Allyn weighs options for pier, comp plan, sea lions

Kirk Boxleitner | Aug 17, 20230

The Port of Allyn’s Aug. 7 meeting saw its executive director and commissioners address replacing its pier, updating the port’s comprehensive plan and what to do with the sea lions.

Port of Allyn Executive Director Lary Coppola said the port had $515,000 in its capital budget for a pier replacement project.

“Our options are to replace the entire pier with a completely new structure, to sleeve the existing pilings — which effectively gets the creosote out of the water, as well as stops the deterioration of the pilings — or to drive new pilings, which we will need to do for the ones that are missing, no matter what,” Coppola said. “We are currently exploring the feasibility and useful life of all three options. But the bottom line is, we won’t know enough to make any decisions until we get either engineers’ estimates or bids.”

One option Coppola is exploring with the port’s lobbyist is to find federal money to replace the entire structure, which he expects to cost $5 million to $7 million.

“Our realistic chances of getting that much out of the state are pretty remote,” Coppola said. “But our lobbyist and I met with Rep. Derek Kilmer’s staff, and got an idea of what’s involved in beginning the federal funding process, so we’re working on the first steps.”

Moving onto potential projects and public outreach for the port’s comprehensive plan update, Port of Allyn Commissioner Judy Scott noted that Coppola had drawn up a survey, which he described as an opportunity for the public to rank “the same projects we didn’t complete from the last one,” although he acknowledged he didn’t know whether commissioners wanted to add any new project ideas to the list.

“I felt like putting the pier on there would be putting the cart before the horse, until we know more,” Coppola said.

When Scott asked how he planned to disseminate the survey, Coppola said, “Put it on our website. Put it on Facebook. Promote it on other social media. Send it to the chamber, and get them to send it to their members, and maybe the EDC as well. I’d like to get more public input than we had the last time.”

When a swimming pool was suggested during the commissioners’ discussion, Coppola said, that it “is just not a good thing for us.”

Scott concurred, recalling that a swimming pool had been considered between eight to 10 years before, “and it just wasn’t financially feasible,” to which Coppola added, “We looked at it three years ago as well, and had the same conclusion.”

Coppola cited a request by the Lynch Cove Homeowners Association to solicit grants to upgrade their own pool as an example of “what the problem with having a pool is,” before noting what he’s observed as a resident of South Kitsap.

“We see what’s going on with the pool at that high school,” Coppola said. “What was $2 million to build is now $20 million to fix. I think the further we stay away from a pool, the better off we’re going to be.”

As for the sea lions, Coppola said he spoke with Rogue Fabricators about the port’s desire for a portable aluminum fence that one person could handle.

“So they’re coming back out here, to do another set of measurements,” Coppola said. “We don’t need anything as extensive as what they’ve designed before. We want something quick and easy. They said they’d come up with something and give us a bid.”