PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles City Manager Nathan West highlighted efforts to address housing and homelessness, public works projects and planning for growth during his annual State of the City address.
West gave his remarks Wednesday during a Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Red Lion Hotel. It also streamed live on the city’s website and its YouTube page, where it is archived at https://tinyurl.com/4hjvadsv.
The city balanced its 2025 budget at $156.9 million, said West, who pointed to $187.3 million in planned project spending in the next six years.
“These are new investments that are necessary for the capital facilities plan, and about $53 million of those need to be for transportation specifically,” he said.
West highlighted the city’s award-winning finance department and said it was successful in obtaining more than $400,000 in grant funding from the state Department of Commerce.
“That was directly attributed to assisting with over 2,200 city utility accounts,” he said.
On housing and population growth, he cited an 8 percent rise from 2000 to 2020 within city limits, to 19,960 residents as of the most recent U.S. Census data, and an 86 percent increase over the same time period in median household income, from about $33,130 in 2000 to $61,640 (2019-2023).
Total residential units rose at a 9.6 percent rate from 2000 to 2020, and the average home sale price went from $164,972 in 2004 to $446,581 in 2024, West said.
He also noted changes in how a lot can be developed, starting with just one unit — a 3,200-square-foot home — as the highest use of an 11,000-square-foot lot in 2004, to the option this year of developing the same lot with six units with permit-ready living spaces.
West said Port Angeles was the first city to implement Senate Bill 5209, “which effectively implemented permitting time frames and procedures that are required at the state level and required of local government and passed through to us as requirements,” West said.
“It really values the fact that time is money when it comes to the development community,” West said. “It ensures that we have measurable outcomes at the end of the day and that we’re following those time frames when it comes to permitting.”
New housing programs have paved the way 95 dwelling units, with multiple developments qualifying for more than one housing support program, according to the city’s presentation.
The city had 40 multifamily permits last year, 20 for duplexes, 13 for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and 12 for single-family homes, West said. There also were 10 permits for manufactured homes.
In addition, more than $819,000 was awarded through sales and use tax grants, more than $11,600 was awarded toward infrastructure in neighborhood improvement community enhancement grants, and more than $365,000 in fees were waived through the city’s building permit program, West said.
“I think that’s a huge deal to see how meaningful that fee waiver is to the ability for the developer to move forward with that housing project,” he said.
West highlighted commercial district enhancement with last year’s downtown tree and sidewalk replacement project and repairs to City Pier, and he noted a new partnership with the Port Angeles Waterfront District, which aims to enroll in the Washington State Main Street Program as an official “Main Street Community.”
West also discussed the city’s efforts to increase infrastructure and to add sewer capacity, particularly on the west side, to serve an additional 1,400 residential units.
The city currently is underway with its Eighth Street paving project, which will reconfigure driving lanes, include new bike lanes and replace existing curb ramps to meet ADA standards.
Future projects also include Phase II of the Race Street overhaul, which will link the Olympic National Park Visitor Center to the waterfront and the Olympic Discovery Trail. The design for Phase II will be funded by the Puget Sound to Pacific RAISE grant, West said.
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Editor Brian McLean can be reached at 360-417-3531 or by email at brian.mclean@peninsuladailynews.com.
