Gig Harbor seeks variances to replace aging Lift Station 1A in Crescent Creek Park

The City of Gig Harbor asked the city hearing examiner to approve a consolidated application to replace Lift Station 1A at 3303 Bernhardson Street in Crescent Creek Park, citing the facility’s age and operational constraints. Mark Scheidmeyer, the hearing examiner, opened the hybrid hearing and said the city is both applicant and the reviewing agency.

"The existing facility was built in 1973 and has reached its end of life service," said Catherine Schaeffer, the city’s principal planner, who presented staff’s analysis and recommendation. Schaeffer told the examiner the replacement requires a shoreline conditional use permit, a shoreline variance, a critical-area variance and a general zoning variance because the lift station sits within shoreline and wetland buffers and below the required front setback.

Staff described a consolidated building that would centralize scattered utilities and add an asphalt driveway with a hammerhead turnaround and a double swing gate. The application includes mitigation commitments the city says will deliver "no net loss of shoreline ecological functions," including invasive species removal, restoration plantings and a five-year monitoring period.

Marcus McGraw, the city’s engineering project manager, summarized operational constraints: "It's 53 years old," he said, and the station is the low point that receives gravity-fed flows from the east side of the city, meaning relocation outside regulated buffers is not feasible without losing sewer capture from nearby streets.

Schaeffer concluded that staff finds the proposal meets the applicable criteria and recommended approval of the consolidated application. The hearing examiner confirmed there were no public commenters present and said he would prepare written findings; he also reminded participants that final approval of the shoreline conditional use permit and the shoreline variance would require subsequent review and final approval by Ecology.

The hearing was adjourned after the examiner said he would issue a written decision as soon as practicable.