PORT ANGELES — Olympic Medical Center plans to build a retaining wall to minimize topsoil erosion on the northwest side of its building at 939 Caroline St.
Commissioners approved construction earlier this month.
The estimated $290,000 project on the bluff overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca is going through the permitting process now, said Scott Bower, OMC plant operations and construction manager.
It is expected to be put out for bids later this month and constructed in August, he said.
The retaining wall was recommended last year after Northwest Territories Inc. (NTI) of Port Angeles installed a bluff monitoring system to allow for annual evaluations, said Bobby Beeman, OMC spokeswoman, in a news release.
She added that the most recent report was completed in March.
While installing the monitoring system in 2014, NTI and Bower took a closer look at a slide to the west of the hospital, she said.
The slide was due to topsoil movement, and a soldier pile wall was recommended to prevent similar topsoil erosion behind the hospital property.
Glacier-packed soil
The hospital building sits on hard glacier-packed soil — better known as hard pan or glacial till — and the foundation of the bluff has not moved since OMC officials began monitoring more than 20 years ago, Beeman said.
“With recent sloughing and sliding of the waterfront bluffs across the North Olympic Peninsula, some have been left to wonder about safety of the bluff behind the hospital,” she said.
Added Bower: “We have been monitoring the stability of the bluff for years, and as we have updated and expanded the hospital, we have implemented slope protection measures.
“What’s more important to note is Olympic Medical has been incredibly diligent in monitoring the bluff and mediating potential issues.”
Beeman said the building is well-protected from slides resulting from weather, tsunamis or average earthquakes.
The retaining wall will be on the west side of the hospital, near Second Floor west and the cardiac care unit. The helipad is on the east side.
“We take the safety of our patients and staff — this includes the maintenance of our infrastructure — extremely seriously,” Bower said.
“We are pleased to begin work on this project that will mitigate future risks to topsoil erosion and help our community members feel at ease about the condition of the bluff behind the hospital.”
