PORT ANGELES — Rayonier Inc.’s former pulp mill site dominated a forum among four City Council candidates during a Port Angeles Rotary Club meeting Wednesday.
The candidates attending the Rotary luncheon at the Red Lion Hotel are running for two Port Angeles City Council seats in the Nov. 3 general election.
Brooke Nelson is challenging Deputy Mayor Betsy Wharton for her seat — Position 4 — while Patrick Downie and Harry Bell are both seeking the seat that will be vacated by City Council member Karen Rogers — Position 3.
Candidates for Position 1 — Cody Blevins and Larry B. Little — and Position 2 — Edna Petersen and Max Mania — were not part of Wednesday’s forum.
Rotarians asked two questions of the candidates: What role they believe the city of Port Angeles should have in the environmental cleanup and redevelopment of the 75-acre Rayonier waterfront property, and how they envision the future use of the land.
The property is the largest undeveloped private parcel on the North Olympic Peninsula and is widely seen as having high potential of becoming a significant economic driver once again.
It has been vacant since 1997 when Rayonier closed a pulp mill that had operated there for 68 years.
Complicating its redevelopment is its status as a state Department of Ecology cleanup site.
The Rayonier property has been a cleanup site since 2000. It is contaminated with pockets of PCBs, dioxin, arsenic and other toxins left by the pulp mill, which operated for 68 years before closing in 1997.
In 2000, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency called the site “moderately contaminated,” about 2 or 3 on a scale to 10.
Redevelopment
Downie, given the first opportunity to speak, said the city should be a “facilitator” when it comes to returning the site to productive use.
Bell said its role is to “make hurdles into stepping stones” and keep the property on the track to becoming redeveloped.
Neither referred to the Port Angeles Harbor-Works Development Authority, which the city created in May 2008 to acquire the property and direct its redevelopment, and therefore, hopefully speed up the drawn out cleanup process.
Wharton said the city’s role, through Harbor-Works, is to hold Rayonier’s and Ecology’s “feet to the fire” when it comes to getting the property cleaned up.
Nelson said she supports Harbor-Works and added that “time is of the essence” to get the property redeveloped.
In terms of future use of the property, Nelson said a market analysis of the land being funded by Harbor-Works will provide that answer.
Wharton said she would like to see a tribal cultural center on the property and a biomass operation.
The property is the former site of the Klallam village, Y’Innis, and the Puget Sound Cooperative Colony.
Bell said redevelopment needs to happen soon, but didn’t say what he would like to see on the property.
Downie said he foresees a tribal cultural center on the property along with Ennis Creek being restored and able to support spawning salmon.
In his opening statement, Downie said the City Council needs to work with local organizations to solve the city’s problems.
Bell said the main difference between him and Downie is their backgrounds.
“Our positions are very similar,” he said. “The difference is in our background and expertise.”
Bell is the chief forester for Green Crow and former technical services manager for ITT Rayonier.
He said his business background provides him with expertise needed to manage the city’s finances.
Downie is a former city Planning Commission chairman, organizer of Paint the Town and program coordinator for Catholic Community Services.
Wharton, who was elected to the City Council in 2005, emphasized her experience on the council.
“The voice of experience is important,” she said.
Nelson said she would encourage collaboration on the council, which she referred to as “something I think the City Council desperately needs,” and emphasized her roots in Port Angeles.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
