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Planning commission approves removal of Pier 7 boardwalk feature at 128 South First Street
Summary
The planning commission approved demolition of an unsafe boardwalk feature at the Pier 7 Building, finding the application is an aesthetic review while environmental permits will be handled by state and federal agencies.
The Planning Commission voted to approve demolition of a degraded boardwalk feature and associated exterior changes at the Pier 7 Building, 128 South First Street.
Planning staff said the boardwalk under the Pier 7 structure is degraded and unsafe and that removal of the structure is necessary to perform repairs. Staff described the application as an historic design review focused on aesthetics; environmental review and permitting for in-water impacts will be handled by other agencies. "This is aesthetics only," the planning staff member said, adding that the applicant has filed a Joint Aquatic Resource Permit Application (JARPA) and that the project will be reviewed by the Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The applicant, Laura Palmer, identified herself as a manager of the Pier 7 Building and said the owners and managers want the decking repaired and to reopen a seating area currently closed because of the boardwalk condition. "We just really wanna get it repaired," Laura Palmer said. She also said the wrought-iron gate and a small brick feature on the south side would be removed and the decking replaced to match the rest of the boardwalk.
Staff told the commission the work falls under exemptions for shoreline maintenance and a SEPA exemption for required shoreline repair and maintenance, so no separate SEPA threshold determination is required at the town level. Staff noted that the Corps and state agencies may require additional permits (for example, an Army Corps Section 10 authorization or a Clean Water Act 404 permit) and will review stormwater, aquatic habitat and light-penetration impacts once their applications are complete.
Commissioners held a brief public hearing; the applicant and two building managers spoke in favor. After discussion, a motion to approve the rig demolition and other exterior changes at 128 South First Street passed unanimously.
The permit approval at the town level covers design and aesthetic elements only; the project must obtain any required state and federal permits before in-water work proceeds.
