On November 17, 1964, the Skagit County Board of County Commissioners approves creation of the Port of Skagit, whose district encompasses all of the county except the area in and around Anacortes. Originally formed to provide economic opportunities in Skagit County’s natural resource fields, the Port’s focus has expanded over the years to include the additional development of its properties, such as the Skagit Regional Airport and Bayview Business Park, to support a broader range of economic services.
Beginnings
In 1911 the Washington Legislature authorized local voters to create publicly owned and managed port districts, which could raise revenues and implement waterfront improvements. Skagit County voters first approved the formation of the Port of Anacortes in 1926, but it only covered a small part of western Skagit County.
Over time it became apparent that the rest of the county would benefit from an additional port district, and on November 3, 1964, Skagit County voters approved the creation of a new port by a vote of 8,770 to 5,645. On November 17, the Skagit County Board of Commissioners signed a resolution formally creating the Port of Skagit County. Its first three commissioners were George Dynes, Chris Knudson, and Norman Ovenell.
La Conner Marina
During its earliest years the Port focused on acquiring and developing property. One of its early projects was the construction of the La Conner Marina for boat traffic using the Swinomish Channel. The original marina -- now (2011) known as the South Basin -- opened on May 31, 1970, with approximately 200 boat slips. These slips were filled within two weeks, and in 1974 Skagit County issued a permit to expand the marina to approximately 400 slips. Challenges to the expansion were not successful, and in 1978 the North Basin of the enlarged marina opened.
Since 1978 the Port has expanded the La Conner Marina further. Today the marina offers 366 covered moorage slips and 131 open slips, and dry storage capable of handling up to 200 more boats. There is another 2,400 feet of dock space that can be used by boats that need only temporary moorage.
Skagit Regional Airport
Skagit County’s first airport began as a single runway, built in 1933 in Bayview (approximately three miles west of Burlington) as a joint project of the Works Progress administration and Public Works Administration. The U.S. Navy took over the site about 1943 to serve as an alternate airfield for Whidbey Island Naval Air Station during World War II, and built a triangular runway-taxiway landing strip which looks much the same today. After the war the airport was operated by the federal government until being transferred to Skagit County in 1958.
In 1968 the county deeded the airport to the Port of Anacortes and the Port of Skagit County, and in 1975 the Port of Skagit County became the sole owner. In 1977 the Port contracted with Thomas Construction, Inc., of Mount Vernon to build a small terminal and office building on the site, and the new facilities opened early in 1978. Since 1978 the Port has improved access roads to the airport and added a number of hangars.
Today the airport has two runways measuring 5,477 and 3,000 feet. It is primarily used for charter flights and general aviation, and is also used by the Civil Air Patrol and occasionally the U.S. military. It houses approximately 150 aircraft, mostly smaller planes including single-engine aircraft and corporate jets.
The Port’s Economic Impact
One of the primary purposes behind the Port’s formation was to provide opportunities for job creation in Skagit County’s natural resource fields, such as agriculture and fisheries. During the late 1960s the Port purchased properties in Conway and Burlington for development, and in 1971 built a 30,000-square-foot poultry processing plant for Draper Valley Farms, which eventually bought the property. But the Port’s economic focus subsequently expanded to include other industries. In 1980 it sold 240 acres of property located just west of the Skagit Regional Airport to PACCAR for the development of a $15 million (approximately $40 million in 2011 dollars) research and truck testing facility, which opened in July 1982.
In 1986 Skagit County approved the Port’s development plans for its 325-acre Bayview Business Park, located next to the Skagit Regional Airport, and within five years the Port had attracted several large employers to the site. These included Hexcel Corporation, a structural materials company, and Tri-County Truss (now TCT Burlington), a roof and floor truss manufacturer. At the end of 2009, the park had 39 tenants that provided a diverse range of services such as fiberglass supply, food services, fiber optic services, and more. Together these tenants created approximately 900 full- and part-time jobs.
The Port and the Environment
The Port has taken an increasingly active role in protecting Skagit County’s environment in recent decades. In 1994 it began a wetland protection program known as Skagit Wetlands and Industrial Negotiations (Skagit WIN for short). As a result of this program, Bayview Business Park now includes 477 acres of protected wetland and wetland buffers. Additionally, in July 2000 the Port opened a 10.13-mile system of nature trails in the vicinity of the Skagit Regional Airport and Bayview Business Park. Built as an alternative to curbs and sidewalks, these gravel trails have proven popular with both pedestrians and bicyclists.
The Port also implemented new regulations at the La Conner Marina which led to the marina receiving a “Clean Marina Program Certification” in 2009 from Clean Marina Washington, a partnership of government agencies and environmental advocates. In 2010 the Port’s Board of Commissioners approved a plan to reduce energy consumption within two years at Port-occupied facilities by 10 percent from 2008 levels. And currently the Port is developing a stormwater management program covering much of its land, which is intended to protect downstream water quality. This program is scheduled to be fully implemented by August 2011.
Port of Skagit County Today
The Port of Skagit County continues to strive to attract jobs by developing Bayview Business Park and Skagit Regional Airport, and in that regard recently completed a fiber optic network at both facilities. At the La Conner Marina, plans include dredging the Swinomish Channel every three years in order to insure continued easy access for boat traffic, and the creation of a long-term redevelopment plan for the marina.
In 2009 the Port of Skagit County reported total net assets of $32.1 million, with operating revenues of $4.3 million. It is home to nearly 90 diverse businesses with more than 1,000 full- and part-time workers. The Port is governed by three commissioners elected to serve six-year terms, and its three districts encompass many of Skagit County’s cities and towns from La Conner east to Marblemount.
