City staff outlines feasibility study for Soundview stormwater park on city-owned parcel

At its April 1 meeting the Gig Harbor Parks Commission heard an informational presentation from a city staff member about a feasibility study to evaluate a stormwater-treatment park on a city-owned parcel near Soundview Drive.

The staff member said the project is funded through the Puget Sound National Estuary Program (EPA funds administered by the Washington Department of Ecology), that ecology agreed to a $110,000 award after negotiation, and that the city will provide $10,000 to cover land-survey work so the grant-funded work can meet ecologys QA/QC requirements. "This grant allows us to do a little of that budget paying upfront," the presenter said, adding the deliverable will be a preferred design concept plan and that the grant does not obligate the city to construct the project.

Why it matters: staff characterized the proposal as a retrofit opportunity to treat stormwater runoff before it reaches Gig Harbor, reduce pollutants and provide a public amenity. The study will evaluate how much runoff from Soundview Drive could be routed to the site, weigh green infrastructure (rain gardens and soil-based bioretention) against engineered filtration systems (subsurface carbon/media filters), and estimate life-cycle maintenance needs and costs.

Key details and next steps: the presenter named the study consultant team (Parametrics) and said community outreach is required by the grant (a minimum of three outreach events such as surveys or open houses). Staff noted the project team must produce a concept plan before the grant expires (staff said the grant funding window extends to "summer of next year"). The city contact for the consultant is John Featherstone, identified by staff as a consultant with previous experience at the city of Shoreline.

Technical and maintenance considerations: commissioners asked about treatment capacity, retention time and maintenance cycles. Staff said typical bioretention features with underdrains can clear collected water within a day and that soil media can perform for many years before replacement; engineered cartridge or media filters may require more frequent replacement and carry lifecycle supply-chain and disposal considerations. The presenter also raised pollutant concerns commonly cited for the harbor area (metals, PCBs, PAHs and a tire preservative discussed in the meeting as "6PPDQ"), and emphasized signage and education as part of any public-facing design to prevent direct contact with untreated flow during storms.

Funding and site selection: staff said the site was selected because it is city-owned, located adjacent to Soundview Drive (a trunk line carrying runoff), and could satisfy a retrofit requirement in the citys stormwater permit obligations. Staff proposed allocating $10,000 of city funds to cover on-the-ground survey and required data collection so the grant-funded consultant can complete the conceptual design without triggering additional Ecology reporting requirements.

What remains unresolved: staff said the feasibility study will evaluate multiple options and noted that the study does not commit the city to construction. Commissioners requested inclusion of historic-preservation stakeholders, neighborhood outreach and parking/connection considerations in scoping; staff agreed to return with further details after the consultant completes initial scoping and to post the project on the city website once the contract is finalized.

The commission did not take a formal vote on the concept; staff said the consultant contract was expected to be signed imminently and the commission will see further materials and outreach plans in coming months.