Port District discusses treatment plant, road redesign

Wahkiakum Port District #1 commissioners met July 14 at the Elochoman Marina office.

Cathlamet Public Works Superintendent David Vik, Mayor George Wehrfritz, and Consulting Engineer Kevin Brown from engineering firm Gray and Osborne, attended the meeting to discuss the town’s plans for Third Street and to invite the port district to extend improvements onto port property.

Last year the town received a $500,000 grant from the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board to redesign a portion of Third Street, said Brown. The site, a corridor which connects the SR 4 highway to the marina entrance, is heavily used by boaters.

Brown displayed drawings of two possible parking schemes: nose-in parking and parallel parking. “From talking with the mayor, I’m getting the impression the council is leaning towards nose-in parking,” said Brown.

Brown explained that the port could team with the town on the project and extend improvements onto port property, including repaving the road and possibly relocating the RV dump site. Brown explained there could be cost advantages for adding the work onto a larger project, such as a cheaper rate for a larger volume of asphalt.

The target schedule is for Gray and Osborne to complete the designs and send the project to bid in spring 2012, with construction slated for summer 2012. Brown explained the town and the port district would have separate schedules of work so all costs could be broken out clearly. The port could opt out if bids came in too high but would still have a completed design to use in the future.

Port Commissioner Gary Quigley urged for the design to include curbs suited to RVs and boaters pulling trailers.

The commissioners did not act on any decisions regarding the project.

Wehrfritz announced to the commissioners that earlier in the day he had received confirmation that the town had been awarded a $7.5 million grant / loan package from USDA Rural Development to build a new wastewater treatment plant. The $7.5 million is supplemented by a $1 million Department of Commerce Community Development Block Grant confirmed earlier in the month, said Wehrfritz. The new plant is projected to cost $8.4 million. Design work was completed earlier this year. The new plant would be sited above Highway 4 on land currently owned by Wahkiakum School District.

Wehrfritz said he was optimistic that the project would go to bid in the next several months. “Which opens," said Wehrfritz, "a great opportunity for the town to work with Port 1 and redevelop Cathlamet’s waterfront.”

Wehrfritz said the town had several priorities for the site currently occupied by the wastewater treatment plant, which abuts the port’s marina property, including public access to the waterfront and some recurring revenue to the town.

He referenced a study done by the Lower Columbia Economic Development Council several years ago envisioning an expanded marina. “I can’t speak for the council, but I think that would far and away be the best option for the community,” said Wehrfritz.

“We’re reaching a point where we should start having a conversation about the next phase,” said Wehrfritz. “I think the town and or the town working with the port district to get funds to do a final design on the next phase would be a great thing to do.” He noted there are grant funds available for planning waterfront redevelopment.

Commissioner Larry Bonds asked when the project would be completed. Wehrfritz replied that the target would be the end of 2013. Vik added it would be three years from now before the sewer would go to the new plant and that once the current plant was no longer operational there would be work necessary to close down the site, including removing and treating sludge.

Port Manager Jackie Lea reported on year to date revenues. Transient moorage for 2011 has totaled $20,800, while camping registrations have brought in $22,987. Fuel sales have totaled $52,963, while timber harvest taxes have generated $6,866.

The project to replace E-Dock has been completed, said Lea, and she thanked Wally Wright for the use of his forklift to unload a grating for the dock.