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PUD board seeks Crescent Bar input
As Grant PUD starts the second year of the new license to operate the Priest Rapids Project, you will hear more buzz about the variety of projects that will be implemented as required by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Included among these is a directive that Grant PUD develop a plan to “protect and enhance Crescent Bar Island,” which is owned by you - Grant PUD ratepayers. A series of meetings have been scheduled to gather input from you, the public, on the following dates at 7 p.m:
June 4 — Quincy Community Center 115 F St. SW.
June 9 — Grant PUD Ephrata Commission Room 30 C St. SW.
June 25 — Mattawa Elementary School 400 N Boundary Road.
July 9 — Grant PUD Moses Lake Auditorium 312 W 3rd Ave.
As you may or may not be aware, Crescent Bar Island, a man-made island located approximately 20 miles north of Wanapum Dam on the Columbia River, is owned by Grant PUD as part of the Priest Rapids Project. The now popular recreation island was created by construction of Wanapum Dam under the utility’s initial 50-year FERC license, which expired in 2005.
The development and use history of Crescent Bar Island is complex. The 160-acre island and a portion of the mainland shoreline were leased by Grant PUD to the Port of Quincy in 1962. This lease includes a “mutual obligation to fulfill purposes of the lease by promoting development for public and recreational uses and managing property for the highest and best public uses consonant with the obligation of the parties to the public and to the taxpayers of Grant County.” This 50-year lease expires in June 2012.
As your elected Grant PUD commissioners, we recently adopted policies which will help us create a plan for Crescent Bar Island that gives all Grant PUD customers a voice in determining the future of this community asset. In developing a vision for the future of Crescent Bar Island, we believe that we will all benefit from a full understanding of how the current challenges came about before we attempt to identify solutions for the future.
Initially, the Port of Quincy installed primary services including water and sewer facilities and developed a golf course, restaurant, boat moorage, a trailer park and camping area. In 1970, the Port subleased the land to a developer that later sold its interest to Crescent Properties, Inc. In 1973, the Port lease was amended by Grant PUD to permit division of portions of the property and operation and maintenance of a recreational facility, including motels, condominiums, a trailer park, boat moorage and other specified facilities. Currently the Port of Quincy subleases to Crescent Properties, Inc., who in turn subleases to three homeowners associations. Currently there are 400 parties that have an interest in Crescent Bar condominiums and RV lots, with over 50 percent of the island under private use. Public access to the island has been limited as a result of the intensive private uses that have occurred over time.
With the pending 2012 expiration of the Crescent Bar lease, now is the optimal time to revisit the uses of Crescent Bar and determine how best to protect and enhance this Grant County resource while improving public access and use of the island.
Members of the public are also invited to submit comments via email to commissioners@gcpud.org or by physical mail to: Grant PUD Commission, P.O. Box 878, Ephrata WA 98823
We look forward to a collaborative public process that defines creative solutions for Crescent Bar Island.
Randy Allred, Bob Bernd, Terry Brewer, Tom Flint and Greg Hansen are Grant PUD Commissioners.
What’s your opinion?
The Post-Register gladly accepts guest columns on local issues to be printed in the Your Turn section. Columns should be 500 words and on a topic of general interest to our readers. Send columns to editor@qvpr.com, or by mail to PO Box 217, Quincy WA 98848. Call 787-4511 for information.
Maria commented, on June 10, 2009 at 8:33 a.m.:
I'm a seasonal worker in this area and had hoped to park my RV at Crescent Bar for two months while providing cherry drying services in the area. The only campground, however, had limited services and cost an outrageous $42/night. I wound up at the Port of Quincy operated Colockum Golf Course in Quincy instead; it offered full services at 1/4 the price.
Oddly, when I went down to Crescent Bar yesterday evening, I found the campground COMPLETELY EMPTY. Surely the owners of that property are not serving the public very well by preferring an empty campground when lower rates could virtually guarantee higher occupancy by trouble-free, medium term residents. The folks at Colockum welcomed me back this year with open arms.
It's unfortunate that "the keys" to such a resource have been handed over to greedy organizations that have little or no concern for public access without enormous profits. The result is an underutilized river-front resource and disappointed seasonal visitors like me.
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