Pateros council addresses Peninsula Park, Methow Memorial ussues

PATEROS – The Peninsula Park estuary and Monument to the Methow were among topics of discussion at the June meeting of the city council.

City Administrator Jord Wilson discussed a city proposal to amend the Okanogan County code to allow boat access to private docks located within the Peninsula Park estuary swimming area.

Although the estuary is posted a no wake zone, there is confusion because the county code states that no boats are to be within 25 yards of the swim area. The city favors amending the code to allow boaters to navigate the estuary at a minimum ingress and egress speed to access private docks.

In the interest of safety, the city has installed marker buoys designating the swim area and providing visual cues for watercraft. 

Peninsula Park has been a designated swim area since the city was relocated in 1962. It is the only designated swim area in the city because of the dangerous currents of the Methow and Columbia Rivers. As such it is a primary summer play area for neighborhood kids and families.

PUD raises concern

Plans to expand the Monument to the Methow that was originally installed in 2017 raised concerns with Douglas County PUD over a proposal to include a veterans memorial in the addition.

The memorial committee raised funds for the latest expansion that will finalize the exhibit. Among the new features will be a street sculpture, council ring with siting bench and petroglyphs, a stainless-steel inlay of the Methow watershed, and native plantings. 

The PUD opposed the addition of the veterans memorial. 

“The PUD specifically said they did not want to have veterans memorials because they do not want to pick and choose,” said Wilson, “If they get too many, where do they draw the line.”

The PUD told Wilson that a veterans memorial might trigger requests for more of them leaving the PUD to decide who gets them, where to put them, and how many to allow.

In the end the city agreed with the PUD against installing any veterans memorial within the Wells Hydroelectric Project FERC boundary.

Mike Maltais: 360-333-8483 or michael@ward.media