DOVE Project. A talented musician, singer, actor and emcee, she has frequently performed in island venues, mostly in support of island nonprofits including the Vashon Food Bank and Vashon Youth & Family Services. .

In an interview, Potter explained her ambition to open a grocery store as part of her embrace of community life on Vashon.

“I’ve wanted to run a little grocery store basically my whole life,” she said. “I am just a community member stepping up to revitalize the space and provide an essential asset.”

Perched at the top of the hill from the ferry dock, the red building has a long history.

According to island resident William Forrester, a member of The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, the building originally started as the North End Community Center in the 1910s and didn’t officially become a Grange Hall until 1941. Island historian Bruce Haulman corroborates this account and said the building was then rebuilt in 1953 by the Grange.

Potter, the building’s owner for three years and its steward for four, has continued to use the hall as a community gathering space, renting it out for events like baby showers, plays, memorials and pumpkin carving events.

“It is so important for my community to gather,” Potter said. “A small, family-owned business is the backbone of our country.”

For Potter, the grocery store has been a dream in the making for more than a decade.

She describes the project as a throwback to a time when small neighborhood stores were a lifeblood of the island. Minglement and Harbor Mercantile are the last survivors of what was once a network of more than a dozen small neighborhood grocery stores across Vashon.

“These stores were the heart and hub of every neighborhood,” Potter said.

Potter sees the zoning amendment she’s applied for as “restorative,” a way to bring Vashon back to its roots of neighborhood stores.

Maintaining the building’s historical charm is one of Potter’s top priorities. She plans to preserve the iconic log cabin structure, including the original wooden vaulted ceiling, along with the nostalgic log cabin smell that has permeated the hall for decades.

To enhance the store’s functionality, Potter plans to remove the false ceiling and part of a wall, creating a new front entrance with a glass door and replacing the current side entrance. The grocery store would include a coffee window and a small outdoor seating area with benches.

Potter has sought advice from other small grocers and plans to tailor her inventory based on the buying habits of Vashon residents. While she hopes to keep prices affordable, she acknowledges that the store will need to “pencil out” for her family.

She also plans to involve her family in the store’s operation, with her two high schoolers helping to run the business.

Getting in the zone

The property on which the Grange sits, like most properties on the north end, is specifically zoned RA-5 (one dwelling unit per 5 acres).

In King County’s RA-5 zoning, businesses are generally limited to agricultural, forestry, and home-based businesses that are compatible with the rural character of the area. Opening a business in RA-5 zoning is possible, but it typically must be a type allowed under the zoning code, such as a home occupation, cottage industry, or agricultural-related enterprise.

Opening Heights Grocery will require zoning changes through the Comprehensive Plan, which outlines long-term goals for land use.

To avoid spot-zoning — where zoning rules are altered for a single property instead of through a broader community planning process — the county follows a structured process that includes public input, environmental assessments and review by the Planning Commission. Any proposed zoning changes must align with broader community needs and the county’s long-term vision.

Initially, in September 2021, Potter asked for the hall to be rezoned to “Neighborhood Business,” a designation seen in several areas across Vashon including Burton and at Mermaid Market. As part of the comprehensive plan, neighborhood business rezoning is part of efforts to promote mixed-use development and increase access to essential services in residential areas.

But the county rejected the rezoning to “neighborhood business” because it could open the door for other rural properties to seek similar zoning, creating a broader range of possibilities beyond the scope of the comprehensive plan.

Instead, in 2023, the County proposed a unique zoning overlay that would require the hall to gain historic status.

The proposed modification to the zoning code would expand allowable uses on properties zoned Rural Area (RA) by introducing an exception for “food stores.”

This exception would come with strict conditions. It would only apply to former Grange halls incorporated under chapter 24.28 RCW, and only on properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places or designated as a King County landmark under county code. Additionally, the parcel would have to be within 1,000 feet of a Rural Neighborhood Commercial Center (RNCC).

The decision to give the Grange building historic landmark status will be made in December alongside the zoning question.

The process to open Heights Grocery has faced resistance from part-time islander Rick Shrum, who lives just 40 feet from the building, and his partner, Ginger Ferguson. They’ve hired legal counsel to navigate the zoning changes required to allow a grocery store in the rural area.

Shrum said he’s not opposed to the idea of a grocery store itself. At the heart of his objections is the idea that this process amounts to special treatment. He says the zoning category is being created under the Comprehensive Plan update process specifically for Potter’s project, especially because of the condition that the Grange hall would need to be 1,000 feet away from a commercial center — and because food stores currently aren’t allowed on rural-zoned properties.

Shrum critiques the plan for the Grange as an example of spot-zoning and argues that this could set a precedent allowing other non-conforming developments in rural areas.

Shrum also argues that the zoning overlay bypasses the broader community planning process, creating a loophole for Potter’s project. Practically speaking, he also worries about increased foot traffic and noise.

“Are you going to have dumpsters? Semi trucks delivering food in the middle of the night? What hours are you going to open?” Shrum said. “She’s just got a golden ticket to open a store. What rules would she have to follow?”

Potter said the project will follow King County’s due diligence process, including updates to the building’s infrastructure, before the grocery store can open.

Potter said she will also send out a questionnaire to neighbors of the north end to best fit their needs.

As far as semi-truck deliveries, Potter said it’s highly unlikely a market of this size would require deliveries by semi-trucks, and especially not in the middle of the night.

“I can imagine the occasional box truck,” she said. “But, as with many aspects of this project, I will prioritize the neighbors closest to the store when setting up a delivery schedule.”

She said she’d take the same approach for managing dumpsters.

Community embraces proposal

Most public reactions to the proposal have been positive.

During an April 4 comprehensive plan meeting at Vashon Center for the Arts, many north end islanders expressed their excitement for the proposed grocery store and said it would fill a vital need in the area.

One commenter humorously highlighted the issue of drivers on Vashon Highway using cannabis and heading into town, putting themselves and others at risk in their weed-fueled quest for snacks.

“All of this could be solved if they could get food at the Grange Hall,” he said, to laughter and applause from the audience.

“On the north end, we’re all getting very old, and people aren’t getting out of their houses. … This would be a way for people to connect, to have a coffee and go play cards,” said one north end resident who has lived on the island for 50 years.

“I don’t think we should take this historic building and just leave it there,” said another islander in the meeting. “I think we should do something good with it and give back to the community.”

As December approaches, Potter remains optimistic that her proposal will be approved.

“I welcome any neighbor’s concern when they’re brought to me directly and respectfully,” she said. “My family and I plan to serve the whole of our north-end neighborhood and beyond. We truly hope folks in closer proximity to the store will come to appreciate the convenience and variety of goods and services that will be offered.”

If approved, Heights Grocery would join the ranks of the few remaining independent stores on Vashon Island, filling a gap for north end residents. If approved, Potter says that Heights could be open as early as July.

“There is so much community support for it,” she said. “I don’t see why it won’t go through.”

Jennifer Potter stands next to the Vashon-Maury Grange hall, which she hopes to transform into a local grocery store and gathering place on Vashon’s north end. (Alex Bruell photo)

Jennifer Potter hopes to create a space for residents to sit back and enjoy their coffee in the mornings at a future grocery store located in the Grange hall. (Alex Bruell photo)