County poised to gain ownership of lighthouse

Published 4:00 pm Thursday, July 27, 2006

The announcement that Point No Point Lighthouse was transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard’s excess list will be any day now, according to Fred Zderic, realty specialist for the federal government’s General Services Administration Real Property Disposal office in Auburn. GSA will issue a Notice of Availability when the time comes.

Zderic will review letters of interest from governmental, nonprofit or community development organizations that want to obtain the lighthouse, keeper’s quarters and oil shed.

The “lighthouse giveaway” was created by the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000. Only light stations listed on the National Register of Historic Places, such as Point No Point, can be conveyed under the program.

Zderic serves as a portal for information between the Coast Guard and interested parties and then, 60 days after the date of the NOA, passes on names of qualified applicants to the National Park Service who sends out applications.

Applications must be returned to NPS within 90 days. The NPS makes a recommendation for a new owner to the Secretary of the Interior who then makes a final determination. GSA completes the conveyance to the selected recipient.

“Word will get out like wildfire,” said Elinor DeWire, president of the Washington Lightkeepers Association. She said 10 groups applied for ownership of the Burrows Island Light near Anacortes that was excessed by the Coast Guard last April.

Kitsap County Facilities, Parks and Recreation, which currently manages the lighthouse and keeper’s quarters and owns the surrounding Point No Point County Park, is poised to jump into the extensive application process.

“It’s always been our intent to have ownership of the lighthouse when they’re ready to excess it,” said Kitsap County Commissioner Chris Endresen.

“We’ve worked hard to make the lighthouse and park an area everyone can enjoy. We’re working hand-in-hand with the Hansville community. We want to be good stewards of it.”