Port Townsend council OKs short extension for Winter Welcoming Center, directs staff to seek alternatives

The Port Townsend City Council voted to extend the Winter Welcoming Center’s lease at Pope Marine through April 19, 2026 and authorized staff to work with the Jefferson Interfaith Action Coalition and community partners to explore alternative sites for spring and summer 2026.

Community services staff told the council the center’s existing lease expires April 15 and that staff had assembled material about the 30-plus reservations at Pope Marine that conflict with year-round shelter operations. "The current lease with the Winter Welcoming Center does expire for the lease agreement on April 15," the Community Services Director said while explaining the facility and reservation constraints and potential zoning limits.

Speakers who operate and use the center pressed the council for time and continuity. "We've had a 37% increase in the need for people to have a place to go," said Ben Casard, who identified himself as manager of the Winter Welcoming Center, adding, "we served 42 people today." Several nonprofit leaders and residents described the center’s role in connecting people to housing and services and urged council members to avoid a gap in operations.

Planning staff warned that the zoning for the Pope Marine area does not currently allow an emergency indoor shelter outside the terms of a conditional use permit issued in 2021 and that a permanent change would likely require a zoning code amendment or an interim ordinance plus a state environmental review, a process that takes weeks to months.

Council members discussed shared-use compromises (move-out and turnover on reservation days), staffing capacity for fast cleanups, and the practical limits of renegotiating dozens of plaza reservations at short notice. One council member summarized the trade-offs: short extensions buy time but do not solve the longer-term zoning or siting questions, and high-season bookings make shared use difficult.

After debate and an amendment clarifying dates and staff authorization, the council approved the motion to extend the lease through April 19, 2026 and to direct staff to coordinate with the Jefferson Interfaith Action Coalition and community partners to identify alternative locations for the 2026 spring and summer seasons. The motion carried on a voice vote; formal tallies were not recorded in the transcript. The council recessed for five minutes before moving on to the next agenda item.

Next steps: staff will pursue conversations with community partners and begin looking for feasible short-term host sites while reporting back to council; council members asked staff to return with options and any feasible interim measures to reduce disruption to existing plaza events.