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Port Angeles authorizes city manager to sign real‑estate documents for Army Corps Eddy’s Hook nourishment project
Summary
The Port Angeles City Council on July 1 authorized the city manager to sign the real‑estate and related documents the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requires to move forward with a beach nourishment and erosion‑control project at Eddy’s Hook.
Port Angeles — The Port Angeles City Council on July 1 adopted a resolution authorizing the city manager to approve, sign and administer the real‑estate certificates, agreement amendments and other documents required for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to proceed with additional beach nourishment and erosion‑control work at Eddy’s Hook.
The sheltering action came after a staff presentation by Director Scott Curtin and questions from council about project scope, long‑term effectiveness and the city’s role. City Manager Nathan West told the council the Corps is preparing to release a construction bid; the city’s role is limited to signing real‑estate documents because the city holds a long‑term federal lease for much of Eddy’s Hook.
“The Corps is … 100% paying for the work associated with this,” Curtin said, describing a change tied to the 2024 WERDA bill that removed the city’s prior cost‑share obligation. Curtin and West said the nourishment planned will use smaller material than past projects and that the Corps will manage construction and operations.
Why it matters: the Hook has been the focus of recurring federal projects dating to the 1970s; the council’s authorization is a procedural step the Corps requires before issuing a construction solicitation for nearshore work on city‑leased property. Council members pressed staff on whether the Corps would incorporate restoration‑type measures (not just “putting sand back”) and how long the nourishment will persist in the active nearshore.
Council discussion mixed support and skepticism. Council member Latricia said she would vote no, arguing that traditional nourishment can be quickly redistributed by natural nearshore processes and urging more study and restorative design. Other council members, including Drew and Amy, supported the resolution to remain engaged and to keep pressure on the Corps to incorporate restoration where possible.
West said the city had worked with Rep. Jared Kilmer’s office to secure statutory language requiring the Corps to consider climate change and restoration in some aspects of its work, but that the Corps still required further study to adopt very specific restoration techniques. Attorney Bloor and Curtin confirmed the city’s authorization is limited to real‑estate documents and does not obligate the city financially for construction costs.
Outcome: The council passed the resolution authorizing the city manager to sign the documents needed to facilitate the Army Corps’ work on Eddy’s Hook. Staff said the Corps is expected to go to bid in the coming months and that the city will continue to request design details and share them with the council when available.
What’s next: Staff said they will provide council with copies of Corps design documents as they are finalized and noted the State Department of Ecology has offered to assist in aligning the Corps with more restorative approaches across the Hook.
