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Progress on Project Pier 1
Permitting
The Shoreline Permit from the City of Anacortes was approved on March 22 after the public hearing for Project Pier 1. Project Pier 1 has been the subject of extensive planning by the Port over the past few years. Public hearings have been held, and both the Draft and Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statements have been completed and published. The Port has already obtained the Hydraulic Project Approval permit from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The Corps of Engineers and the Washington State Department of Ecology are expected to issue additional required permits for Project Pier 1 in the near future. |
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Project Pier 1 is a public-private partnership with the Port's current tenant Dakota Creek Industries located on a portion of the Guemes Channel waterfront. DCI is one of Anacortes' major employers of skilled labor and a significant contributor to the local community. Together, the Port and DCI are redesigning Pier 1 and its adjacent properties.
Project Pier 1 has made the Recommended Funding List for Washington State's Job Development Fund. This List will now move to Washington's 2007 Legislature for final approval, and the Port of Anacortes will receive the requested $5.6 million through the state's Community Economic Revitalization Board grant program in 2007. We are excited about this news, as Project Pier 1 is a great fit for this state grant, stimulating job creation and commerce.
Project Pier 1 will also receive $1.15 million in federal funding from the FY07 Transportation, Treasury, the Judiciary, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill.
The Port would like to extend it's thanks to everyone who has supported this project. Funding would not have been possible to obtain without strong community support.
The redevelopment project will involve upgrading the Port's marine terminal on the Guemes Channel and modifying the public waterway to greatly increase the operational flexibility and capacity of the Pier 1 shipyard. The new configuration will increase the efficiency and safety of operations and decrease potential environmental impacts associated with DCI's drydock, which is currently moored at the Port's Pier 1. Project Pier 1 will create two deep-water moorage berths and two access and repair piers on public property, and improve both public and private upland areas of the shipyard.
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| Location of Project Pier 1 Redevelopment Area and Fidalgo Bay Eelgrass Mitigation Site. |
Existing DCI Dry Dock at Pier 1 |
Existing and Proposed Shipyard Capacity |
Public Benefits of Project Pier 1
- Retain and create jobs by providing the capability to construct, haul out, repair, and launch more vessels than the present inefficient yard and moorage configuration allow. Up to 75 new full-time positions would be created.
- Foster economic development by optimizing use of Port property that is currently underutilized, and by providing deep-water moorage space along Pier 1 for alternate Port uses.
- Redevelopment Construction Elements
- Reconfiguration and expansion of two existing shipyard berths by dredging approximately 180,000 cubic yards of sediments to deepen the berths to -35 feet mean lower low water (MLLW).
- Removal of L dock, East dock, one dolphin, two decommissioned marine railways, Port Warehouse 4 and underlying wooden deck, and several small upland buildings, shops, and sheds north of 3rd Street. Remove creosote-treated piles in the basin and modify portions of the east side of Pier 2.
- Construction of bulkheads for the reconfigured basin and two piers.
- Construction of a rail transfer system within the shipyard for moving vessels on the upland yard. A portion of the rail transfer system will be located on public property; the remainder will be on DCI's property.
- Modification of existing parking, truck access to Pier 2, and construction of street improvements along affected public rights-of-way.
- Site grading, paving, utility upgrades, landscaping, and other improvements associated with proposed construction on Port property north of 4th Street.
- Public access improvements in the vicinity of Pier 1 will include pedestrian amenities and right-of-way improvements along the T Avenue street-end and beach access improvements at the base of O Avenue.
Fidalgo Bay Eelgrass Mitigation Site
The Port of Anacortes was awarded a $400,000 grant in 2005 from Skagit County's Distressed County Public Facilities Fund. This grant was awarded for Phase 1 of Project Pier 1, which involves construction of an advance eelgrass mitigation site in Fidalgo Bay. The Port will construct a 6-acre eelgrass habitat site in an otherwise unvegetated portion of Fidalgo Bay that is currently too deep to support eelgrass. The mitigation will offset the loss of existing eelgrass that will result from dredging and construction during shipyard redevelopment.
The mitigation site will be constructed by placing 3 to 4 feet of clean fill from maintenance dredging of the Swinomish Channel on the ocean floor to achieve a bottom elevation comparable to adjacent eelgrass habitat. This will be followed by planting and monitoring to assure successful colonization of the eelgrass. From a flat-top barge, a crane and clamshell bucket will be used to place gravel at the site. The gravel base will be covered with a finishing layer approximately 1 foot thick, suitable for eelgrass colonization. Construction work for Project Pier 1 cannot occur unless the impacts on aquatic habitat are mitigated; therefore, the advance compensation site is essential to the project. Moreover, the areas of eelgrass habitat created will exceed the amount needed for Project Pier 1, and will be available for upcoming Port development projects and other shoreline economic development projects that may have impacts to eelgrass and other aquatic resources.
Currently, the Port of Anacortes is working diligently with both the City of Anacortes and the Department of Natural Resources for use of the Fidalgo Bay Habitat Site. The Port also has a Memorandum of Agreement with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife which defines successful mitigation for the Fidalgo Bay Habitat Site. This MOA is the result of years of discussions with WDFW and was necessary before the Port could apply for the necessary for all in-water projects. A unique aspect of the Fidalgo Bay Habitat Site is that the Port will be completing dredging of a federal navigation channel, normally maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, for the necessary material to be used to build the eelgrass site. The Corps could not fund their planned dredging activities and the Port was able to coordinate with the Corps, complete dredging for the Corps, and beneficially reuse local, tested and clean sediments to build the Fidalgo Bay Habitat Site. The Port is grateful to the City of Anacortes, the Corps, WDFW and DNR for their ongoing cooperation and efforts for this unique project. |
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Funding
The Port and DCI are partnering on the costs for the shipyard improvements because both will benefit from the project. Part of this work involves applying for local, state and federal funding. Currently, the Port has been awarded the following grants:
$400,000 from Skagit County's 2005 Distressed County Public Facilities Fund
$5.6 million through the state's 2007 Community Economic Revitalization Board Job Development Fund grant program
$1.15 million in federal funding from the FY07 Transportation, Treasury, the Judiciary, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill.
The Port Thanks You
"The Port would like to extend its thanks to the many people and organizations within the community who have been involved with this project and have provided valuable comments and input," said Interim Executive Director Bob Elsner. "We appreciate your interest in Project Pier 1. We are excited about this major step to foster the economic health of our community while preserving our quality of life."
Project Questions? Please contact:
Bob Elsner
Director of Planning,
Projects, and Enviromental Affairs
Port of Anacortes
P.O. Box 297
Anacortes, WA 98221
Office: (360) 299-1822
elsner@portofanacortes.com
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