PORT ANGELES — City Hall will have to spend an additional $700,000 to finish a portion of its Waterfront and Transportation Improvement Plan, after a contract came in at more than $1.2 million.
The total cost of creating the plan is now at about $1.7 million.
Following staff direction, the Port Angeles City Council on Tuesday night unanimously approved spending the additional funds to pay for the construction drawings needed to implement about half of the waterfront redevelopment aspect of the project.
The drawings, which include engineering and planning documents, are the main part of the second contract for the project with Studio Cascade of Spokane.
That contract came in at nearly $1.253 million, over four times higher than initially anticipated in August, and $700,000 over what the city had budgeted for the project this year.
The first contract with Studio Cascade, which involved about a half-dozen subconsultants, cost $484,000.
It included designing the waterfront improvements, new entryway and directional signs, and starting a citywide transportation plan.
When the city began working on it more than six months ago, the plan was anticipated to cost around $778,000 to develop.
The additional money would likely come from the city’s economic development fund, said Nathan West, city economic and community development director.
Several council members, noting the need to improve the waterfront and community support for the project, voiced support for spending the additional money.
“The community is behind this project,” said Mayor Dan Di Guilio.
“I think we as a council have a responsibility to do what we can to make this happen.”
Council member Brad Collins questioned whether the economic development fund should be used. He said the fund should be used to create jobs.
Other council members disagreed.
“It will create jobs; it will revitalize downtown,” said Deputy Mayor Don Perry.
West said the price tag increased so dramatically because the scope of the waterfront plan changed during the public input process.
Initially, it was mainly going to be limited to the west end of downtown, West said, but was expanded in response to comments from the public to include other areas, such as City Pier and Hollywood Beach. A west end beach was also added to the design.
“They [public] have a lot of interest in getting a variety of improvements on the waterfront that perhaps weren’t anticipated,” West said, adding, “we’re happy with the direction that we’re moving in.”
The waterfront plan is estimated to cost $17.3 million to fully implement.
Acknowledging that the plan is too much for the city to chew, at least in one sitting, the council also Tuesday directed Studio Cascade and its subconsultants to draft only construction drawings, including engineering and permitting documents, for the west half of the waterfront project.
That move reduced the cost of the second contract by about $1.1 million.
The west half includes a boardwalk west of the ferry terminals, new park on the east side of the Valley Creek estuary, and landscaping and road improvements along the west half of Railroad Avenue. All together, those improvements are estimated to cost $7 million.
What’s left out: improvements to City Pier, Laurel Street and the other half of Railroad Avenue, and expansion of Hollywood Beach.
West said he still hopes to begin work on the waterfront sometime this year.
But he acknowledged before the meeting that grant funding has dried up in the last few years, and the city may have to throw up some cash to get it started.
West said his staff has not had the time yet to pursue any grants, but added, “I’m not ready to rule it [grant funding] out as an option.”
City Manager Kent Myers told the council that the city is seeking funding through the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
West said Victoria Express, which wants to move to what would be a new waterfront park, may also help with the new improvements.
The city has estimated that city funds will make up 20 percent of the waterfront project’s cost.
The first six of the 62 new directional signs planned as part of the plan will be installed next month. The rest will be installed throughout the year.
The design of two new entryway monuments, controversial because one would be located at the bottom of the Morse Creek S-curve, remain on hold.
The transportation plan will be done by 2013, said Roberta Korcz, city assistant planner.
For more information on the waterfront project, visit www.pa-waterfront.org/intro.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
