The discovery of remnants of Native American settlement in Coupeville has caused a snarl in a project to reconstruct a historic boardwalk.

Coupeville Mayor Molly Hughes said the unearthing of disturbed midden on the Front Street bluff led to the removal of large trees but hopefully won’t delay the overall project timeline. Midden is discarded shells and other materials that accumulated with generations of Indigenous people who lived in an area. Hughes said no human remains were found, in contrast to rumors.

Hughes said the area is known to be historically sensitive, so the town hired an archeology consultant to oversee the project. Years ago, erosion uncovered Native American remains in a bluff near the other end of Front Street. During the current project, an archeologist on site noticed the midden and determined that it was disturbed, which means it was likely dug up before.

Nevertheless, the consultant communicated with local tribes and concluded that the material needs to be protected. Hughes said the preferred practice is to cover the midden and cap it, but that wasn’t possible in this case.

Instead, the midden is being removed from the area and re-buried in a secret location under the supervision of the tribes. The city of Oak Harbor took similar action after Native American remains were discovered during the reconstruction of Pioneer Way.

The wrinkle, however, was that the midden descended into the root balls of several big trees. Hughes said the town contacted an arborist who determined that there was no way to save the trees and retrieve the historic material.

Hughes said a large tree with several trunks as well as another “good size” tree were cut down. A dying tree in the area was also partially removed. She said the removal of the trees opened up a spectacular view of Penn Cove, but she understands that some folks may not be happy about the turn of events.

“Coupeville loves their trees,” she said, emphasizing that the removal of the trees wasn’t planned.

The boardwalk has been controversial with some in the small community. Front Street merchants voiced concern that the construction during the busy tourism season will have economic impacts while others complained about what they felt was a lack of communication about the project.

The project will use real wood to pave the Front Street Boardwalk. Also, a sidewalk and wall will be built next to the nearby Haller House property.

The boardwalk project, the mayor said, was scheduled to be worked on during May, June and July. During that period, 13 parking spots on Front Street are roped off so cars cannot park there, which has caused some consternation among merchants.

Hughes said the contractor, Valdez Construction, came up with the idea of working four 10-hour days so that the parking can be open on the busier days of Friday, Saturday and Sundays.