PORT ANGELES — The contract to develop a master plan for the redevelopment of Lincoln Park — with its tall fir trees cut down — was awarded Monday by Port of Port Angeles commissioners.
Hough, Beck and Baird Inc. of Seattle was selected from a field of three consulting firms for the $145,513 contract.
Of that cost, the port will pay $7,276, while a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration has awarded the port a $138,237 grant to fund the remainder of the cost.
It’s the FAA that is requiring the tall fir trees to be cut down along the approach to port-owned William R. Fairchild International Airport just west of Lincoln Park.
The port has proposed that most of the trees in the park, which is owned by the city of Port Angeles, be removed in 2013 or 2014.
Port officials have proposed cutting most of the evergreen trees, which were planted after the Army filled the area in 1942, to resolve the problem before they grow taller and obstruct the approach to runway 26 even further.
About 200 trees were cut in 2007 to clear airspace.
At Monday’s port commission meeting, commissioner candidate Jim Hallett, who is running unopposed for the District 2 seat currently held by the retiring George Schoenfeldt, told the commissioners that the park belongs to the city and that there is no guarantee the City Council will allow the trees to be cut.
“The City Council could say that the public wants to leave the park the way it is,” said Hallett, a former councilman and mayor.
The port needs to get the City Council to commit now rather than waiting for completion of the master plan, he said.
Commissioners have expressed frustration with the three-year time frame outlined by the FAA.
Waiting for 2014 could be too late.
The extra costs incurred by Kenmore Air while waiting for the change are a concern for the struggling airline, commissioners said.
In addition, considering the November elections and more elections in 2013, the City Council membership could change, Schoenfeldt said.
Port Commissioner John Calhoun agreed that early action is needed, instead of assurances from the current council regarding future decisions.
“I don’t think the current City Council can bind future City Council actions,” Calhoun said.
Asking the city to cut the trees now could be one method of achieving a shorter time frame, Calhoun said.
Not all of the commissioners were ready to cut the trees immediately.
The purchase of an aviation easement would guarantee the port’s right to cut the trees as needed, Commissioner Jim McEntire said.
The easement would give the port the right to control the space above the ground, including anything sticking up into the air, said McEntire, who is the Republican candidate for county commissioner in the November election.
“Ownership is the key factor,” he said.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.