Grant PUD OKs plan for island golf course

EPHRATA - Grant County PUD is moving forward with a wide-scale plan guiding recreation on Crescent Bar Island.

The commission-approved plan for the island was submitted to the Federal Energy Regulator Commission (FERC) Tuesday and details an estimated $16.6 million and $21.2 million in improvements.

The work is part of FERC's requirements for the PUD's federal license to own and operate its dams.

The facilities were also named the Crescent Bar Recreation Area.

It's expected construction on the island's improvements will start in 2012 and last through 2016.

For now, the current nine-hole golf course is listed as remaining on the island.

The utility "may seek a concessionaire to operate and maintain the golf course and will evaluate its performance during the 2015 update to the Recreation Resource Management Plan," according to the Plan and Schedule.

Improvements include a public campground, upgraded beach areas, enhanced boating and day-use facilities, trails and more parking.

During Monday's PUD commission meeting, staff and commissioners made changes to the document before approving it.

One of the changes included striking a reference to Washington State Parks and Recreation as a potential operator and instead adding "potential operators."

Before the change, the sentence had read "If applicable, develop initial agreements(s) and plan with a potential operator such as Washington State Parks."

Grant PUD commissioner Tom Flint said he wanted to delete references to renovation because there are many areas they're not going to renovate.

"We'll make changes as needed," he said. "I'm challenged by the fact renovation means tear out or redo. We'll make changes as we see fit and that are cost-effective to do."

Flint also revisited the idea of having a water park on the island.

He wanted a reference to a water park in the plan because people stopped him on the street to tell him it was a good idea.

District attorney Mitch Delabarre said he didn't think the stakeholders had seen plans for a waterpark.

He didn't think including it now would help, and it could be a disadvantage, he said.

Commissioners Terry Brewer and Greg Hansen agreed the water park reference should be left out.

The reference was not added.

Kelly Larimer, Grant PUD lands and recreation resource manager, said the license is amended, no matter what.

They are taking "this broad vision," boiling it down as they learn more and then file amendments, she explained.

For more information, visit www.gcpud.org/naturalResources/shorelineManagement/crescentBar.html.