Bridgeport Council considers possibility of private docks along Columbia

Bridgeport City Council members will consider a recommendation from the Bridgeport Planning Commission to allow private docks along the riverbank within the city limits.

Current zoning laws don't allow for private docks, but the city's comprehensive land use plan and master shoreline plan have guidelines for that kind of use, if city officials decided to allow them. In light of that Scott Wright, who is building a house on the riverbank and who owns the old flour mill, submitted a request to change the zoning laws to allow docks.

Planning commission members held a public hearing to gather comment on Wright's request; both Ken Krugel and Mack Cabe spoke in favor of it, Cabe saying that increasing river use would be a good thing for the city. Krugel said recreation is important to the city, but he said he thought city officials should address concerns about noise from watercraft and waste from people using the river. If city officials allowed private docks they should make sure regulations address the question of access for emergency workers, Krugel said. Jay Dirske, a consultant working with Wright, said any development along the shoreline would be subject to federal and state laws, as well as Douglas County and city regulations, including laws on pollution, waste and noise.

Bridgeport Fire Chief Carlos Lopez submitted a written statement that said access in emergencies would be a concern, since riverbank access currently is limited to Bridgeport Marina Park. City maintenance superintendent Stuart Dezellem said the city's storm water system drains to the river, so that a dock or access to it could be affected if it's in the wrong location. Krugel suggested that the council hold its own public hearing, if they decided to consider the proposal, because of the sparse attendance at the planning commission hearing.

Planning commission members voted to recommend allowing docks, which will require action by the city council. Council members received the planning commission report at their regular meeting Wednesday, Aug. 13. They asked for time to review it.

In other business, council member Kevin Morris announced that some of the possible changes to the city's nuisance ordinances have been passed to the city's attorney for review.

The council talked over the existing nuisance ordinance, the dangerous dog ordinance and the possibility of a separate ordinance for graffiti at a workshop Friday, Aug. 8. Morris said council members talked about increasing penalties for some offenses; right now ownership of a dangerous dog is a civil infraction, no matter how many times the owner is cited. Morris said one proposal was to change that to a misdemeanor with the third citation, and possibly extend the misdemeanor citations to all other nuisances as well (like property that isn't cleaned or people who neglect to remove graffiti). If any of those changes were made, Morris said, city officials would have to work with the prosecutor's office to make sure everyone was aware of them.

Dale Gross, owner of Gross Drug, announced that he is planning to close his store on Saturdays, tentatively beginning in September. Gross said it's still a tentative plan, and he wanted to know what the council and community thought about it before making a decision. Washington Liquor Control Board officials have expressed some concerns, he said. However, the liquor store in Pateros is open on Saturday and Sunday, and the dispensary at Brewster Drug is open on Saturday.