PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles Waterfront and Transportation Improvement Plan doesn’t go far enough to incorporate the storied heritage of the waterfront, a Port Angeles architect said Monday.
Michael Gentry of Gentry Architecture Collaborative delivered a five-page letter to the Port Angeles City Council this month that calls on the city to re-evaluate the current design of the $17 million waterfront project in a forum sponsored by the Center for Community Design, the Port Angeles Downtown Business Association, the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe and other groups.
“This review should address the current design in terms of the uniquenesses of the entire waterfront including surrounding business interests and areas of future development such as the PenPly [Peninsula Plywood] site, Tse-whit-zen Village, Salish Village (Rayonier), Nippon Paper and Ediz Hook,” Gentry wrote.
At the Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce luncheon Monday, Gentry told City Economic and Community Development Director Nathan West that the waterfront plan falls short.
“I kind of feel like this project is being delivered by caesarean section,” Gentry said. “I think we deserve better than that.”
West was delivering a briefing on the waterfront project with Bill Grimes, founder of Spokane-based Studio Cascade, lead consultant on the project.
West and Grimes said the $3.26 million first phase of the project, which includes an esplanade and waterfront walkway on Railroad Avenue west of the MV Coho ferry terminal, will likely begin in July.
“At this point, just with the esplanade portion of the project, we’re at 100 percent,” West told Gentry.
“I really would encourage you to continue to work with us and engage in the project,” he continued. “Hopefully, we can make the project more suited to what you’re speaking about today.”
Gentry said the city made the mistake of hiring an out-of-the-area planning firm without a designer.
Gentry Architecture was one of eight groups that responded to the city’s request for qualifications last year.
The firm and its partners received higher design scores than Studio Cascade, Gentry said.
“We teamed up with a number of really top firms,” he said.
Gentry helped design some of the unique buildings at the Jamestown S’Klallam tribal center in Blyn.
After the chamber luncheon at the Port Angeles Red Lion hotel, Gentry said the waterfront project contains “nothing that really grabs you,” adding that Studio Cascade “stopped short” of creating a project that creates excitement.
“I think they need to take it to the end,” he said.
Specifically, Gentry said the project should have a “serpentine look” reminiscent of the tribal villages that once existed on Port Angeles Harbor.
He said the city’s current concept is simply borrowed from the waterfronts in Bellingham, Bremerton and Spokane.
“That’s my issue,” he said. “When you have an inadequate designer, you fall back on easy solutions.”
West pointed out that several local firms, including Zenovic and Associates, Shreffler Environmental and artist Laura Alisanne, are part of the project.
“All these firms are local firms, which have been a vital part of this project,” West said.
Grimes added: “We tried to get as many voices as possible involved in the design and vetting of the design concepts as we could.”
The project has been vetted in eight City Council meetings and several community forums.
“Public participation for us has been a priority throughout the process,” West said.
Gentry said he has been working out of the area and missed some of the preliminary meetings.
“I’m not doing this because of my ego,” Gentry said. “I brought that up for my children who live here. I don’t want to accept something that is mediocre.”
________
Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.