PORT PROJECTS: NEWPORT

PORT PROJECTS: NEWPORT Port of Newport embarks on infrastructure improvements By Angela Nebel, for the Port of Newport

The replacement of the Port Dock 5 pier at the Port of Newport is a significant investment in the commercial marina where one of Oregon’s most productive fishing fleets is homeported. The $2.4-million pier reconstruction project is not only a much-needed overhaul of the 60-yearold facility but is also envisioned as the first spark of a chain reaction expected to prepare the Port and an evolving fleet for the next half century.

Originally constructed in the early 1960s, Port Dock 5 is home to 80 vessels that haul in Newport’s famed Dungeness Crab, as well as pink Port officials have recognized for some time that the condition of the pier was well beyond any minor repairs and began the search for funding.

shrimp, black cod, halibut, tuna, and more. The dilapidated pier, a wooden structure comprised of 50 wood piles and 11 mostly wooden bents, is the conduit for potable water, fuel lines, power, and more to the boats, as well as a floating fuel facility.

Port officials have recognized for some time that the condition of the pier was well beyond any minor repairs and began the search for funding. In the meantime, they enacted strict but necessary limitations.

“We built a gate four years ago to reduce the main amount of public traffic down there,” explained Kent Gibson, harbormaster for the Port of Newport’s commercial marina.

The pier that once allowed for truck traffic was restricted to the vehicles

An artist’s rendering of the new pier to be constructed at the Port of Newport.

servicing trash, portable toilets, and the fuel facility. Loading supplies on and off boats became a much greater challenge.

“Before, they could bring a truck within 20 feet or so of the ramp,” Gibson said of boat crews. “Now, with limitations, they are probably 130 feet from the end of the ramp to haul in their parts, supplies, groceries, or whatever else must come aboard.”

In February 2020, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce awarded the Port a $1.2-million grant to replace the fixed dock, gangway, and gangway float. The result will be a new access pier that is capable of handling vehicular traffic, as well as beefed up electrical lines with a larger amperage for vessels that desire it.

For Ted Gibson, owner of F/V Lady Kaye and F/V Tabitha, that’s welcome news. As much as hauling heavy equipment to the boats was a pain, the owner says the dated electrical system was an even bigger challenge.

“The electrical is a disaster. It’s old and the boxes burn out, so we need to get that upgraded and that’s part of the project. It’s almost more important than the ramp itself,” he remarked.

Even to those who aren’t working inside the commercial marina, the investment in the pier is seen as a positive sign. Rondys Inc. is currently developing an industrial park to service marine industries, located on the southeast side of the Port’s International Terminal.

“We’ve seen the fishing fleets continue to modernize over the years, but there is often a lag for the supporting shore-side infrastructure,” observed Evan Hall, president of Rondys Inc. “The Port Dock 5 pier project not only shows the Port’s commitment to the industry, but also has the potential to help expand its local footprint and give that economic engine a tune-up.”

While the new pier will be a welcome sight to the fishing businesses that operate from Port Dock 5, it is also an environmental victory. The abundant wood pilings will be replaced by a greatly reduced number of steel piles and the concrete slab deck will include a stormwater collection system.

Federal officials played key roles in securing the funding and celebrated the news when the grant funding was announced.

“When the fleet thrives, the Lincoln County economy thrives. That’s why infrastructure upgrades — like the construction of a new pier in Newport — couldn’t be more important,” said Senator Jeff Merkley.

Representative Kurt Schrader praised the decision to “prioritize the modernization of this piece of infrastructure that is so critical to the regional economy, the fishing community, and the future of so many small businesses on the Oregon Coast.”

Since the announcement, Port General Manager Paula Miranda and Director of Operations Aaron Bretz have shepherded the project through the necessary stages, including the hire of HDR Inc. for project management and the creation of the construction documents needed before a Request for Quotation (RFQ) was issued in early December.

Port officials are hopeful the project can be launched before the end of the in-water work window allowed by state regulators, which ends in February. If not, the funding and permits will still be in place for a fall construction.

“The pier replacement is really a launching point for a long-term vision for the commercial marina,” explained Miranda.

With the top ticket item on their to-do list securely underway, Port officials have been focused on the future and the long-term demands on the Port’s infrastructure.

“The pier replacement is really a launching point for a longterm vision for the commercial marina,” explained Miranda. “The greatest need that we are focused on next is replacement of Port Dock 7. We have a grant specialist in discussion with a number of federal agencies in hopes of securing the funding for the first step, which is the development of plans.”

Thanks to long lead times and the slow pace of funding cycles, Port officials must address multiple issues at once and another important element of the marina’s future is already in the study phase.

In response to a Port of Newport request, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has been going through the “federal interest determination” process in 2020 to address whether a USACE Section 107 dredging project into the marina will be considered. Miranda and her team are anticipating a favorable response in February, which would move the project into the feasibility study phase. That means a price tag of roughly $900,000, with the Port of Newport covering half the cost, which the Port Commission has covered in this year’s budget.

Consistent with Section 107 navigational improvements, the Port requested a federal channel be dredged to 20 feet below MLW (mean low water) through the entire marina. It would also create a turning basin and a deep channel to the hoist dock for larger boats.

This laser focus on an improved infrastructure is welcome news to a whole host of people related to the seafood industry.

Anthony Dal Ponte is the Director of Legal and Government Affairs at Pacific Seafood, which operates five processing locations in Newport and employs a few hundred people.

“Anything that helps the commercial fishing fleet helps the seafood industry as a whole,” Dal Ponte said when asked to reflect on future improvements. “We are all in this together and it starts with the boats, so we very much appreciate the Port’s efforts to improve the infrastructure and improve the services provided to fishermen.”

Bob Eder is one of those fishermen. As an annual moorage holder at the Port of Newport for more than 35 years and owner of the F/V Timmy Boy, Eder is well-versed in the value of commercial fishing to the community and the need for the Port of Newport to keep pace.

“Newport is an incredible place to work. It has so much to offer in terms of processing, the support services, the quality of the fleet, the relative competitiveness and the ability to innovate, but we really need basic infrastructure to be supported and we aren’t there yet,” he remarked. “That includes the need for some redesign in the marina. Boats are getting wider and we have very few slips that can accommodate the new or rebuilt boats.”

Mike Pettis knows something about that. He’s had two vessels sponsoned, Port of Newport General Manager Paula Miranda creating wider boats with greater stability and more capacity while staying within permit limitations dictated by the industry.

“With length-based limited entry, it creates a want for people to make their boats as productive and safe as possible within a certain length. So, the boats got wider and wider and could carry more and more crab pots and more product, too, all within that certain length,” he explained.

This year, the F/V Jaka-B went into the shipyard at 57 feet long and 15 feet wide and came out at 61 feet long and 24 feet wide. Although he has increased capacity, it comes with some extra considerations.

“For 20 years, the Jaka-B had a stall of its own inside Port Dock 5. But when you go from 15 feet wide to 24 feet wide, you don’t fit into your slip anymore. You end up on the outside of the dock where the bigger boats go and nobody gets an assigned slip there,” Pettis said.

The push to accommodate larger vessels, including some that are currently tied up at the Port’s International Terminals, is part and parcel of the goal of marina reconfiguration.

Harbormaster Gibson knows first-hand the difficulties in accommodating an ever-evolving fleet.

“The goal of reconfiguration is to allow the berthing of boats that are getting longer and wider while also replacing a dilapidated Dock 7. There is no other way to accommodate the number of boats and the size of boats we need without it,” he said.

“As a Port, we are very focused on improving the commercial marina because it is necessary for the future success of the fishing fleet, but also for our flexibility when it comes to shipping opportunities at the International Terminal,” said Miranda. Starting with the improvements at Port Dock 5 and including the pursuit of grants for Port Dock 7 and the forward momentum of the Army Corps dredging project, the general manager, and Port Commission hope to orchestrate a chain reaction the leads to a reinvigorated Port of Newport for decades to come. PP