Rotary of South Whidbey will pay for the completion of the visitor kiosk and park at Highway 525 and Langley Road.

For once, it’s not a case of “too many cooks spoil the broth.” Both the Langley and Freeland chambers of commerce will work together with the Rotary to open the visitor center in time for next year’s tourist season.

A visitor information center that could serve all of South Whidbey began with an idea and an old wooden kiosk. The Langley Chamber of Commerce holds the right of way to the property and took over the kiosk from Clinton.

The project had an initial price tag of $5,000, but it soon became clear that the amount would not be enough.

The visitor center was expected to open in spring of this year, but the opening had to be postponed because no funding was available. A kiosk committee, consisting of Langley and Freeland chamber members, took charge and began actively looking for sponsors.

“We approached Rotary with this project when it became apparent that they had the talent and the resources that would be required to get the job done,” said Nancy Rowan, executive director of the Langley Chamber of Commerce.

The kiosk committee is thrilled with Rotary’s decision to take on the completion of the kiosk as a Rotary community project, she added.

Rotary President Ray Green said the club had eyed the site near Naomi’s Exxon gas station for years as a potential site for a park.

“Rotary has looked at that corner for several years thinking it could look better,” Green said.

When the chambers called, the club decided to go for it.

Green said all the planning was done; all easements were obtained from the county. What was left to do was finalize the funding. The kiosk project had grown from a $5,000 project to costing upward of $25,000, Green said.

Rotary will take the responsibility for raising the money, getting the materials, and seeing that the work is accomplished. As a result they are looking for donations, volunteers and materials.

“We are confident we will get this project rolling within the next few months,” Green said.

The club members hope to finish the project in early spring, in time for the tourist season. Once finished, the kiosk and property will be turned over to the chambers of commerce to run and maintain.

And once the kiosk is open, the chambers will invite other local chambers to participate, Rowan said.

Rotary has completed major projects in the past and this is a demonstration of their continuing commitment to Whidbey Island, Rowan said.

“They will take the lead in determining what needs to be done to get the project to the point that we can open in time for the major tourist push next year,” she said.

“We are also looking for this center to become a source of information for the local area,” Rowan added. “I am sure they will be calling on members of the community to help with some of the finishing touches and we all look forward to a major transformation of what could arguably be called the ugliest vacant corner on the South End.”

People who would like to donate or participate in the project, can contact Rotary members Craig Weinston at 331-5545 (drcraig@chirozone.net), or Todd Bitts at 331-6300 (toddb@whidbey.com), or write to South Whidbey Rotary Club, PO Box 444, Freeland, WA 98249.