By CARRINA STANTON
Staff Writer
POULSBO — Some huge problems on Poulsbo’s waterfront won’t exactly be funded as hoped.
But officials are finding no “BIG” issue with the arrangement just yet.
The City of Poulsbo and Port of Poulsbo had recently paired up to apply for some $5.1 million in Interagency for Outdoor Recreation Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) funds. The money would have funded about $1.6 million in city projects and nearly $3.4 million in port work including replacement of the port’s aging breakwater and the city’s sloughing Waterfront Park bulkhead.
On Friday, the two received notice from Phil Struck of Parametrix that the application had not been funded. Thirty-two applications totalling $17.8 million had been submitted for the federal money this year. But when the funding finally came through, there was only $1 million available and San Francisco’s Pier 39 alone received it.
“This is a bit disappointing to say the least,” Struck wrote in a memo to the two entities. “It would be nice if IAC was able to provide applicants with a more realistic estimate of funding potential before local funds are spent preparing applications.”
The notification essentially ends a partnership between the city and port that was struck for a better chance at the BIG money. The two split a $150,000 consulting fee to hire Parametrix in November 2002 for the preliminary design, permitting and grant applications for both of their waterfront projects. Though the BIG grant didn’t come through, officials said working together was worthwhile.
“I don’t feel bad,” Port Manager Ed Erhardt commented. “I think the endeavor between us and the city was a success. It was a good relationship.”
Now, the two plan to strike out on their own for funding.
Erhardt said the port has grant applications in again for the BIG grant (this time, ly for its portions) and a Boating Facilities Development (BFD) grant. The port intends to keep up with needed upgrades to its facilities but Erhardt said there is still time to look for the funding for these large projects.
“I feel we can afford some time to elapse before things have to be repaired,” he commented. “It’s not an emergent thing but it needs to be done within the next five to 15 years.”
Erhardt said the newest idea is to phase the handful of port projects into smaller, more manageable portions and hope to be able to receive grant funds by itself.
“I truly wish it could have worked out and the port and the city could have had an expanded relationship,” Erhardt commented about the failure of the BIG grant application. “We’ll be very supportive of them in anything they’d like to work on. But that will be up to the commissioners and city council.”
The City of Poulsbo will also be going it alone to keep Liberty Bay from reclaiming Waterfront Park, said Poulsbo Interim Public Works Director John Stephenson. He said the city recently submitted an application for a $500,000 Land and Water Conservation Program grant that it’s hoping will allow some work to go forward on the rock wall.
Though the amount would not cover the entire cost, Stephenson said some options might include phasing the project, going with a less-costly design or going out for debt on the project.
The final call will be up to the city council. Stephenson said he intends to address the issue with council members as soon as he has received the necessary permits from the appropriate agencies.
“Ultimately it’ll be up to the council to prioritize the unfunded needs of this project against the other city priorities,” Stephenson said.
Though Poulsbo had hoped to have work on the sliding rock wall underway this fall, Stephenson said there is still time to look at funding options.
Though he had no concrete estimates on when the land movement would become an emergency, Stephenson said the biggest issue right now is the condition of the land supporting the Kvelstad Pavilion and community fire pit.
“We’re monitoring to keep track of it but it’s hard to know if the pavilion will start sinking next year or in 10 years,” Stephenson said.
