PORT TOWNSEND — Port of Port Townsend commissioners are considering the future of the Port Hadlock ramp and dock, which is in poor shape and the site of unapproved activities.
“The condition of the facility is deteriorating at best,” said Eron Berg, the port’s executive director. “There is no upland parking and there’s room for maybe five or so truck and trailers along the road, but on a busy day, you may get 10.
“We have a lot of issues with the work that’s performed on the handling float that’s unauthorized and with vessels that have been trespassed having to be chased off in the night with security and law enforcement involvement.”
The most pressing issue has to do with safety concerns regarding the condition of the pilings, Berg said.
“The problem necessitates pulling the floats out and thinking about how we would either repair the floats and replace the pilings or not,” he said.
“It’s a facility that generates no revenue and costs money to operate and maintain.”
The fee for using the facility is on the honor system.
Balancing access and safety is important to commissioners.
“I would like to see us keep the ramp and be able to potentially some day replace the pilings, but due to safety, we should pull the dock,” commissioner Pam Petranek said. “Public access is really, really important.”
Commissioner Pete Hanke, speaking via Zoom, agreed that it’s an important community asset but also a liability.
“It is a management nightmare because we can’t watch it,” he said.
Hanke suggested installing security cameras paired with a smartphone as a good way to manage the area remotely. The Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding, which uses the dock, and Star Marine, which is located nearby, should be involved in discussions about how to handle security and access, he added.
“I like the idea of collaborating with the boat school,” commissioner Carol Hasse said.
The port will look into conducting public outreach to understand how the facility is used and who uses it as it moves forward.
If the port does decide to pull the dock, it would need to permit, plan and design a replacement. Berg said port staff would get an estimate for the cost of replacing the old creosote pilings and float.
The state Recreation and Conservation Office’s Boating Infrastructure Grant Program does provide funding for renovating floats, docks and piers. The port received an RCO grant for $539,877 — with a $134,970 port match — to upgrade the Gardiner boat launch that will enhance access for recreational boaters. That project will begin this fall.
Complicating a request for funds for an upgrade of the Port Hadlock facility is the lack of parking, which already limits its capacity.
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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.
