City looks to Navy, port district to keep marina afloat

Oak Harbor’s new plan to fund the marina’s much-needed repairs and improvements includes possibly utilizing the Navy-owned upland and pursuing the creation of a port district.

The marina turned 50 last month; the breakwater, docks and water, sewer and electrical system are failing. The area is silting. Harbormaster Chris Sublet said at a recent city workshop that it may only have until 2029, with the breakwater the first to go.

The channel also needs dredging, which is estimated to cost $50 million.

On top of this cost, the city identified three possible solutions: Remove and replace the marina for $44.2 million, renovate the existing marina for $25 million, which would extend its life only 10-15 years, or close the marina for at least $10 million.

The marina currently brings in $2.3 million a year.

“This one here is the least popular obviously amongst the people we’ve talked to is closing the marina, and it may be the only choice if we can’t find funding,” Sublet said.

City staff posed three funding options: develop a port district, pursue legislative support and grants or create taxes and bonds.

“It’s not a fun topic, right? There isn’t a no cost solution,” said Brian Smith, director of parks and recreation. “No matter what we choose, there is going to be some financial pain and some difficult decisions in how we go forward with this, and so this needs to be a full community effort.”

At two open house meetings with the public, community members overwhelmingly said they wanted to keep the marina. Some suggested creating some kind of homeowner’s association and enhancing the surrounding area to bring in more community dollars.

At these meetings, 97 people suggested removing and replacing the marina, 88 people suggested renovating the marina and no people suggested closing the marina.

The funding options weren’t as cut and dry; 78 people suggested a port district, 38 suggested legislative support and grants and 42 suggested taxes and bonds.

After Sublet’s presentation at a recent workshop, Steve Schuller, public works director, stepped to the microphone with a fourth option.

“We do not want to close this, so then there’s two other options, a $94 million option and a $75 million option. I’m going to use a little hyperbole to cut to the chase,” he said. “Those aren’t going to happen.”

The marina is a big asset, he said, but the bigger asset is the land behind the marina, which could be used for housing, businesses, recreational activities and more which would support the marina.

Right now, that land is Navy-owned and underutilized since World War II, he said.

Councilmember Jim Woessner said it will take pursuing all options.

“We can’t kick the can down the road anymore,” he said. “We’ve got somewhere between zero and five years to come up with a program.”

Woessner said to get community support, the marina needs to be more than where “a bunch of rich people park their boats.” He suggested community outreach, youth fishing tournaments, a hot dog cart and minigolf at Catalina Park.

“The Navy’s got to be a part of that,” he said. “Upland of that marina is gold.”

Councilmember Bryan Stucky said this would require the Navy giving up the land or selling it for next to nothing. It could just say no, and there is nothing the city can do about that.

Schuller said it will take drafting a 100-year plan that encompasses the whole community and the environment. Right now, the space hosts decaying structures.

Mayor Pro Tem Tara Hizon said regardless of the Navy, the needs of the marina will be impossible to address without a port district.

“While it is an eye-watering amount of money for us as a city and us as a municipal marina, it’s chump change to a port district,” she said.

In recent years, the Port of Everett has received tens of millions of dollars for various projects, she said.

The first step, she said, is to research the property holdings surrounding the marina. The next step is to educate the community on port districts, as that will go on the ballot.

Staff will bring the council an update at the Nov. 19 meeting. Likely, no action will be taken at that time.

Woessner said the marina is on the level of the city’s largest, most expensive projects.

“This is as big of a decision, I hate to bring it up, but the sewage treatment plant,” he said. “This is a biggie, and we can either do it right or we can totally blow this thing.”