PORT TOWNSEND — Port of Port Townsend commissioners have set a mid-September start date for demolishing and replacing the failing Point Hudson south jetty.
The vote taken late in the evening Wednesday night reversed an earlier unanimous vote to request bids for two start dates: July 1 and mid-September.
The call for bids should go out within two weeks, staff members said, because construction companies are bidding on projects for the year now. No date was set to issue a call for bids.
Commissioners also authorized staff to submit a request the City of Port Townsend to rezone Point Hudson to allow for expansion of recreational vehicles at the northwest corner of the property.
The three-hour business meeting saw spirited debate between commissioners and staff and the public, many of whom are port tenants.
During the public comment session, speakers continued an ongoing debate regarding the port’s financial health and offered to help staff develop a fiscal oversight system.
At the beginning of the session, Commissioner Pete Hanke set the tone for the evening by asking everyone gathered to respect one another.
“We’re all on the same team and we’re all working together for the same goal,” he said. “No derogatory comments. We value your opinion and it’s really important that we’re not trying to knock the staff or the commission down.”
The south jetty project is estimated to cost $3,067,000. The port has received a $1,059,173 grant from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office. Last fall, commissioners directed staff to move forward on the process of issuing a $3.2 million limited tax general obligation municipal bond to cover the rest of the project costs.
Director of Finance Abigail Berg had recommended a $3.2 million bond because it would be easier to lower the bond amount during the bonding process rather than raise it later if the project runs over its projected budget.
A limited tax general obligation bond is a type of municipal bond that is guaranteed by the agency’s pledge to use all legal resources, including the levying of property taxes up to a set statutory limit.
On Wednesday night, discussion centered around the economic cost to the port and to the city, depending on when the project would begin.
If the project began in July, it would impact the city’s tourism season, it was decided. A mid-September date was seen as preferable because it would avoid the summer months and also would be after the popular Wooden Boat Festival, set this year for Sept. 7-9.
While commissioners deliberated, port Executive Director Sam Gibbony told them, “We can go out to bid with unknown results. They can come back much higher than expected.
“The way to achieve the best possible result is to have the entire window open,” she said. “This will increase your chances of getting the lowest responsive bidder.”
After a lengthy review of the possible closures that would restrict the number of days and hours that work can be done, Hanke made a motion to amend the bid process to include only the September start date. It passed by two votes with Commissioner Stephen Tucker abstaining. He did not explain why he was abstaining.
The two Point Hudson breakwaters are failing and in need of replacement.
Replacement of the north breakwater at Point Hudson is estimated to cost $2,253,000. That project will not start until 2019.
Point Hudson serves as the hub of the Northwest Maritime Center’s biggest annual events, such as the Wooden Boat Festival and Race to Alaska.
The jetties are among more than $9 million in port capital projects scheduled until 2020.
More RV sites
Commissioners and staff also discussed expanding the number of RV sites at Point Hudson as a way to increase revenue.
Point Hudson now has 48 spots at the Waterfront RV Park. The 15 new sites would be away from the water in a empty lot at the northwest corner.
Director of Planning Eric Toews said his “ back-of-the-envelope rough calculations “ for 15 sites would equal $100,000 per year in revenue.
Many members of the public questioned his numbers.
“The cost of doing this will not be trivial,” resident Ernie Baird said. “You will use considerable staff time and where are the construction costs?
“You are gambling, you are walking into a buzz saw. Point Hudson has a great emotional value for many people in the community. It’s a gamble and not a wise one.”
Chris Bakken, Sea Marine manager commented, “My calculations say the revenues are $40,000, not 100k, per year. It is not cheap to store RVs. A lot of improvements have to be done on this property.”
Jake Beattie, executive director of the Northwest Maritime Center, questioned this action.
“I was both surprised and a little bit disheartened that this is here,” Beatte said. “There’s a lot of surprise in the room. I agree that you guys are going to need every conceivable avenues of revenue enhancement. I also think you are going to need friends and this is not going to make friends.”
Peter Langley, owner of the Port Townsend Foundry, also spoke against the idea.
“I’d like to see Point Hudson encourage more marine trades, less RVs,” he said. ”I know we are strapped for money, but as a taxpayer I’d pay more money to keep Point Hudson in marine trades and manufacturing. Let’s keep our waterfront working.”
Commercial fisherwoman Pam Petranek asked, “Why is our work yard empty? We must be competitive.
She claimed that port yard rates are almost twice that of surrounding yards.
”Lower the rates to fill the yard,” she said. “Boats support businesses, the port and Jefferson County. Our yard is empty compared to years past. It should be filling up right now.”
After the meeting, Beatte said he felt that community interest is growing.
“I think the silver lining is that the greater community is starting to realize the importance of the port and marine trades,” he said.
”There is a lot of dialogue right now. I’m an optimist. I have faith that it will lead to us being stronger as a community.”
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Jeannie McMacken is a freelance writer and photographer living in Port Townsend.
