Two development actions on Port Commission agenda

VANCOUVER, Wash. – Port of Vancouver USA Commissioners will consider two action items related to industrial development at their next meeting.

Commissioners Nancy Baker, Jerry Oliver and Brian Wolfe will meet Tuesday, October 27 with open session beginning at 9:30 a.m., in the Commission Room at the port’s administration building, 3103 NW Lower River Road.

Among the items to be considered:

Approval of public works contract
Staff will ask the commission to approve a public works contract with Rotschy, Inc. (Vancouver, Wash.) to build Task 3 of the Terminal 5 Unit Train Improvement project for a not-to-exceed amount of $14,219,955 (including Washington State Sales Tax). The project will provide rail service to Terminal 5 to encourage future development of the facility by a suitable marine customer. The rail project will also provide increased efficiency to the overall Port of Vancouver rail system by providing a queuing and storage area for rail cars. The project is expected to be complete by June of 2010.

A majority of the project will be funded using federal grants and state appropriations, including the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board funds that have already been granted to the port.

Other bids were submitted by Tapani Underground (Battle Ground, Wash.), Nutter Corporation (Vancouver, Wash.), Stacy and Witbeck (Portland), and Goodfellow Brothers (Portland).

Centennial Industrial Park Development Agreement
Staff will recommend to the commission authorization to enter into a development agreement with the City of Vancouver regarding the development of the Centennial Industrial Park property. The agreement addresses vesting of development standards, land use decisions, transportation concurrency standards, mitigation of the port’s traffic impact fees, clarification regarding terms of traffic signal installation on SR 501, a possible credit for installation of an oversized water line and a clarification on late-comers fees as they relate to the development.

No workshops are currently scheduled for the October 27 meeting of the port commission.

The regular meeting will be televised live on CVTV (Cable channel 21) beginning at 9:30 a.m. It will also be streaming live on www.cvtv.org, and will be archived later in the day on the same website for future viewing.

About the Port of Vancouver USA

The Port of Vancouver USA, created by Clark County taxpayers in 1912, is one of the major ports on the Pacific Coast. Its competitive strengths include available land, versatile cargo handling capabilities, vast transportation networks, a dependable labor force and an exceptional level of service to its customers and community.

The Port of Vancouver is in the midst of a year full of projects and developments that will lead to vital job creation, economic stimulation and environmental preservation. By diversifying its cargo mix between bulk commodities, breakbulk and project cargos, the port is responsible for job generation and significant contributions to the tax base for not only its own community, but also the state of Washington. Current expansion of the port’s rail system and development of new port industrial and marine properties will bring new jobs – both short term and long term – and the preservation of wetlands, the creation of enhanced wildlife habitat, and make way for more green/sustainable business partners operating from the port. For more information, please visit us at www.portvanusa.com.

– POV –