Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Shoreline topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council accepts consultant findings for Jackson Beach; authorizes maintenance while pursuing further design
Summary
Public Works and Environmental Stewardship presented consultant work showing combined restoration and operational uses at Jackson Beach (Griffin Bay) are costly and impractical; council approved near-term maintenance to stabilize the barge landing pending forage-fish surveys and additional design work.
San Juan County’s Public Works director and environmental stewardship staff briefed the council on Jan. 20 about consultant work on the Jackson Beach (Griffin Bay) site and a recommended short-term approach.
Director of Public Works Colin Huntermer said the consultant analysis "didn't have something that met the mark for a restoration project or a transportation project combined," and staff therefore proposed a maintenance-first approach to stabilize the barge landing and preserve laydown area functionality. Huntermer described an on-the-ground maintenance plan to relocate failed revetment material off the beach and stack it at the edge of the access road to protect the barge landing; staff also reported they were conducting forage-fish surveys to determine ecological windows for work.
Kendra Smith, director of Environmental Stewardship, explained trade-offs in the consultant alternatives: larger restoration options required extensive laydown area reconfiguration and additional consulting funds (estimated at another ~$30,000) and still risked safety or operational compromises. Smith said some permitted modifications (upper hardened barge landing) exist but that fully combining restoration and marine operations on the same footprint proved forced and expensive.
Chair Paulson and council members emphasized the site’s operational value for public works — the site is critical for barge-delivered materials — and supported proceeding with maintenance so county operations do not suffer. "This facility must remain fully operable and available to handle the load that's needed," Paulson said.
Council direction: staff may proceed with maintenance work pending the results of the biological/forage-fish survey and will return with additional options and cost estimates if council wishes to pursue a more comprehensive restoration.
