Port Buying 265 Acres Adjacent to Terminals

VANCOUVER, WA-The Port of Vancouver is buying 265 acres of active farmland adjacent to the port from the Rufener family. The property is located on the north side of Lower River Road, adjacent to the port’s operating terminals. About 58 acres of the land is zoned light industrial, and 207 acres zoned agricultural. The purchase price is $5.9 million, which translates to $0.50 per sf.Port officials say they anticipates some infrastructure improvements to the industrial-zoned property including water, power and sewer connections, internal roadways and some fill work to bring the land above the flood plains. Until development occurs, the entire property will continue to be farmed by the current three tenants involved in ranching and berry farming activities.The port’s board of commissioners this week authorized port executive director Larry Paulson to sign the purchase agreement upon amendment of the port’s Comprehensive Scheme of Harbor Improvements and Industrial Development. Required by law, the document describes marine and industrial concepts, and shows possible future expenditures for improvements or expansion.Amendments to the Comprehensive Scheme require a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) non-project review. A public hearing on the comprehensive scheme amendment is scheduled for July 28. Action will be taken at the meeting following the public hearing.”The Rufener property will help us accommodate some of the near term business opportunities until Columbia Gateway is ready for development,” says Paulson. “The Port continues to focus on economic development, and job creation is paramount to our local economy.”The port’s proposed 1,075-acre Columbia Gateway project is undergoing a strategic master planning process to meet the long-term economic, infrastructure, marine, and industrial needs of the Port of Vancouver, City of Vancouver, Clark County and the region. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and a Revised Subarea Plan is scheduled to be completed in early 2005. The port will begin work shortly on transitioning into the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process which is anticipated to take at least another three to five years before any development can begin.The Columbia Gateway property includes approximately 534 acres of heavy industrial-zoned property on the Parcel 3, located near current Port operations on the Columbia River. Future tenants will likely include marine oriented uses such as auto and bulk terminals and other industrial uses such as manufacturing, assembly, warehousing, importing and exporting.