Port weighs city proposal

If the Port of Shelton property at Sanderson Field is annexed from Mason County into the City of Shelton, the city would gain about 1,100 acres of land and the taxes and user fees that come with it.

With annexation, the Port of Shelton might get quicker response from Shelton police than Mason County sheriff's deputies, but would lose sales taxes, stormwater fees and might have to change building codes under city regulations when port tenants change. Annexation could also be a mixed bag for port tenants.

Those were some of the observations and concerns shared Friday at a special meeting of the Port of Shelton Commission. The three commissioners, executive director Wendy Smith and port staff members weighed the pros and cons of the annexation proposal by the city, and a proposed land swap.

The city expressed interest in annexing the Sanderson Field area from Mason County into the city limits during a joint session Feb. 17 with the Port of Shelton Commission at the Ridge Motorsports. That land is part of the Shelton urban growth area.

The city is also offering to trade an undetermined amount of wooded land north of the Huff'n'Puff Trail to the port for up to 25 acres on the south end of Sanderson Field to expand its satellite wastewater treatment system.

At the conclusion of the discussion Friday, Commissioner Dick Taylor asked for "takeaways" from the session.

"More questions than answers," replied Commissioner Sue Patterson.

"We have to know what our people want ... Our port district has more constituents than the city does," Taylor said.

The city's quest to annex the land is not new. In an introduction to Friday's special session, Smith said the port was approached in 2015 about annexation by then-City Manager Dave O'Leary, and again in 2017 by then-City Manager Ryan Wheaton. City officials made queries about annexation in 2019 and last year, she said.

The commissioners and staff members then created lists of pros and cons for stakeholders in the proposed annexation.

The city would grow in size, and receive increased permit fees, B&O tax dollars, stormwater fees and sales tax. The city would increase its industrial and commercial property base. The port commissioners said possible cons for the city would be a lack of knowledge about the airport and The Federal Aviation Administration; having to take over street maintenance, snow plowing and mowing on the land; and UGA/GMA equations.

With annexation, the Mason County Sheriff's Department wouldn't have to provide service to the area. As for cons, the county will lose about 1,100 acres, permit fees and sales taxes. The number of industrial and commercial properties will decrease.

As for port tenants, the commissioners said increased water capacity, a possible quicker response from police than sheriff's, and O&M septic inspection fees are pros. The cons include fees - including sewer, hydrant and stormwater - and city taxes.

The commissioners also compiled a list of questions, including the difference in permit fees and the permitting process between the city and county, urban growth area requirements, and comparisons in regulations and utility fees.

The commissioners had a shorter discussion on the proposed land swap.

The city wants the port property, some of it on the former site of the Mason County Fairgrounds, to triple the capacity of the current satellite wastewater treatment plant from 400,000 gallons per day to 1.2 million a day. In exchange, the city is offering about 3 acres of woods near the Huff'n'Puff Trail and Island Lake. A proposed neighborhood development on the site fell through a couple years ago.

The commissioners need more details from the city, Taylor said. "We need clarification on what they really want," he said.

Patterson pointed out that the talks are centered only on the Sanderson property.

"The city has not approached us about Johns Prairie at all," she said.

Analyzing the pros and cons of the proposed moves is "the first of many discussions," said Commissioner Kristy Buck.