Published: Monday, August 30, 2010
Renamed Keystone ferry terminal a coup for Coupeville
Keystone Cafe to keep its name on Whidbey end of Port Townsend route
COUPEVILLE -- It's no longer possible to take a ferry from the Keystone terminal to Port Townsend.
That's because what formerly was the Keystone ferry terminal is now called the Coupeville ferry terminal.
The Central Whidbey Chamber of Commerce pushed for the name change and the state Transportation Commission unanimously approved the idea last month. The state is making changes to schedules and signs for the fall.
Coupeville town officials thought the change made sense and supported it, Mayor Nancy Conard said.
Many tourists get their information on the Web and much more is available on Coupeville -- six miles from the ferry dock -- than Keystone, Conard said.
"This is all about first-time visitors to the island," she said.
Keystone is not an incorporated town and does not have its own ZIP code -- its mailing address is Coupeville. It has a residential area but its business district consists solely of the Keystone Cafe, across the street from the ferry dock.
Still, some disagree with the change.
"We're not going to change the name of our business because it's still the Keystone spit, it's the Keystone area," said Christy Kellison, who owns the cafe with her husband.
"I'm kind of indifferent to it," she said, but added, "It doesn't really make sense to change (the ferry dock's name) because it's not really part of Coupeville."
Julia Hodson, chairwoman of the state's Ferry Advisory Committee for Keystone, said many people opposed the switch. The group informed the Transportation Commission of this view, she said.
"In discussing the idea with members of the community who live outside the town of Coupeville, there was virtually unanimous agreement that it was not appropriate," Hodson said. "Most folks expressed the feeling that the terminal name, if changed, should be Whidbey Island."
The name change was on the agenda for two Coupeville Town Council meetings but no one spoke for or against it, Conard said. The public had an opportunity to speak at the transportation commission meeting in Olympia when the change was approved but Conard and a representative from the Central Whidbey chamber were the only ones to speak.
The switch has been made in the state ferry system's new schedule posted on its website and fall's printed schedules, which list the name as "Coupeville (Keystone)," said Joy Goldenberg, a spokeswoman for the ferry system. In January, the Keystone part will be dropped altogether, she said.
New signs will soon be installed at the terminal and on Highway 525, Goldenberg said. The state estimated the cost of making the change at $41,000. The town applied for and received a federal transportation grant to cover the cost.
The Keystone name originated during the Alaska-Yukon Pacific Exposition in Seattle in 1909, said Roger Sherman, a Coupeville history buff. During the expo, Island County created a logo declaring Whidbey Island as the "Keystone of Puget Sound," according to Sherman.
Keystone Sand and Gravel adopted the name in 1913, he said. The small bay where the ferry docks is called Keystone Harbor and the long beach nearby is Keystone Spit.
Locals will still likely use the Keystone name to refer to the area, Conard acknowledged. She said Coupeville plans to fund a kiosk that would contain information about local history, to be stationed near the ferry dock.
The Port Townsend-Coupeville route is due to receive a new ferry boat, the Chetzemoka, in October.
Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439; sheets@heraldnet.com.
That's because what formerly was the Keystone ferry terminal is now called the Coupeville ferry terminal.
The Central Whidbey Chamber of Commerce pushed for the name change and the state Transportation Commission unanimously approved the idea last month. The state is making changes to schedules and signs for the fall.
Coupeville town officials thought the change made sense and supported it, Mayor Nancy Conard said.
Many tourists get their information on the Web and much more is available on Coupeville -- six miles from the ferry dock -- than Keystone, Conard said.
"This is all about first-time visitors to the island," she said.
Keystone is not an incorporated town and does not have its own ZIP code -- its mailing address is Coupeville. It has a residential area but its business district consists solely of the Keystone Cafe, across the street from the ferry dock.
Still, some disagree with the change.
"We're not going to change the name of our business because it's still the Keystone spit, it's the Keystone area," said Christy Kellison, who owns the cafe with her husband.
"I'm kind of indifferent to it," she said, but added, "It doesn't really make sense to change (the ferry dock's name) because it's not really part of Coupeville."
Julia Hodson, chairwoman of the state's Ferry Advisory Committee for Keystone, said many people opposed the switch. The group informed the Transportation Commission of this view, she said.
"In discussing the idea with members of the community who live outside the town of Coupeville, there was virtually unanimous agreement that it was not appropriate," Hodson said. "Most folks expressed the feeling that the terminal name, if changed, should be Whidbey Island."
The name change was on the agenda for two Coupeville Town Council meetings but no one spoke for or against it, Conard said. The public had an opportunity to speak at the transportation commission meeting in Olympia when the change was approved but Conard and a representative from the Central Whidbey chamber were the only ones to speak.
The switch has been made in the state ferry system's new schedule posted on its website and fall's printed schedules, which list the name as "Coupeville (Keystone)," said Joy Goldenberg, a spokeswoman for the ferry system. In January, the Keystone part will be dropped altogether, she said.
New signs will soon be installed at the terminal and on Highway 525, Goldenberg said. The state estimated the cost of making the change at $41,000. The town applied for and received a federal transportation grant to cover the cost.
The Keystone name originated during the Alaska-Yukon Pacific Exposition in Seattle in 1909, said Roger Sherman, a Coupeville history buff. During the expo, Island County created a logo declaring Whidbey Island as the "Keystone of Puget Sound," according to Sherman.
Keystone Sand and Gravel adopted the name in 1913, he said. The small bay where the ferry docks is called Keystone Harbor and the long beach nearby is Keystone Spit.
Locals will still likely use the Keystone name to refer to the area, Conard acknowledged. She said Coupeville plans to fund a kiosk that would contain information about local history, to be stationed near the ferry dock.
The Port Townsend-Coupeville route is due to receive a new ferry boat, the Chetzemoka, in October.
Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439; sheets@heraldnet.com.
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