By FRED MCCARTHY

Langley mayor

Recent feedback from the community indicated a few concerns over view blockage, structural design, and aesthetic appearance of the proposed Langley Lift.

We are listening.

In many ways we see the newly expanded marina as another gateway to the city. Our current focus is on economic development. We have an interest in linking Cascade to the marina for boaters, tourists, and mobility-challenged individuals. We want the capability to move people, supplies, and equipment up and down the bluff to boats or for other personal reasons.

In 2005 an Island County Rural Economic Development Grant for $242,000 was applied for and awarded to widen Wharf Street. A funicular concept was later introduced as a better use of funds for linking Cascade Street to the marina and additional grant funds of $258,000 were approved in 2013 for this idea. A public/private partnership was proposed by Paul Schell of an elevator and a bridge that was approved by the Council of Governments as an alternative to the funicular. So the city has $500,000 approved for the funicular or an elevator plus a bridge.

It has been suggested by an individual that the city go back and do the original job of widening Wharf Street and conduct more work on the bluff slide area. Neither of these tasks is needed, nor have they been approved for the grant funding. The city has spent about $30,000 of general fund money on mitigating the slide area plus approximately $60,000 for a new stormwater system along Cascade that directs stormwater away from the bluff and to the collection system down Second Street to Brookhaven Creek and eventually into Puget Sound. Cascade Avenue was also realigned farther from the bluff to minimize future slide risk. These significant projects plus the fact that the slide was a type of slide that is less likely to reoccur doesn’t justify expending grant monies that could result in economic development for these purposes. There is no indication of bluff movement from the geotechnical measurement points along Cascade that widening Wharf Street or doing more slide area mitigation will fix.

Others have suggested more electric shuttles or vans but these ideas would be time- and staff-limited and have an additional on-going cost that might not be sustainable. Another idea was to lay the elevator on its side and pin it into the bluff to stabilize it. This idea could involve more cost.

We plan to take more input and share some ideas with the community that respond to their input and suggestions while generating economic gain for the city. We have very limited city funds for completing either of these projects. Paul Schell’s concept of the Langley Lift was proposed to us as buildable without additional city expenses beyond the grant funds. If we don’t move this project forward in some form shortly (we interpret this to mean in the next few months), the Council of Governments has stated that, since the funds have already been set aside for these purposes for a few years, they may withdraw the funds and redistribute them to other municipalities/projects. So we feel fortunate to have acquired this funding and have a sense of some urgency in moving a solution forward for the city. We’ve already seen positive implications and economic returns attributable to the Port of South Whidbey’s marina expansion and the Second Street transformation project.

Sincerely,

Fred