Washington State Parks has a small section of Fort Flagler State Park on Marrowstone Island pegged as one of 11 sites open to “recreation business activity” development. Public comment on the proposal is due by Jan. 31.

The proposal for Fort Flagler is to allow construction of cabins, an RV park or other recreational attractions on 100 acres of forested land.

In March 2015, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission approved guidelines for privately financed development on State Parks land. In response to the agency's need to generate revenue for operations, the commission's options are to provide appropriate opportunities for privately financed development of recreational facilities in existing developed state parks; lease undeveloped surplus lands for revenue-generating purposes; and transfer selected lands to other government or tribal jurisdictions.

The designation of recreation business activity (RBA) is given to privately financed recreational facilities on land leased within state parks. These facilities are intended to provide additional amenities for park visitors while also generating revenue to support the state park system, according to the state. RBAs are to be conditional activities in commission-approved Recreation Areas, Resource Recreation Areas and Heritage Areas.

A business consultant working with the agency advised that four kinds of RBAs are most likely to generate revenue for the state park system: moorage facilities, RV parks, groupings of vacation cottages and food services.

Now, the commission seeks public input on 11 candidate sites for RBAs.

Public comments can be made through Jan. 31, 2016. Public input is being sought to refine the RBA candidate list and development restrictions for consideration by the cat its March 31, 2016 meeting in Tumwater, according to a press release. The commission is also hearing a report on these sites at its Jan. 28, 2016 meeting in Lynnwood. Both meetings are open to the public, and there will be opportunities for public comment. The commission's Jan. 28 agenda is linked here.

The 11 RBA candidates in round one are Crystal Springs (part of Iron Horse State Park Trail), Fort Columbia State Park, Fort Flagler Historical State Park, Joseph Whidbey State Park property, Millersylvania State Park, Packwood State Park property, Pearrygin Lake State Park, Squilchuck State Park, Twenty-Five Mile Creek State Park, and Westhaven State Park/Westport Light State Park.

FORT FLAGLER

The proposal for Fort Flagler, a former U.S. Army Coast Artillery post that has been a state park since 1953, would involve 100 of the park's 1,454 acres. The site is along the park's southern boundary, in the forest behind the campground that faces Kilisut Harbor, and south of the main access road, south of Battery Bankhead (the former mortar battery used as a concert venue).

The 100-acre parcel site is heavily timbered, with flat to gently rolling topography. The site is undeveloped, aside from a loop trail that would be retained, according to the state. It has no direct water access, and one portion borders private property. The parcel includes a 7-acre Heritage Area that includes remnants of anti-aircraft gun batteries dating to the 1940s.

The state suggests that the site could be developed into a year-round recreational center providing public lodging, with cabins, camping and possibly an RV facility. Maximum development would be as many as 100 heated cabins, with plumbing, "evenly distributed throughout the leased property," according to the state's proposal.

Specific development restrictions are to avoid negative impacts to the Heritage Area, and to avoid or mitigate impacts to the park's existing trail system.