Crescent Bar project almost complete

EPHRATA — Construction on improvements to Crescent Bar are almost but not quite finished, and the Grant County PUD is beginning to see some money from campground, golf course and special event fees. Public lands and recreation manager Shannon Lowry said the utility only received one response to its request for proposals to manage the PUD’s facilities at Crescent Bar.

Lowry was updating PUD commissioners at their last meeting, and said utility district crews are still working on removing vegetation and any encroachments on PUD property around Desert Aire and Sunland Estates. That prompted a question from commissioner Larry Schaapman.

“I don’t know how to ask it - has the hostility gone down at the locations at Desert Aire and Sunland as far as towards our staff? Are things starting to smooth out a little bit?” Schaapman said.

“I can safely say I feel like it’s dissipating to a large extent,” Lowry said. “We have probably 10 percent of the folks who are still stinging a little bit over the changes that we’ve made. But in large part, particularly at Crescent Bar and at Sunland, we’re getting a lot of positive feedback.”

There is still a lawsuit pending, however, filed by some residents at Sunland over the addition of a piece of property into the project boundary. The property was zoned as a residential lot, and was given to the PUD in the owner’s will.

The PUD was granted permission to add the property to the project boundary by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the lawsuit plaintiffs challenged FERC’s action. That part of the case is pending before the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, said Mitch Delabarre, the PUD’s attorney. “We’re waiting for a hearing date,” he said.

The lawsuit filed in Grant County Superior Court challenging the PUD’s action is on hold until the Ninth Circuit issues its decision, he said.

The contract to operate the facilities at Crescent Bar expires at the end of the 2018 recreation season, and PUD officials advertised for a new contractor. Only one bid was received for both operation and maintenance in the facilities, she said, although one bid was received for just the maintenance component.

“We’re not really surprised by that,” Lowry said. Utility district officials encountered a similar situation when advertising for operators for four other recreation sites two years ago, she said. “It’s just difficult to find outfits that can do this.”

The PUD has received $364,030 in lease and utility payments, Lowry said, and $43,519 in campground fees, from Crescent Bar and other PUD sites. Golf course fees have generated $34,013 and $16,254 in fuel has been sold at the marina. Special event fees have brought in $9,970 so far.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.