Pressure Mounts for Action on Hadlock Sewer

77% of Landowners Petition Jefferson County Commission

By Jim Scarantino

Landowners representing 77% of the areas of Port Hadlock zoned for commercial, industrial and multi-family units on June 18, 2018, delivered to the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners their petition for action on the long-delayed sewer project.

Their petition requests that the BOCC “investigate the cost and feasibility of building a sewer in the Port Hadlock UGA” to serve the areas zoned for those uses.  More significantly, the petition states the landowners’ interest in forming a Local Improvement District to permit financing of the sewer.  An LID would spread the cost of the sewer among the covered landowners over a set number of years. 

The signatories represent 200.91 acres of the 260.75 acres in those areas.  Only 1 landowner submitted a dissenting statement.  He owns only about a third of an acre.

According to one of the signatories, who requested that their name not be printed, representatives of the landowners group have held two meetings with county staff with one commissioner present.  As a result of those meetings, the county has contracted for a cost study of the Hadlock system using the grinder pump collection and membrane bio-reactor treatment contained in a plan for a wastewater system in Quilcene.  This technology could possibly cut the cost of the Hadlock sewer in half.  Using technology that is decades old, the cost of the Hadlock sewer is estimated at about $45 million.

Land for a sewer plant has been acquired and the county says the project is “shovel ready.”  $13.4 million of the necessary funding has been secured.

               Since 2008, the Jefferson County Port Hadlock UGA Sewer Facility Plan has recommended establishment of an LID. 

Attached to the petitions were letters from the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding and the Old Alcohol Plant.  They did not sign the petition but submitted supporting statements.

David Blessing, President of the Board of Directors, wrote, “The Boat School recognizes there is a problem with septic capacity for commercial and multiple home sites which prevents expansion and economic growth in Port Hadlock…. We strongly believe it is in the county’s best interests to build such a sewer system.” 

Blessing pointed to a problem confronting many Hadlock businesses.  They must maintain, upgrade and/or expand existing septic systems to continue operations, while they call for construction of the sewer.  The Valley Tavern, for instance, recently did substantial work on its septic system at considerable cost.  Nonetheless, it’s owner signed onto the petition  The Boat School is moving forward with expansion of its existing system, precluding it from immediately joining an LID, though it may be interested “down the road.”

New Valley Tavern drain field

Gary Kiester, managing partner of the Old Alcohol Plant, wrote that his organization recognizes “the immediate need to investigate the feasibility” of a sewer to serve commercial, industrial and multi-family zoned properties.  “Delays in moving forward on this crucial project will only increase costs…. The project will not only improve…land value[s] but will generate additional and needed revenue to the county through permitting, job creation and moderately priced homes…. We see no downside in moving this forward convincingly.”

Kiester added that his company wants to build an additional five-story hotel that could increase the capability of its major tenant, Bayside Housing, which houses and transitions the homeless into permanent housing.  The new construction would also “provide additional rooms for low income seniors.”  Due to the limitations on their septic drain field, however, the construction cannot proceed.

Kiester closed by stating that once costs are determined “we would happily sign on to a form a Local Improvement District….”

With the addition of the 11 acres owned between the Boat School and the Old Alcohol Plant the percentage of land owners in the affected area calling for the new cost study and endorsing an LID exceeds 81%.

In our next report, we will examine another sewage treatment technology that could greatly reduce the cost and construction time of the Hadlock system.

See our related report:  Glimmers of Hope for the Hadlock Sewer, which examines brightening prospects for federal infrastructure funding.

Here is the full Quilcene Wastewater Facility Study, prepared by Tetra Tech of Seattle for the Port of Port Townsend, which spearheaded the investigation.