Port Commission to consider leases, annexation request

VANCOUVER, Wash. – The Port of Vancouver USA Board of Commissioners will consider three action items at their regularly-scheduled meeting on Tuesday, February 23.

Commissioners Nancy Baker, Jerry Oliver and Brian Wolfe will meet in public session beginning at 9:30 a.m. The meeting will also be cablecast live on CVTV (Comcast 21), and streamed live at www.cvtv.org.

The port facilities department will request commission approval of the first amendment to a lease between the port and United Road Service for building 2480, on Kotobuki Way. Another lease amendment, for United Harvest, will also be recommended to the commission for action. Finally, a petition to annex the former Evergreen Aluminum property into the City of Vancouver will be presented to the commission for its approval.

Lease Amendment for United Road Service

United Road, which distributes automobiles by truck, has been a port tenant since November 1, 2003. It uses port property for receipt, storage, processing, detailing, modification and distribution of automobiles. Roughly 20 employees and approximately 120 truck drivers are based out of the 22,440 square foot facility at the port.

The first amendment to the lease will approve a five-year extension to the lease and grant two additional five-year options to the lease, per a request from United Road. Over the next five years, the port will see income of $861,181 plus leasehold excise tax and common area maintenance fees. Each year’s rent will increase, in accordance with the Consumer Price Index.

Lease Amendment for United Harvest

United Harvest has leased administration office space located at 3201 Lower River Road at the port since February 1, 2004. Approximately 15 employees are based at the administration offices.

The first amendment to the lease will approve its first five-year extension to the lease, which includes two additional five-year options that remain. United Harvest is also increasing its total lease premises at the port’s facility from 3,200 square feet to 3,701 square feet, which includes 3,058 square feet for office and 643 square feet for storage. Income to the port over the next five years will be $170,233 plus leasehold excise tax, insurance and common area maintenance fees. Each year’s rent will increase, in accordance with the Consumer Price Index.

Petition to Annex Evergreen Property

The Port of Vancouver recently closed on its purchase of the property that formerly housed the Evergreen Aluminum operations west of the port to support the West Vancouver Freight Access project and development of Terminal 5. In the 1990s, the City of Vancouver annexed much of the adjacent property into its jurisdiction but a portion of the property was not included because it was still being used as an aluminum smelter.

With the port’s desire to keep all of its marine terminal spaces within the boundaries of the city in order to standardize land use and permitting requirements, the port must petition the city to annex the property currently located within the unincorporated Urban Growth Area, which is adjacent and contiguous to the City of Vancouver.

The port estimates that the complete annexation process with the city and county should take 120-180 days after the petition is filed with the city. The proposed annexation would not change the current zoning designation of heavy industrial.