PORT ANGELES — The owner of Platypus Marine Inc., gave the new Port of Port Angeles commissioners an ultimatum Monday — fix issues he has with his lease or sell him the leased property quickly or Platypus will take its business elsewhere.
Judson Linnabary, president and owner of Platypus Marine addressed the newly seated board — Colleen McAleer, Connie Beauvais and Steve Burke — at a commission workshop Monday morning to air his grievances.
“If it’s not resolved in the next six months, we’re leaving,” Linnabary said.
Either a sale of the currently leased property at 102 N. Cedar St., with a contract similar to what neighboring marine business Westport LLC received in 2003, or a lease with similar provisions, is the only thing that would keep Platypus in Port Angeles, he said.
Linnabary said that while the current commission is not at fault for past port actions, he has little confidence in the agency as a whole after nearly two decades of frustration and a lack of respect from port personnel toward his business.
“Eighteen years here and nothing has changed,” he said.
He said he wants to make $5 million in improvements on the four-acre property Platypus leases on Marine Drive, but wants assurances that his investment is protected.
The Westport sales contract, which included a buy-back provision, has the protections that Linnabary wants for his business. It would protect the port and solve the problems, he said.
Complaints listed
Among his complaints were stormwater drainage compliance difficulties, which he said includes water from the neighboring Westport property; an unpaved, muddy work yard; and a wrongful default declaration by the port after paperwork was lost, which he said could have been cleared up with a single phone call.
He showed photos of his work yard, adjoining port areas and a portable toilet that are part of the four acres currently leased by Platypus.
“It’s not a pretty sight. It looks like somewhere in Bangladesh,” he said.
Platypus’ current 30-year lease expires in 2025.
Linnabary said if Platypus operations were to move to another area or city, he would keep the lease on the port property and leave the four acres vacant.
Commissioners agreed to work quickly to address his grievances, beginning with exploring ways a lease could be written to protect both Platypus and the port.
“I don’t want you go anywhere, especially when it’s something we can fix,” said Burke.
Burke said that the port could foot the bill for some of the work, such as installing a real bathroom, paving the work yard and adding other working structures that could be used by all port businesses, leaving Platypus with the $5 million to invest in its operations.
Linnabary declined, and said he could do the work at less cost than the port, using his own employees for some tasks, and if the port paid for the improvements, it would only raise the cost of his lease.
McAleer read contracts
McAleer, the only one of the three commissioners who had read the Westport sales contract, the current Platypus lease and the proposed Platypus lease, said she needed to review the contracts again, but thought it could be done.
“I understand your frustrations. We want to create a positive outcome. I am committed to working toward that goal,” she said.
Burke, who was sworn-in just minutes before Linnabary’s presentation, and Beauvais, who has been on the commission for two months, said they would read the three contracts and consider the requests.
Examine contracts
The commissioners directed port staff to examine the contracts and find ways to work with Platypus.
“Some of this will take time to do,” Beauvais said, and noted safety and stormwater issues had to be dealt with first.
In March 2015, Platypus proposed the $700,000 purchase of five acres of waterfront property adjacent to its current property to expand operations, and planned to hire 75 new employees over five years with paychecks averaging $48,500 annually.
At that time, then-Commissioner Jim Hallett and McAleer said they would agree to sell the site — with strings attached.
Then-Commissioner John Calhoun objected to the sale of publicly owned property, and the sale of the property stalled.
In May 2015, the commissioners unanimously voted to reject the sale.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
