PORT TOWNSEND — The Port of Port Townsend’s six-year capital repair and replacement plan is now under review, with port staff determining what can be accomplished, how much it will cost and how it can be subsidized.
“Our strategic planning committee requested that we assess all of our facilities,” said Jim Pivarnik, the port’s deputy director.
“We wanted to focus on repairing existing facilities, so we hired an engineer to assess all of our properties and give us an objective outsider view about what needs repair and replacement.”
The report lists 45 projects that need attention, with 14 that can be realistically accomplished, Pivarnik said.
Infrastructure over earnings
These projects were prioritized due to the need to replace their infrastructure rather than their earning potential, according to Port Director Larry Crockett.
The combined cost of those projects is estimated at $16 million, with $12 million available from grants or other external funding sources.
The most critical projects are the Point Hudson breakwater, a $5.2 million expense; fire protection at the Armory Building (the Sail Loft), $150,000; and a stormwater lift station at the Boat Haven, estimated at $180,000.
Increases in tide levels have resulted in the constant presence of stormwater at the current lift station, necessitating its replacement, Pivarnik said.
The rising tide, the cause of which Pivarnik said has not been determined, will affect future projects.
This has caused serious erosion at the beginning of the Larry Scott Trail to a point where it is often underwater and threatens equipment positioned in that area.
The report states that 41 percent of the funds will be used at Point Hudson, which is smaller than the Boat Haven but has a larger number of buildings in need of repair, Pivarnik said.
The other allocations are estimated at 39 percent for the Boat Haven, 16 percent for the airport, 3 percent for Quilcene and 1 percent for boat ramps.
Selling properties?
One of the possibilities to cover the shortfall is the sale of properties not providing an adequate return, such as boat ramps and buildings that do not generate revenue.
“If we have a non-performing asset, it makes sense to sell it, get the money and reinvest it somewhere else,” Crockett said.
One of those buildings is the New Day Fisheries, 2427 Washington St., where the port would sell the building but lease the land, Pivarnik said.
“This is not a done deal,” he said, adding that the port probably would not be allowed to sell the building for less than its assessed value.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
