Sims Way south side planting concept
The work of removing Lombardy poplar trees along the south side of Sims Way is anticipated to begin this spring. Electrocution risks to boatyard workers, and electrical arcing from nearby high-voltage transmission lines to the aging poplars, prompted a coalition of local governments to develop a plan to permanently separate the transmission lines from the trees, and allow the boatyard to expand in the process. The project is a collaboration of the Port of Port Townsend, the Jefferson County Public Utility District and the City of Port Townsend. It includes removing the poplars on the south side of Sims Way adjacent to the Port of Port Townsend Boatyard, to be followed by new landscaping with some native trees. Other stages involve eliminating the overhead 115KV high-voltage transmission lines by moving them underground, building a paved sidewalk and expanding the boatyard.
“We understand why many people are attached to these trees, which have been part of the cityscape for many years,” said Port Executive Director Eron Berg. “Unfortunately, this row of Lombardy poplars is also a safety hazard for the Port’s staff and tenants. This project resolves the danger of a metal mast touching the high-voltage lines, and the danger of electrical arcing into those poplar trees. It has the benefit of expanding the boatyard on existing Port property.” The boatyard would expand 25 feet towards Sims Way, increasing the overall size by about one acre, said Berg. This additional space could allow larger boats to be worked on along Sims Way, which could support up to 10 new marine trades jobs, he said. The plan was approved by all three local governments in 2022. In 2023, the City conducted an extensive stakeholder and public input process and amended its Comprehensive Plan to assure consistency with the Gateway Development Plan, a subarea plan focused on lower Sims Way that was adopted in 1993. The amendments specifically anticipate the proposed project, which is consistent with and helps implement the amended Comprehensive Plan.
The Port applied on Nov. 21, 2024 for the necessary permits from the City. Still pending is formal City review of the application in accordance with the State Environmental Protection Act (SEPA). A public notice will soon be posted on site and a legal notice is published in the Leader that invites comments on potential environmental impacts as part of the SEPA process. The public notice gives direction on how to access records and provides a link to a comment form: https://forms.office.com/r/kQWHgii4s5. Planner John McDonagh is listed as the City staff contact. Residents can also contact the applicant, the Port of Port Townsend, through the “Contact Us” link at portofpt.com.
“At the end of the project, there will be no overhead power lines anywhere in the boatyard,” said Berg. “That’s a relief to sailboat owners, taller commercial and fishing vessels, marine trades and Port employees who operate the marine Travelifts that haul nearly 1,000 boats annually.” The PUD, which owns and operates the high transmission lines that run alongside the poplars, has always had the legal authority to remove the 60 trees alongside its power lines as a matter of public safety. On a windy day in 2021, Port employees witnessed electrical arcing between the trees and the transmission lines with one employee reporting feeling a tingling sensation while standing in the yard. The PUD waited for the City to amend its Comprehensive Plan, and for the Port to gear up for boatyard expansion.
According to the plan, PUD contractors will cut down the poplars and dig a trench for buried conduit to relocate transmission lines. The Port will manage the work of building a sidewalk, installing new trees and landscaping, and ballasting the expansion of the boatyard. As a last step, the PUD will pull new transmission lines through the conduit and remove the old overhead lines and poles. The project involves only the south, or boatyard, side of Sims Way and does not include removing poplars on the Kah Tai Lagoon side of the road. There are no transmission lines on that side of the roadway.
The Lombardy poplars are a fast-growing tree species, not native to this area. They send out shoots from their root systems and inhibit the growth of native trees. As far back as 1986, a study recommended replacement of the trees, which arborists have testified are already old enough to be structurally unsound, especially since this species rots from the inside. The poplars in question, chosen because of their rapid growth, were planted after the Boat Haven Marina was dredged in the mid-1960s. The renovation project, called the Sims Gateway and Boatyard Expansion Project, is expected to cost a total of $2.3 million, with $1.3 million from Jefferson County’s Public Infrastructure Fund and the remaining $1 million from the Port, PUD and City.
Additional information is available from the Port at: https://portofpt.com/engineering. Other background information is at cityofpt.us. Click on “Engage PT,” then “Sims Gateway and Boatyard Expansion Project.” A direct web link is: https://cityofpt.us/publicworks/page/sims-gateway-and-boatyard-expansion-project. Information on the amended Comprehensive Plan can be found at the link below. “Final Adopted Plan.”