Sequim to explore direct ownership of John Wayne Marina

City manager says Jamestown, John Wayne Enterprises support efforts

The City of Sequim’s leaders plan to take a more “direct” approach in their request for the city to take on ownership of the John Wayne Marina from the Port of Port Angeles.

Rather than partnering with the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe in potential management of the marina, Sequim City Manager Charlie Bush proposed the city draft a Request for Information, RFI, to the Port that transfers the marina to the city.

“They (the tribe) would not compete with us but support it,” Bush said at the Sept. 23 city council meeting.

He said this is contrary to city discussions in June, when city officials considered developing a public engagement process.

However, Bush said, “a lot of things changed in our community over the summer,” leading to a July discussion with the tribe about the city’s full ownership proposal.

“The tribe was amenable to that perspective,” Bush said.

“If we want to do partnerships with the tribe at the marina, that’s something we could talk about down the road.”

Ron Allen, chairman for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, said Tuesday that the tribe and city have been in discussions on a partnership for some time so that the marina stays in local hands.

In March, the Peninsula Daily News reported that Port of Port Angeles officials began seeking information from potential owners and managers for the marina asking how they would operate the marina and make repairs estimated to cost $26 million between 2023-2038. Proposals will be reviewed by commissioners at a Dec. 10 public meeting.

If the city were to take on ownership, Bush said, “we have 10-15 years to work through the infrastructure issues.”

“One of the eyes wide open things to consider is there’s the possibility we’re not going to be able to fund some of the things that need to be funded,” he said.

“We need to be OK with that before we go down that road. There could be some level of decommissioning or changes at the marina and the property there. Long term, regardless, we would have protected the waterfront.”

City councilors agreed with Bush’s approach and directed him without vote to pursue a draft proposal. Bush said they’ll discuss the proposal a few more times before December.

He said along with the tribe’s support, the John Wayne family supports the city’s approach and he’s not aware of any other parties interested in taking on ownership of the marina.

In a separate interview, Bush said city officials spoke to the Wayne family’s consulting firm, Heartland LLC, but not directly with Wayne family members.

Port officials and John Wayne Enterprises President Ethan Wayne have conflicted on whether or not the company has say in transferring the marina’s ownership with Wayne saying consent must be given and Karen Goschen, the port’s executive director, saying it’s not required.

Late actor John Wayne donated land that the marina was built on in 1975 and transferred by his family to the port in 1981. Heartland, a Seattle real estate advisory and investment firm, was hired by the Waynes to explore redevelopment options for the marina and the family’s 105 acres adjacent to the marina.

Prior to December, Bush said city staff will work with stakeholders like the tribe and Wayne family to draft RFI language for port officials. He said city council will likely need to approve an RFI before moving forward.

Comments from representatives of Wayne Enterprises were not available by press time.

Paul Gottlieb, senior staff writer for the Peninsula Daily News, contributed to this story. Reach him at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.

Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.