South Whidbey Port to Reinstall Two Docks in March, Wins $260K

The Port of South Whidbey plans to reinstall two seasonal docks at Bush Point and Possession Point the week of March 23, 2026, and says it has secured a $260,000 Recreation and Conservation Office grant to fund replacement of at least 80 percent of a new dock at Possession Point, with the Port planning a $60,000–$70,000 match and applications pending for additional grants. Port Executive Director Jim Pivarnik confirmed the reinstallation window and emphasized the schedule remains dependent on tide, staffing and weather.

Federal, state and local permit conditions require the Port to remove the docks each October and reinstall them in March to avoid winter damage. The floating sections that will be lowered into place weigh roughly 15,000 pounds each, measure about 40 feet long and 12 feet wide, and some sections at Possession Point must be lifted by crane. Pivarnik said of the work, “It’s a full-day process to get them in the water and attach them to the pilings.”

Operational logistics hinge on tidal timing: crews plan to set the first section at high tide and install remaining sections as the tide recedes, with the sequence and launch windows shaping the exact daily schedule. The Port has said some tasks cannot proceed without specific high-tide windows, and that staffing availability and weather will determine whether the March 23 week proceeds as planned.

Funding figures in public documents are inconsistent. Island County’s Updated CEDS Project List 2025 records a Possession and Bush Point boarding-float replacement with a total project cost of $500,000 and lists State Recreation and Conservation Office funding of $350,000 for that row, while Port materials and public statements reference the $260,000 RCO award and the planned $60,000–$70,000 local match. The Port says it is applying for other grants to cover remaining costs; the differing RCO amounts appear in separate official documents and should be confirmed with the Port and RCO for clarity.

Permitting for a longer-term replacement at Possession Point is underway, and Pivarnik expects the necessary federal, state and local permits by fall 2026, with a target to have new docks installed in spring 2027: “Hopefully, fingers crossed, we’ll have the permits in and have the new docks in place for the spring of ‘27.” The current work is thus both a seasonal reinstatement and part of a multi-year capital sequence that could result in substantial new construction next spring.

The dock work sits alongside broader Port priorities documented in Port planning materials, which include applying for a South Whidbey Harbor Master Plan grant, evaluating Clinton Dock for repair or removal, and pursuing recreational and marine-industry improvements. The Port is also advancing feasibility for workforce housing at the Whidbey Island Fairgrounds, where $150,000 was awarded for engineering, architecture and zoning work, and Port budget documents provided to reporters show revenue and expense pressures: Angi Mozer, identified in Port materials as executive director, noted, “With our 1% levy increase each year, the total is about $230,000 that we received in 2023,” and added that roughly half of that is earmarked for capital projects.

The March reinstallation will restore public boat access at Bush Point and Possession Point pending tides and weather, while the permit timeline and the unresolved grant accounting will determine whether the Possession Point dock is largely replaced in 2027 or requires further funding rounds.