Over a decade of work by local nonprofit The Gig Harbor BoatShop may be suspended in limbo, if not permanently halted, by a recent city council position to table an amendment to city code that would allow businesses and nonprofits in Gig Harbor’s commercial waterfront zones to apply for conditional-use permits to host community halls.
“We’ve had a plan in work for years to open what we call the ‘historic structure complex,’ ” Guy Hoppen, president of the nonprofit, said. “It includes the house, the boatyard and the area that is historically relevant. We want the house to be available to the public.”
Before discussing future plans with the Eddon Boatyard, Hoppen tries to educate his visitors. The nonprofit is The Gig Harbor Boatshop, and for years they have tried to keep the culture of commercial fishing and boating alive in the harbor. The nonprofit leases the Eddon Boatyard, which was once owned by Hoppen’s father, along with the brick house located on the city park. The park is on Harborview Drive. The house does not have an official name, so it’s referred to as the brick house at Eddon Boatyard, or just “the brick house.”
“It’s a bit confusing,” Hoppen said. “I even mix it up. But I want people to understand what we are talking about with the city.”
THE PLAN
Hoppen has a personal history with the boatyard and the city park. The Eddon Boatyard was founded by his father Ed Hoppen and family friend Don Harder, hence the name Eddon. The boatyard was originally on 6th Avenue in Tacoma, but was moved to its final location in Gig Harbor in 1950. Before it was Eddon Boatyard, the yard was owned by the Anderson Boat Company, which built the original structures in 1920. The Hoppen family sold the yard in 1978. In 2003, Hoppen heard that investors who purchased the property in 1984 were looking to sell the historic building to be demolished and have the site used for residential development.
“This is a valuable community resource,” Hoppen said. “So myself and others advocated for the city to save the area.”
In 2004, voters chose to pay $3.5 million in taxes to have the city purchase and renovate the boatyard and the brick house, creating a public park on the waterfront. In 2006, Hoppen and a group of history and commercial fishing enthusiasts began The Gig Harbor BoatShop. In 2007, the nonprofit signed a 20-year lease with the city to rent the buildings on Eddon Boat Park. After the building was restored in 2010, the nonprofit moved into the Eddon Boatyard building and in 2016, the nonprofit and the city agreed to amend the lease to include the brick house.
“We wanted to use the house in a way where the community could access it,” Ally Bujacich, the nonprofit’s community development director, said.
City councilmember Michael Perrow has been a part of the project with the BoatShop — the longest of any member on the current council. He said, through discussion, the city and nonprofit came to an agreement to make a nearly 50-50 split on time in the house.
“The house is being renovated right now,” Perrow said. “But we decided to let the BoatShop use the upstairs as offices and the downstairs would be split during the year between a place for programs and a community hall.”
That’s when the project hit a bump in the road.
“So planning and zoning quickly realized that the area we are zoned in does not allow for community centers,” Bujacich said. “It allows for private clubs.”
The plan was to have the BoatShop use the space downstairs for 180 days out of the year to host community programs and workshops within the realm of the nonprofit.
“We could host things like knot-tying classes or educational programs,” Hoppen said.
The other 185 days, the lower floor of the brick house would be available for rent by the community. In a small, intimate location on the water, Bujacich said the space would be great for birthdays, baby showers, Scout outings or school field trips.
The BoatShop made agreements with the city that after renovations were completed, which is projected to be done in 2019, if they space was to be rented out to community members the nonprofit would handle the scheduling, the fees, the cleanup and would enforce the rules places by the city.
“We want to be conscience about our neighbors,” Bujacich said. “And we have always planned for this to be a low-impact area.”
NEW COUNCIL, NEW CHALLENGES
Up until this year almost every step in the BoatShop’s plan was brought to the previous city council. Discussions, conversations and more were handled by now vacant members of council. With a new set of council members in place, it seems there is going to be some retracing of steps to find a balance between what the nonprofit envisions and what the city council is prepared to agree to.
“It’s challenging with a new council,” Bujacich said. “But we want to be clear with them and show that we plan to be a low-impact, wonderful addition to the community.”
The text amendment that would allow commercial sites on the city’s Waterfront Commercial District to be used as community halls with a conditional-use permit was brought before the new council on its first night, Jan. 8. If approved, the text amendment would allow businesses and nonprofits to apply for a conditional-use permit that would legally let organizations run community halls. The amendment would affect all commercial properties in the district.
“A conditional use permit gives the city a chance to make conditions,” Perrow said. “It allows us to mitigate the impacts, and foresee issues with the planned use.”
According to city code, if the BoatShop applied for a conditional-use permit, it would then be up to the city planning director to investigate the site to see if the proposed use would fit within the comprehensive plan and whether it would pose any risk to the public. After the investigation, the city council would be allowed to approve or deny the request. The permit can be approved with special conditions and restrictions. This could range from parking, mandatory closing times, areas where the use would be restricted, noise levels and more.
“The devil is in the details,” Perrow said. “How do we decide the hours, the maximum number of attendees? Now we are counting hairs.”
During the Jan. 8 meeting, council members expressed concerns about how public events could affect nearby residents and businesses. One issue expressed by councilwoman Jeni Woock was if a large group was to spill out into the public park, creating noise and parking issues.
Hoppen said an old occupancy report states the brick house could hold about 59 people, but he believes the space could only hold 30 to 35 comfortably. Because of this, it is unlikely any events booked by the BoatShop would cause a significant crowd in the park.
The council tabled the decision for a future meeting, with the date undetermined. Now, the nonprofit sits in limbo, hoping the last 10 years of planning won’t go to waste.
“It just could stop all of our hard work,” Hoppen said.
Danielle Chastaine: 253-358-4155, @gateway_danie