QUILCENE — Construction of a Point Hudson Marina moorage and facilities improvement project must wait at least a year because Port of Port Townsend officials have hit snags involving dredging and timing.
The result, said Port Executive Director Larry Crockett, is delaying construction until after the 2006 Wooden Boat Festival.
“People say, ‘I thought you are going to have all the dock in this winter,”‘ Crockett told Port commissioners Wednesday.
“Well, this is Washington state and we have to do certain permits.”
Process taking longer
During a Port commissioners meeting at the Quilcene Harbor Yacht Club on Quilcene Bay, Deputy Director Jim Pivarnik said Corps of Engineers approval of dredging proposed near the marina entrance was taking far longer than anticipated.
“What we thought would be a 30-day process has turned into a four-month process,” Pivarnik said.
The Corps of Engineers must review Port engineers’ proposal, plus marina dredge samples were required, said Pivarnik.
He added that the work delay could not all be blamed on the Corps of Engineers.
The Port also faces time constraints to schedule work, with the Wooden Boat Festival this September and visitor traffic to the marina popular with boaters throughout Puget Sound.
“We have a small window of opportunity to accommodate the customers,” Pivarnik said.
While construction is stalled, Pivarnik and Crockett said they would work with the Port’s Marina Committee about cost issues facing the project’s proposed amenities.
Port Finance Director Don Taylor said securing bond financing is also an issue, with the possibility of selling bonds this fall.
Taylor said with interest rates low, the Port could take advantage of the current bond market to refinance the project.
The marina currently has 45 boat slips and 800 feet of linear docks.
The new marina would add docks and have about 1,000 linear feet of moorage, with additional moorage for boats 40 feet long or less.