Treatment Pond to 350-Slip Marina—Planning and Design

In January 2005, Georgia Pacific (GP) and the Port of Bellingham (Port) completed the transfer of ownership of all of GP's Bellingham waterfront properties to the Port. Included within this transaction was the 28-acre wastewater treatment basin formerly used by GP as part of the pulp and paper processing which occurred on the site. Following this transaction, the Port has been working with state and federal agencies, the City of Bellingham (City), and project stakeholders to coordinated cleanup, redevelopment, and habitat restoration projects to fully exploit the potential of more than 137 acres of Bellingham's working waterfront. The wastewater treatment basin was constructed by GP in the late 1970s. The basin was constructed by dredging former tidelands to a depth of 12 feet (3.7 meters) below mean lower low water and surrounding it with an armored containment berm. This berm functions as the marina's breakwater to enclose an area of approximately 28 acres (11 hectares). This entire area of the former treatment basin will be returned to the environment as clean, functioning aquatic land accessible to all species of fish and aquatic plants. In early 2008, the Port initiated design activities in parallel with environmental permitting activities. The centerpiece of the Port waterfront is the state-of-the-art "Clean Ocean Marina," a 350-slip facility to be constructed entirely within the former treatment basin. The planning and design of this facility will be described herein: • Slip distribution strategies and integration of this marina with the two existing Port facilities. • Planning and design associated with locating the two marina openings — one for vessel traffic and one for fish passage and water circulation. • Locating and sizing commercial and recreational boat launch facilities. • Conversion of upland road and utility infrastructure from industrial to recreation use. • Planning and design of the various internal services desired including sewage pumpout, floating marina services facilities, fuel float, transient moorage, etc. • Development and definition of Clean Ocean Marina program. The Port developed the Clean Ocean Marina program to guide the design and operation of the New Whatcom Marina. The Clean Ocean Marina program is desired to be voluntary guidelines that go beyond any current State or Federal requirements. The entire approach to cleanup activities, environmental improvements, and marina on-water and upland infrastructure design will support the use of sustainable design practices where the implementation of these practices align with project objectives. Properly applied, these practices will provide multiple benefits to the Port, the Bellingham community, and the environment. Development of the Clean Ocean Marina program is being accomplished through an interactive process involving the Port's Whatcom Waterway and New Whatcom Marina design team, Port staff, and the Port's Marina Advisory Committee. Specific Clean Ocean Marina criteria will be developed to meet the long-term goals of the Port to provide a sustainable marina environment that is attractive, functional, and provides the economic and environmental enhancements desired by the Bellingham community.