EVERETT – Port of Everett officials want to put up another crane on the waterfront to deal with the growing demand for container shipping at ports in the Puget Sound area.
“We have to get some cranes operating down there ASAP,” Carl Wollebek, manager of the port’s shipping terminals, said Tuesday.
Wollebek told the port’s three commissioners that Everett “is really close to seeing direct service from here to Japan.”
He said the Boeing Co. is negotiating with a carrier to bring jet parts from Asia. And there’s a lot of interest in using the port for other shipping business. Already, the port has seen seven major cargo vessels this year and expects at least 11 more before year’s end, he said.
The port has two surplus container cranes from Seattle waiting to be installed. Earlier, it planned to refurbish the South Terminal for the cranes. Now it’s interested in putting one of the cranes at the Pacific Terminal, which could happen more quickly, officials said.
The move to hasten installation of the crane concerned Walter Seldon, who was concerned about how the tall crane would affect neighborhood views.
Port planner Graham Anderson said people will get a chance to have their say as the port seeks city approval in late June for the shoreline change.
Ken Hudson, business agent for the Longshoremen’s Union, said the service is needed and would provide jobs.
“Imports and exports have exploded in Los Angeles, and all the cargo is moving north,” he said. “We strongly encourage the port to move forward. These ships need to have these container cranes.
“It’s been years since we’ve seen this kind of activity in the (union) local,” Hudson added. “We want the community to be aware that we need this to happen.”
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