PORT ANGELES — Parking outside the former Gottschalks building will remain kind of, sort of off-limits during the First Street stormwater project that begins this week.
The city of Port Angeles had sought to have the private parking lot open to the public as workers dig into First Street downtown, closing street-side parking in the process, to install a new stormwater pipe.
While the K.O. Erickson Trust, which owns the empty building at 200 W. First St., doesn’t try to keep vehicles out of its lot, it could not reach a deal with the city to officially open the lot up to the public during the duration of the four-month-long project.
The trust was seeking $35 per parking space per month, a cost the city can’t afford, said Glenn Cutler, city public works and utilities director.
Pat Hyden, trust secretary and treasurer, said the trust was seeking payment on the advice of its real estate agents.
Advice from agents
But the main concern wasn’t about revenue, she said — it was about having the parking lot tied up as the group tries to secure a new tenant.
“If we were to negotiate some sort of deal for that building in this time period, if our parking lot was already subscribed to someone else, then the new tenant wouldn’t have access to it,” Hyden said.
Hyden said the trust continues to talk with a group of local investors hoping to open another department store in the building, which has been empty since Gottschalks closed in May 2009.
She said there are a few other “feelers” out there.
Hyden said the trust doesn’t have plans to enforce parking there.
City Manager Kent Myers, who sits on the trust board, said he abstained from discussions at City Hall and with the trust to avoid a conflict of interest.
Parking alternatives
The Port Angeles Downtown Association is also looking at ways to open up more parking during construction, said Executive Director Barb Frederick.
Nothing specific has been discussed, she said Friday.
“The next step probably would be formulating plans on parking and promotions and getting the word out,” Frederick said.
The city’s contractor, Road Construction Northwest of Renton, will begin mobilizing equipment near the intersection of First and Valley streets Tuesday.
City staff said last week that traffic will likely start to be affected Wednesday as workers prepare to cut into the pavement.
From there, crews will progress up the south lane of First Street to Oak Street to install the pipe by Memorial Day, May 30.
Between the holiday and June 30, workers will finish paving both lanes of the road from Valley to Oak streets, apply fog seal to the blocks between Oak and Lincoln streets, add bike lanes and replace and add crosswalks.
The project has a price tag of about $2.25 million, according to the city.
The city is contributing $225,000 for street paving, with the rest coming from the National Park Service.
The National Park Service is covering that cost because the project is part of its Elwha River restoration effort.
The First Street project is intended to remove enough stormwater from the city’s sewer system to offset the contribution of sewage from the Lower Elwha Klallam reservation.
Ground water rising
The tribe will be connected to the city’s sewers because it’s expected that its septic tanks will become unusable as the ground water level rises as a result of the removal of the two Elwha River dams.
In order to not add to the city’s sewage overflow problem, the park service agreed to fund a stormwater disconnect project to offset the impact.
Construction of the sewer system will start in mid-March and be finished by June 2012, said Olympic National Park spokesman Dave Reynolds.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.