PORT TOWNSEND — It’s the year 2030 and Port Townsend’s ferry terminal is serving more than a million passengers a year to Whidbey Island.
With at least 800,000 already riding the vessels to Keystone each year, Washington State Ferries officials put serious merit in such a scenario.
The reality in peak summer months is illustrated by ferry lines stacked up to what is known as Indian Point, south of the Tides Inn.
Indian Point is about to be commercially developed, possibly for waterfront retail stores and office space, so the future of that car holding area is uncertain.
“Are they looking at Haines Place Park and Ride?” asks Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce General Manager Tim Caldwell, who as the local state ferries advisory board chairman is quite close to water transportation issues.
As he sees it, Jefferson Transit’s Haines Place property with about 250 parking spaces just east of Safeway might be the only option for ferry holding space — unless the state ferry terminal is built farther offshore, with expanded vehicle holding space all in one location.
“As far as what it looks like, I totally understand building the dock to handle all parking on one site,” said Caldwell, who is supportive of the two more extensive ferry terminal expansion options presented to residents during a state ferries public information meeting at Fort Worden Commons last week.
Those options would extend the ferry terminal offshore by 220 feet or 320 at most, leaving all ferry holding — 200 to 300 vehicles — in one area at the southern edge of Port Townsend’s historic district.
“I would think that that would be a benefit for downtown,” said Caldwell. “I would like to see it for the commercial presence.”
Bank, park spared?
Those options would also eliminate the need to buy and move the existing US Bank building and Port Townsend Rotary Park next to it.
Saying it was “too soon,” to comment on the state’s option to buy and eliminate the bank building just north of the existing terminal, US Bank Manager Katie Gifford declined to comment Friday.
Attempts to contact Rotary Park representatives were also unsuccessful.
