Unalaska’s Robert Storrs Small Boat Harbor could get a facelift as soon as next summer. The Unalaska City Council earlier this month approved an application for a $5 million grant to replace the harbor’s floats.
The harbor is located behind the fish processing plant, UniSea, and serves the community’s smaller boats, under 60 feet. It currently provides moorage for about 70 vessels. The proposed plan would add about 40 slips, as well as increased parking and a public restroom.
Marjie Veeder, acting as city manager during the July 2 city council meeting, stressed the project’s importance.
“This facility is in dire need of an upgrade, or we might be forced to discontinue some of our services or close sections of the harbor that are failing,” Veeder said.
Port Director Peggy McLaughlin is managing the project. She said it’s especially important because Storrs Harbor is the only Unalaska harbor designed for local recreational vessels. McLaughlin said that “systems are failing, and failing beyond what can be permanently repaired.”
Councilman Alejandro “Bong” Tungul agreed the floats are in bad shape and ready for an upgrade.
“Waiting for a long time on this one. Think we pushed this too many times, it’s well overdue,” Tungul said.
The city hopes to fix the harbor through a grant from the state’s Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, and the application is due next month.
The harbor project has been a priority for the city for over a decade. The city already adopted the project under its Capital and Major Maintenance Plan, which is essentially a tool for the city to identify and find resources to fund major city improvements, in 2012.
Some council members said they’d support the project even if the money doesn’t come through. Councilmember Shari Coleman said she’d still like to see the project move forward, even if that means the city has to come up with the funds itself.
The council voted unanimously to approve the application. The city expects an answer around October.
