Grant County PUD to vote on Crescent Bar Island Monday

EPHRATA - Grant County PUD commissioners vote Monday on the document guiding recreation for Crescent Bar Island.

The document, titled "Plan and Schedule for Crescent Bar Island," is filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) upon the PUD commission's approval.

The district must submit the document to meet federal relicensing requirements to operate its Columbia River dams.

Commissioners discussed the document at a previous meeting, which mostly stayed with existing footprints, said Kelly Larimer, a PUD manager.

Another topic included the island's water/sewer system, as the average daily flows and peak flows exceed the permitted amount.

There is no water/sewer system off Crescent Bar Island on PUD property, said David Stipe, a consultant with Project Groundwork.

Commissioner Terry Brewer asked if the district could obtain a permit for lesser volumes.

Stipe said they could.

Commissioner Tom Flint said he would hate to spend a lot of money if the state Department of Ecology would work with the district on a transition plan.

Adding a water park to the plan and schedule was also discussed.

Flint said having a water park addition probably would be a good family activity, as not everyone plays golf or has a boat.

He said the water park isn't necessarily something the PUD should do, as they were looking for a limited liability corporation to partner with.

General manager Tim Culbertson said the district is trying to preserve its range of options.

Although his family has passes to the water park in Ephrata, the facility is subsidized by the city, he explained.

Another issue is the future of the island's golf course.

PUD staff previously recommended the existing golf course be removed from the island, but four Grant County residents objected and staff changed their direction.

Commissioner Bob Bernd said he didn't want to be tied into the area being a golf course. He thought the plan gave the district five years to decide if the golf course was successful. After five years, they will have more figures.

Commissioner Greg Hansen said he was open to the broadest public use.

Hansen asked Jim Harris, of Washington State Parks and Recreation, his thoughts on the matter.

The PUD and state parks discussed a partnership to run the island, but made no formal decisions.

Harris asked if the PUD was looking to be an economic driver of Grant County or just to meet FERC license requirements.

The golf course addresses a local need. There are also local needs for some small water parks.

The water park in Moses Lake makes money, he said.

Swimming pools and small spray pools are money consumers, Harris claimed. But sometimes they are attractive, as they can be used to draw people to an area with other features.

State parks looks to facilities with regional or statewide draws.

That's not to say a golf course cannot exist in the state park system. There are three golf courses in the system, but it's because the state needed the trails associated with the land, or for other reasons.

"The golf course isn't the make-or-break, it's the total package within," Harris said.

Brewer commented about a portion of the plan, which states the course should be fenced.

The course hasn't been fenced in 40 years, he claimed.

Flint said if there's challenges, there is an opportunity to address them.

Tom Park, with Crescent Bar Resorts, commended commissioners Monday for changing their direction about the course.

He said they wanted to be part of Grant County and offered the PUD their assistance during the transition.

Park spoke of his experience building water parks and said the pool there is a good footprint for a water slide.

Adding slides and other features would create a water park.

Jim Hoersch, of Quincy, said he gathered close to 600 signatures to reaffirm  the new direction for the golf course.

He stood in front of the grocery store in Quincy to find signers.

There were two people who wanted the nature trail instead of the golf course.

"There were a lot more people who wanted to keep the golf course than to do away with it," he commented.

Danna Dal Porto, of Quincy, disagreed with the new direction, saying the district subsidized special interest groups.

It appears the golf course will lose about $150,000 annually, she said.

"I don't think we should be doing that in any way, shape or form," she commented.

She said she wants a cost-effective plan that serves the majority of the public.

Dal Porto also criticized the water park idea because of the additional expenses, such as bringing it up to code and staffing the facility.

She suggested the district work with its own staff and the state in returning part of the island to a native habitat.