BELFAIR HERALD

Port of Grapeview harbor update still in development

Kirk Boxleitner | Jul 06, 20230

After a planning workshop and a regular meeting, Port of Grapeview commissioners want to ensure they get their update of the port’s comprehensive scheme of harbor improvements correct.

The planning workshop was June 13, and while no final decisions were made, several changes, updates and amendments were proposed to the draft version of the comp plans.

The commissioners’ regular meeting June 20 saw Commissioner Mike Blaisdell open the review of the previous week’s planning workshop by noting Commissioner Jean Farmer had requested that the update should add data regarding the use of the port’s boat ramp and how it was affecting economic development.

Blaisdell pledged to add such data to the draft update when the information becomes available. He also said the port’s “marginal lands” designation has to be reviewed and updated, which he said might require “some legal counsel.”

Before Industrial Development District money can be spent on a specific area, it must be listed under the port’s designated marginal lands, which are among the lands the port owns, Blaisdell said.

“IDD funds can only be used on property that supports us,” Blaisdell said. “When we improve the boat launch and the boat ramp, all those properties are owned by the port.”

Blaisdell clarified that “marginalized lands” are properties that are “either distressed, or need to be improved or updated.”

In regard to harbor improvements, “The problem is, we don’t own Mason Lake, (even though) it’s in our district. How do we deal with that?”

Blaisdell added, “If we’re looking to do some water-testing, we need to figure out how that can be done.”

Blaisdell suggested working with Mason County to obtain an interlocal agreement regarding Mason Lake that would allow the port to add the lake to its “marginal lands” designation.

Fellow port commissioner Art Whitson warned that Mason County does not possess the money to address blue-green algae problems, even though it falls under the county’s purview.

“Normally, if I were to call the county to report blue-green algae, they would send someone out,” Whitson said. “Last year, they didn’t have the funds to do that at all.”

Blaisdell still saw an interlocal agreement as a potential benefit to the port that could also appeal to the county, because if the county doesn’t have money to address blue-green algae, county officials might be inclined to cede such issues to the port.

Before any fixed decisions or approvals can be issued, Blaisdell noted at least one public hearing must be properly advertised and convened prior to any amendment or update to the comprehensive scheme.

Blaisdell added that two or more public hearings would also be allowed because the statute only specifies a minimum of one public hearing, advertised as required, with no maximum limit, so the port could have “as many public meetings as you want.”

Blaisdell stated his intention to spend the next several weeks gathering information, which could potentially allow commissioners to conduct a public hearing during their regular meeting in August, which is slated for the Mason Benson Center in Grapeview.

“I wouldn’t want to schedule that public hearing for certain yet, because there’s still plenty of work left to be done on this draft update,” Blaisdell said.