U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer

The U.S. House Committee on Appropriations has advanced on new funding championed by U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer to support two key infrastructure projects in Port Townsend and Port Hadlock.

Kilmer, a 6th District Democrat, secured $2.5 million to assist the city of Port Townsend with installing a new sewer pump station for the Evans Vista neighborhood — a community-based development of 100 to 150 mixed-income, affordable, and workforce housing units.

Additionally, Kilmer secured $3 million to help construct pressure sewer collection lines and publicly-owned grinder pump connections on several key streets in Port Hadlock.

The federal funding will enable connections to Chimacum Primary School, Jefferson County Public Library, multi-family housing, senior housing, small businesses, and a supermarket in the area.

“Across our region, we need more affordable housing. But that’s only going to get built if we have the infrastructure needed to support it,” Kilmer said. “That’s why I’m proud that the appropriations bills that just passed out of [the] committee includes funding for two important infrastructure projects in Jefferson County that can help us provide the services needed to build new housing and service residents at essential community locations.”

“I’ll keep working to get this funding across the finish line,” he added.

“In our outreach to the Jefferson County business community we’ve documented that the shortage of affordable housing in Jefferson County plays a significant role in the ability of businesses to hire and retain employees,” said Cindy Brooks, executive director of EDC Team Jefferson. “Another common business constraint is the limited ability to expanding operations locally — in particular, limits imposed by in adequate sewer infrastructure. Funding sewer infrastructure to allow for increasing affordable housing capacity and local business expansion will help ease pressure on the people who live here, who are contributing to our community and doing their best to build sustainable livelihoods.”

HOUSING CRISIS CONTINUES

Port Townsend has faced significant challenges in recent years when it comes to affordable housing. Housing prices have been rising on par or faster than national trends, with extremely low availability of houses for purchase and rent at nearly all levels of affordability.

In 2017, Jefferson County commissioners declared a housing emergency in response to the surging housing costs.

In response to the declaration, the city of Port Townsend acquired a 14-acre parcel in December 2021 named Evans Vista with plans to convert the land into a mixed-income neighborhood with affordable, accessible, and sustainable housing of 100 to 150 units. The neighborhood is also expected to enable at least 125 long-term workers to stay at jobs within the community.

“I am thrilled that infrastructure funding for Port Townsend has advanced out of House Committee and will soon be considered by the full U.S. House of Representatives,” said Port Townsend Mayor David Faber. “Affordable and work force housing is critical to the current and future success of our community, and I am grateful to Representative Kilmer and his team for collaborating with us on advancing our important work at Evans Vista.”

“The city of Port Townsend is committed to playing a lead role in addressing a devastating shortage of affordable and workforce housing,”  said City Manager John Mauro. “By taking on infrastructure needs at Evans Vista and by working in close partnership with our residents, housing providers and advocates, sister agencies, and state and federal governments to envision and fund a successful project, we can and will make a difference.”

The Port Hadlock project will bring sewer services to Jefferson County’s only unincorporated Urban Growth Area in an effort to bring economic opportunities for commercial growth and more job opportunities – which could create a significant opportunity to supply affordable housing for working families and seniors in the county.

Port Hadlock is currently served by individual septic systems and lacks a municipal sewer, which is required under Washington’s Growth Management Act in order to “turn on” the urban zoning created in the plan and allow for investments in housing and business development to occur.

The project will enable the city of Port Townsend to construct pressure sewer collection lines and publicly-owned grinder-pump connections on several key streets, enabling connections to Chimacum Primary School, the Public Library, affordable, multi-family housing, senior housing, small businesses, and the supermarket.

PORT HADLOCK GETS HELP

In addition, Port Hadlock, like much of Jefferson County, is surrounded by sensitive marine environments, shellfish-rich beaches, and streams that provide habitat for threatened salmon. The county’s critical areas code and comprehensive plan are designed to protect salmon habitats while allowing for expansion of housing and job growth.

“Jefferson County is extremely grateful that Congressman Kilmer understands the importance of rural infrastructure. The Port Hadlock sewer is critical for putting growth where it belongs—in urban growth areas,” said County Commissioner Kate Dean.

“Building a sewer system takes land that was previously occupied by septic systems and makes it available for businesses to expand and housing to be built more densely and affordably, such as a 160-unit Habitat for Humanity project in planning, made possible by the sewer,” Dean said. “It also replaces aging septic systems near sensitive marine shorelines and tidelands with state-of-the-art treatment, recharging clean water back into the Chimacum aquifer.”

“Rural communities have a long history of partnering with the federal government on infrastructure and sanitation projects. Jefferson County will break ground on this project, one of the only new municipal sewers in the state of Washington in 2022 thanks to the support of Congressman Kilmer and his staff,” she added.

“Congressman Kilmer recognizes how important the Port Hadlock sewer is to Jefferson County and has made it a high priority to direct federal funds to this critical infrastructure project. This $3 million Community Funding Project will make it possible to extend sewer service to properties within the Urban Growth Area that are poised to provide desperately needed affordable housing, business opportunities, and jobs that would not be possible without a sewer,” said Monte Reinders, public works director for the county.

“The Port Hadlock Sewer project, scheduled to break ground in 2022, will use state-of-the-art membrane bioreactor technology to treat wastewater to Class A reclaimed water standards in order to protect our surrounding streams, shorelines, and environment and replace the many aging, and in some cases failing, septic systems that currently exist.”

WIDE-RANGING SUPPORT

Kilmer led the effort to secure funding for the project through the House Appropriations Committee’s Community Project Funding process.

The Port Townsend project is supported by at least 10 local and regional housing providers and agencies, including Bayside Housing and Services, the Community Build, Dove House, Habitat for Humanity of East Jefferson County, the Housing Solutions Network, Jefferson Community Foundation, OlyCAP, Olympic Housing Trust, Peninsula Housing Authority, and Jefferson County.