PORT ANGELES — City Pier is destined for big changes.
It will take awhile but those who weighed-in on the future of the Port Angeles City Pier last week told consultants with Studio Cascade of Spokane that they don’t want just a light touch of a new coat of paint and other sprucing up.
They want a larger Hollywood Beach, an enhanced viewing tower and a combined facility housing the Feiro Marine Life Center and the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary visitor center.
About 15 area residents attended the unveiling of pier plans Saturday afternoon at 104 W. First St., in the former location of Maurice’s at the intersection of First and Laurel streets.
Consultants unveiled two potential possibilities for the renovation of City Pier, drafted from ideas presented by the public during last week’s public input sessions.
Studio Cascade, which is under contract with Feiro Marine Life Center and sub-contracted with the city of Port Angeles, last week led the series of workshop sessions to gather ideas about what types of improvements are most needed and desired at City Pier.
The sessions led to six concept designs, which were then combined into two strategic master plans, one dubbed Klallam Cove and the other Peabody Place.
A third plan, known as light touch, simply would renovate the existing infrastructure.
“We came in here with no preconceived ideas on what the design plan should be,” said Bill Grimes, owner of Studio Cascade, during the unveiling.
“All these things we have learned from the community.”
Among the ideas explored was whether the public wants a bigger and better Feiro Marine Life Center combined with an Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary visitor center.
After the new facility location on Oak Street fell through in 2014, Feiro has worked with the Sanctuary and the city on the idea of possibly building a new facility on City Pier, Melissa Williams, executive director of Feiro Marine Life Center, has said.
The vision is for a place to house visitor services and educational programming beyond the limitations of the current 3,500-square-foot Feiro building on City Pier and the Sanctuary’s 800-square-foot Olympic Coast Discovery Center located in The Landing mall.
Range of options
The light touch would cost about $2.3 million to complete, said Steve Zenovic, a Port Angeles engineer working on the project.
The plan would include upgrading the railing, replacing concrete, bringing the existing buildings up to current seismic codes and replacing plumbing.
The light touch “assumes that the pier as it exists right now would” last for up to four decades as “an effective space to use,” Zenovic said.
Consultants added that people most seemed to want more substantial improvements.
Plan details
The Klallam Cove plan would cost about $3 million, Zenovic said.
It would involve substantially enlarging Hollywood Beach, moving the stage area, reducing parking spaces, enhancing the view tower at the end of the pier, restoring habitat and combining Feiro with a proposed $12 million Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary visitor center which would be built at the intersection of Railroad Avenue and Lincoln Street.
The Peabody Place plan would cost about $3.6 million, Zenovic said.
It would involve slightly enlarging Hollywood Beach, removing the stage and creating an open outdoor multi-purpose performance area, reducing parking spaces, glassing in the view tower at the end of the pier, creating a market plaza for events and festivals.
The combined Feiro and Sanctuary visitor center would be near Hollywood Beach.
In progress
Engineers will continue to refine the plans, concentrating them into a single master plan to be presented sometime in the next two months, Grimes said.
He expects the Port Angeles City Council to consider approval potentially as early as July or August.
Then it could take up to about five years to complete the chosen project, he said.
Component of Phase 3
City Pier is one of three components of Phase 3 of the city’s $17 million Waterfront Development Project.
Phase 1 — an esplanade along Railroad Avenue and improved street surfaces for the avenue and Oak Street — was completed in September 2013. It cost $4.09 million.
Phase 2’s $2.5 million West End Park, which features two artificial beaches and a walkway, opened in September.
Phase 3 eventually will include modifications of City Pier, the Lincoln Street and Railroad Avenue intersection and Hollywood Beach.
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Reporter Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
Executive Editor Leah Leach contributed to this story.
