Snohomish County hopes to reopen popular Kayak Point by summer

STANWOOD — The most popular park in the Snohomish County system will likely remain closed until summer due to construction.

Kayak Point closed in July after the Snohomish County Council approved a $20 million project to build a new boat launch and update the parking lot, among other renovations. County planners initially estimated the first phase of construction would take at least six months, with a possible reopening at the start of 2024.

Now, contractors plan to finish renovations at the park by the end of May or mid-June. This schedule would allow the county to hopefully reopen the park by summer, said Carol Ohlfs, a principal park planner for the county.

“We’re happy we could make that happen,” Ohlfs said, “even though it’s sort of like inviting everybody into your messy house.”

Along Port Susan Bay, the park features 3,300 feet of shoreline and welcomes 180,000 annual visitors. Kayak Point offers crabbing, fishing, hiking and camping opportunities, with beachside fire pits and picnic shelters.

Noting the park’s popularity, Ohlfs said the public has been respectful of ongoing construction.

“I know people are really curious about what’s going on,” she said.

The fish window for the project — when construction is least likely to disturb aquatic life — started July 15 and ended Oct. 15.

In that time, contractors hoped to complete both the new boat launch and fishing pier, but could only finish the boat launch.

Workers have to wait for the next fish window this summer to begin construction on the fishing pier, so it will likely remain closed when the rest of the park reopens, Ohlfs said.

This winter, contractors pulled out a center portion of sea wall, with plans to remove the rest in phase two of construction.

Workers also started building a backshore berm, extending it farther back into the park to create a larger beach. The berm will also protect the park from flooding, as sea levels rise.

When Kayak Point reopens this summer, park users should be able to use the new boat launch and parking lot, Ohlfs said.

The second phase of work will have contractors move picnic shelters away from the beach, complete the backshore berm and plant native vegetation along the shoreline.

But county planners do not know when this construction will begin, as they are applying for more grants to fund the process. Phase two will temporarily close the park once again, Ohlfs said.

“Construction timelines can change,” she cautioned. “We are preparing for what we know as we know it.”

Before phase-one construction began, the county wanted to partner with an environmental organization or agency to track human impact at the park, Ohlfs said in a previous interview.

That hasn’t happened yet. But the county is applying for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Resilience Regional Challenge. A grant through this program would encourage county planners to partner with scientific organizations or research groups, Ohlfs said.

“We have been working with the Marine Resources Committee of Snohomish County and the Tulalip Tribes on interpretive signage that’s gonna go out there along the new shoreline path,” she said.

County representatives plan to release more information on Kayak Point’s reopening in early February, including diagrams of what portions of the park will be closed.

Ta’Leah Van Sistine: 425-339-3460; taleah.vansistine@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @TaLeahRoseV.