Port of Coupeville commissioners wanted to give their reaction Wednesday to the town hall meeting they held earlier this month on the proposed Greenbank Estuary Project feasibility study.

They never got the chance.

When president Benye Weber asked for public input, about 20 Greenbank residents freely offered their opinions.

Early in July, the Skagit River System Cooperative proposed turning the 23-acre Greenbank wetlands near North Bluff Road into a protected salmon habitat, using money from two Indian tribes. The land needed for the project is jointly owned by the port, the Greenbank Beach & Boat Club and the Holmes Harbor Homeowners Association.

Opponents to the project, however, continue to raise red flags about the proposal.

Local resident Linda McCormick said the current wetlands need to be protected.

“My position is that the wetlands are not insignificant,” she said.

“They provide habitat for as many as 500 species of birds, mammals, fish and plants. Any disturbance will put the sensitive water aquifer at risk and, finally, I feel the natural open space helps preserve landowner’s property values,” McCormick said.

Bill Hulbert, who owns property on the spit of land called Greenbank Beach, is opposed to the estuary project.

Hulbert had blunt words for Holmes Harbor Association president Sharon Dunn, who had said at an earlier meeting that the estuary project may help solve the flooding problem near Greenbank Beach.

“We’re really taking a hard look at all this,” Hulbert told Dunn. “We are reviewing your homeowner association rules to see if they meet state guidelines.”

Dunn was unfazed.

“I’m happy to be watched by you or anyone else. We have open meetings,” she said.

William Renn said the proposed study was a blind-sided assault on his property, which adjoins any possible channel that could be created to give the wetlands access to Holmes Harbor.

“What is your position on the study?” Renn asked the port commissioners.

Weber said the board had tried to hear from as many people as possible on the project.

“We were successful. The town meeting was standing room only and we are reviewing the transcripts. Right now, we are at status quo,” Weber said.

Nancy Watt said the neighborhood is deeply divided over the issue.

“The majority, however, are highly skeptical and will vote to stop it,” she said.

Her husband, Bob Watt, has surveyed the 207 privately-owned lots in the development, 80 of which have homes.

“I expect to have letters representing well over 51 percent opposed to the study,” he said.

Eric Beamer, director of the Skagit River System Cooperative, said later that he fully understands landowners’ concerns.

“We have an obligation to provide clear official documentation that we’ve made every good-faith effort to get the project underway,” he said.

“As we sifted through the data from the town hall meeting, we took note of the many different concerns expressed,” Beamer said.

“We will write a proposal taking all views into consideration and what we will, and will not include in the project’s scope,” he said.

When asked if his group had allocated any funds to cover potential legal fees, Beamer chuckled softly and said no.

Beamer said he hopes to have the new proposal completed in early October.

Jeff VanDerford can be reached at 221-5300 or jvanderford@southwhidbeyrecord.com.