PORT TOWNSEND — The U.S. Coast Guard is seeking bids for an organization to operate and maintain the 103-year-old Point Wilson Lighthouse complex at Fort Worden.
Point Wilson Lighthouse and associated buildings are currently owned and maintained by the Coast Guard, but not maintained as an active navigational aid, said Petty Officer George Degener, spokesman for the Coast Guard District 13 in Seattle.
“The Coast Guard is looking for a group to come in and maintain the structure. The organization can use it,” Degener said Monday.
Operational radar
There is an operational modern navigational radar repeater tower on the property, last updated about 10 years ago, which would remain under Coast Guard control, he said.
Degener said the organizations can use the buildings for purposes within the historic designations, such as for a museum or historical re-enactment activities.
Lease period
The lease period is indefinite: the organization will hold it for as long as it can properly maintain the property, as approved by the Coast Guard and the state Historic Preservation Office, he said.
There has been a lighthouse on the property since 1879, and it was moved from the top of the lighthouse keeper’s house to the adjacent tower in 1913, according to the Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard switched to an automated system in 1976, and the lighthouse was closed to the public.
It is currently accessed through Fort Worden State Park, at the end of Harbor Defense Way, on a point surrounded by water on three sides where the Strait of Juan de Fuca meets Admiralty Inlet.
The associated buildings are currently closed behind fences, but the lighthouse tower can be reached on a short, sandy trail.
The light itself is not operational, Degener said, and added that the light’s Fresnel lens is currently in a museum.
The area includes the 1913 lighthouse structure, the lighthouse keeper’s historic home, a newer home, a play structure, a garage and several outbuildings.
Requirements
According to the notice of availability posted by the Coast Guard on Feb. 26, applicants must provide:
■ Proof of their nonprofit or for-profit status.
■ An outline of the proposed use of the lighthouse.
■ Details on the type and level of public involvement in the proposed preservation effort and use.
■ A statement of financial capability and supporting documents.
■ A statement of commitment to the rehabilitation and maintenance of the property.
Bids are due by 5 p.m., April 29.
No organizations have submitted an application or letter of interest yet, Degener said.
Bidding organizations would be selected by the Coast Guard and the Historic Preservation Office, according to the organizations’ ability to maintain the historic structures.
Finalists will be allowed a 60-day access period to inspect the property and to develop a more detailed plan for the restoration, maintenance and operation of the station, in consultation with the Historic Preservation Office.
The lease is being handled by the Coast Guard’s real property specialist’s office in Oakland, Calif.
For more information on how to apply to lease the Point Wilson Lighthouse, phone property specialist Beverly Freitas at 510-637-5527.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
