Crescent Bar hearing draws many comments

EPHRATA — With the expiration of Crescent Bar Island’s lease approaching in 2012, about 150 people listened to testimony regarding future improvements to the island.

Most of the speakers visit the island during the summer weekends and live elsewhere during the week.

Others have made the island their home and pay taxes and vote in Grant County.

Monday’s hearing was the last chance for people to provide verbal and written comments before Grant County PUD commissioners decide about renewing the lease.

The lease allowing about 1,000 people to live on the island is between the Port of Quincy and the PUD.

Commissioners will decide about the island at a later date, Commission President Terry Brewer said. A flyer provided at the meeting stated decisions would be made in early 2010.

A total of more than 100 people attended both sessions, about the island, but didn’t all speak.

The ideas presented included: expand public use, reduce heavy drinking by decreasing additional rentals and overnight camping and upgrade children’s playground equipment.

Doug Caton spoke, representing advocates of a lease renewal, the Crescent Bar Homeowners’ Association. Caton explained upgrading the island’s sewer system was needed, which could occur at no cost to the PUD.

The group understands the need to improve public access and estimates it brings $4 million annually to Grant County by paying taxes and through other spending.

Kevin Foley, also with the association, spoke about residents’ ideas to create a traffic roundabout with a kiosk in the middle. The kiosk could contain event information and details about places to visit on the island.

Foley also spoke about the possibility of a new retail building across from the condos, additional habitat creation to fill in “bald spots,” a skateboard park and selective tree removal in the beach area.

Gary Justice said he spent 11 months out of the year at Crescent Bar and pointed out condos sit empty there nine months a year.

Small communities, like nearby Quincy, need the out of town money, he said.

Justice added he would like to see the restaurant and grocery store open year-round on the island.

Bob Dewell said he commuted to Crescent Bar from Auburn and retired on the island two years ago. He now votes and pays taxes in Grant County.

Dewell said he believe all parties can work together and make it a winning situation for everyone. He asked the PUD to grant them a new lease.

Orlan Wood, president of the Quincy Senior Center, said he’s spoken to many people in Quincy and Grant County about what they would like to see on the island. Their interests center around boating, the beach, swimming, recreation and having a nice place to picnic. Wood said there’s no bathhouse and there’s been nothing done for the people of the county. The playground equipment on the island is “1920s variety” that children can easily be hurt on, Wood noted.

“What we need is modern equipment, something to entice people to come,” he added.

GayeAnn Buse spoke on behalf of her 34 family members. Four generations of her family enjoyed the island throughout the years.

She encouraged the PUD to form a committee including stakeholders to address the following issues, including: improving public access, health and safety concerns, improving water quality and implementing a monitoring system to do the same and develop a funding source to make the improvements a reality.

Dick Campbell said he and his family own a lot on the island. He wants to continue bringing his grandchildren and great-grandchildren to the island. They are encouraged by talks to enhance the playground, he said.

Former Grant County Prosecutor Paul Klasen, of Ephrata, said the present island users have no rights to the property after the lease expires. Klasen added that compared to Chelan County PUD and Douglas County PUD, he gets a “little embarrassed” when people ask him what Grant PUD has done for recreation. Klasen spoke of “vultures” from private power who would interrupt the PUD’s federal license if it didn’t comply with license requirement.

Susan Lacy, of Quincy, said her home overlooks Crescent Bar and she’s a permanent resident. She encouraged public usage of the island, but spoke of problems with prowlers and thefts at nearby Trinidad. A carpet cleaner dumped his tanks along the Lacy’s road and she’s been hit almost twice by apparently drunk drivers, she said.

She wants additional public use, but no additional rentals or overnight camping, she said.

Deborah Park spoke of her concerns about her vehicle being towed from the island on July 27 because it had business information printed on it. Last summer, she and her husband had business information placed on their suburban launching their pontoon boat. They received a handwritten notice from Crescent Bar Inc. stating no commercial advertisements were allowed on vehicles parked at the boat launch, she explained.

She asked Grant PUD commissioners to include public parking with public access and a public boat launch.

Port of Quincy Commissioner Curt Morris said many of the issues being dealt with are because the lease between the port and the PUD was established 50 years ago.

The lease was so vague, one couldn’t follow it verbatim, he said. Now they have the opportunity to renew the lease, he welcomes the opportunity to work with the PUD, Morris said. He acknowledged the biggest problems come on the weekends.

He added they need to have better security as the Grant County Sheriff’s Office doesn’t want to spend all of their time there. Morris spoke of having a private security service, like the Gorge.

Tamara Ybarra, of Quincy, said she and her family visit the island during the summer months and added she saw other area local residents there too. There are no restrooms for the public to use, which is difficult because she has a diabetic daughter.

Ybarra also talked about being constantly confronted when she’s airing up inflatable water toys in the parking area by the beach.

She said she didn’t know why they couldn’t use the parking area by the beach.

About 330 written comments have been submitted to the PUD, according to Dorothy Harris, a utility spokesperson, on Tuesday.

Staff plan to have the comments compiled, analyzed and summarized for commission review by mid-October, she stated.

They will be posted online then.