Anacortes American, July 24, 2002
By Paul Cocke
News Editor
Plans for local manufacturer T Bailey Inc.'s new facility off South March Point Road include a number of measures intended to minimize the effects of the manufacturing operation there on a number of nearby heron nests.
The Port of Anacortes has determined that the project probably won't have a significant adverse effect on the environment, though conditions have been added to help ensure that at the 26-acre, undeveloped March Point property. The site of a former gravel pit is located between South March Point Road and state Highway 20.
Earlier this year, the Port commission approved a long-term lease for the property to T Bailey, although several environmental groups and others raised the issue of the effects of the proposed facility on the heron nests.
T Bailey is a steel fabrications and construction company. One of its biggest projects of late has been the manufacture of 200-foot-high wind towers, which are fitted with turbines and transformed into power-generating windmills along the Columbia River basin.
In addition to its facility on Bartholomew Road, the company also leases space at the MJB building off T Avenue in town. Company owners say the new March Point site is needed for expansion, and its operations at the MJB facility have drawn noise complaints, although city officials have said the company voluntarily has curtailed hours of operation there.
Earlier this year, Skagit County approved a joint application from the Port and city for a $165,000 grant to provide water, sewer and other infrastructure upgrades to the Port's March Point site.
The expansion will add 100 additional workers and represents a potential $3 million capital investment, according to an earlier analysis prepared by the Economic Development Association of Skagit County.
The new project off South March Point Road calls for construction of the 320- by 350-foot fabrication warehouse building, with a 30-foot by 200-foot attached maintenance shop, to be located in the northwest corner of the property, as far away from the heron nests as is practical, according to the Port's Mitigated Determination of Non-significance.
Other site work includes construction of an office and an equipment storage building -- a 200-foot by 50-foot Quonset hut -- will be relocated there from another T Bailey site.
In addition to an existing access road off South March Point Road, which will be improved and provide access to the main yard and warehouse area, a new entrance and access road will be built on the north side of the property to access the office and equipment storage shed.
Plenty of parking will be available, with 24 paved parking spaces near the new office building, 75 paved spaces near the main production facility and another 60 unpaved spaces.
Conditions, or mitigations, to protect the herons include:
- Demolition, construction and grading work to be limited to daytime hours, from July through January. No earth-moving activities will be allowed in February, March or April.
- Design of building openings and alignment to minimize noise.
- Noise-dampening insulation in the main fabrication building.
- Use of covered and "down-shielded" lights.
- Retention of a forested buffer of at least 200 feet between the facility yards and heron colony.
- Construction traffic will be directed away from the heron nests.
In addition, no activities are to occur within 400 feet of an existing eagle nest on nearby property.
In 1994, the Skagit Land Trust received a donation of a 3.5-acre property adjacent to the Port's March Point property to protect the blue heron nests. Port officials said they have kept Skagit Land Trust informed about the progress of development of the conditions, which were arrived at after work from consultants that included a wildlife biologist suggested by the Trust.
Brenda Cunningham of Skagit Land Trust said the private, non-profit organization will be commenting on the Port's findings.
The Port will be accepting public comment on its findings until July 30. To comment, contact: Port of Anacortes, P.O. Box 297, Anacortes, WA 98221.
- In another matter, the Port has scheduled an open house and public hearing on its proposed Pier I Redevelopment Project, which includes a large, phased improvement to the facilities of Port tenant Dakota Creek Industries. An open house and tours of the shipyard will be held from 3:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., followed by a public hearing at 7-9 p.m., on Aug. 1, with both the open house and hearing at the lunchroom at Dakota Creek Industries, 820 Fourth St.
The open house and hearing are part of the Port's formal environmental review process for the Pier I project. The "scoping" process seeks public comment to help determine the scope of environmental actions, alternatives and impacts. Citizens can give their comments to a court reporter who will be at the open house, make comments before the commission at the public hearing or email or have their comments noted via voice mail. For more information or to comment, call the Port at the project phone number of 299-1805 or by email at projectpier1@portofanacortes.com.