Plan outlines millions of dollars in capital projects for Oak Harbor

From pickleball courts and stand-alone restrooms to road construction and land purchases, Oak Harbor’s capital facilities plan outlines how as much as $40 million may be spent in the next six years.

On Tuesday, the city’s planning commission will continue a public hearing on the document, which is updated each year.

Nobody spoke during the first half of the public hearing, which was held on Oct. 23.

The commission meets at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Among the most notable of projects on the list for street-related work is the reconstruction of Northeast Seventh Avenue, but the actual construction work — estimated at $3 million — isn’t scheduled until 2024.

Senior Planner Cac Kamak and Development Services Director Steve Powers spoke about the many shortcomings of the road during the last planning commission meeting. Kamak said it is a “substandard street.”

There are no sidewalks or street lights.

The city obtained a grant to do the work years ago but wasn’t able to provide the matching money because of the unanticipated costs of archaeology when Native American remains were found during a project on Pioneer Way.

A new addition to the project list is shoreline restoration in the area from Midway Boulevard to Regatta Drive, which is estimated to cost a total of $1.4 million over six years.

Kamak said the wave action in the bay has impacted the shoreline and officials are hoping to catch the problem in advance.

“We don’t know what kind of work will be needed,” he said.

“We’ll need to study it.”

Park projects include the purchase of land in the northwest part of town for future ball fields. The purchase and improvement work is estimated to cost $2.38 million.

Other parks projects include the renovation of the Neil Tower and the purchase of Portland Loos next year, as well as the construction of pickleball courts at Neil Park in 2021.

In other funds, larger projects planned include work on the water transmission line that will be needed when the state Department of Transportation puts in a roundabout on State Highway 20 at Banta Road; painting of water transmission lines under Deception Pass Bridge; replacing the roof of the senior center; and beach armoring and shading reduction at the marina.

A new fire station on the west side of the city is estimated at $3.3 million and in the plan for 2024.