Port of Port Angeles approves design work
Published 9:20 am Wednesday, March 11, 2026
PORT ANGELES — Port of Port Angeles commissioners approved $440,000 in design work for a new boat yard multi-use facility, unanimously authorizing a professional services agreement with Nelson Worldwide to design the building.
Port chief operating officer Chris Hartman said the agency received eight statements of qualification for the project, narrowed the field to three firms and selected Nelson after interviews.
“Their qualifications were extremely well done,” Hartman said during Tuesday’s meeting. “They identified the major possible hurdles going forward and different mitigation measures.”
The proposed building will include four bays, including a dedicated spray booth for vessel painting and finishing work.
Hartman said the facility would allow work to be done indoors rather than tenting vessels with scaffolding and filtration systems in the boat yard — a process that can be costly and tightly regulated because of air emissions and stormwater runoff issues.
Hartman said few comparable facilities exist in Washington, making the project relatively unusual for a public port.
Executive Director Paul Jarkiewicz said discussions about rates would come later, once design and construction estimates are more clear.
“Once we have all of the costs accumulated, we can start putting (rates) together,” he said.
Hartman said design work is expected to continue through late third or early fourth quarter this year, with construction targeted for early next year.
The project also could receive outside funding. Hartman said a proposed $2 million state appropriation remains in all three state supplemental budget proposals, and the port has applied for an Economic Development Administration grant.
Port staff said they expect to hear back on the federal grant later this summer or fall.
Dockside Grill
Joshua and Melody Souza, silent partners since the restaurant opened, are considering purchasing Dockside Grill at John Wayne Marina. They are seeking a new 15-year lease from the port rather than a transfer of the existing lease, which expires in two years, said Caleb McMahon, the port’s director of economic development.
The port is obtaining a third-party appraisal before negotiating lease terms because there are few comparable waterfront restaurants against which to compare it.
“We don’t have a lot of retail space like this,” McMahon said. “So we wanted to make sure that we were getting the dollar amount right before we got into a longer-term lease.”
Commissioners said any new lease should clearly spell out responsibility for kitchen equipment, grease traps and other maintenance issues that have caused problems in the past.
Roof rehab
Commissioners also unanimously approved the completion of a roof rehabilitation project on the port’s 1050 and 1010 buildings at the Airport Industrial Park.
The project, carried out by Cascade Industrial Services LLC, included surface preparation and application of a rubberized silicone coating designed to extend the life of the roofs. The final contract amount was $377,072.86.
Jenna Riley, the port’s procurement manager and board clerk, said the project came in nearly $70,000 under the original budget, even though the work expanded to cover two buildings instead of one.
Hartman said the port will monitor how the coating performs before the agency decides whether to use it on other facilities.
“If it does provide 20 years protection, absolutely,” he said.
Cell tower
Commissioners approved an amendment to a lease with Atlas Tower for the construction of a cellular tower at the industrial park. McMahon said the company requested an additional four months to finish the work and will pay the port $300 per month during the extended period.
Commissioner Colleen McAleer read a resolution unanimously approved by commissioners recognizing the Sequim Bay Yacht Club’s golden jubilee anniversary. The club was founded April 10, 1976.
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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.
