Unalaska City Council weighs proposed small boat harbor overhaul

Early plans are coming together to revamp the Robert Storrs Small Boat Harbor in Unalaska. The City Council reviewed a new design plan for some of the floats located behind the UniSea processing plants at their Sept. 10 meeting.

According to the plan, old floats will be replaced with expanded moorage capacity. The harbor currently has 71 slips for boats under 60 feet. There will be a few other additions, including more places to plug into the city’s electric system with marine style receptacles.

Ports Director Peggy McLaughlin said the current proposed design is about a quarter of the way done.

“This project has been in the works for a very long time, as you know, and we were able to dust this off — this 10 year concept design — in earnest starting in December,” she told the council.

Visiting engineers presented plans to restructure the floats in a way that would almost double the dock space available and offer electricity to more vessels. The current proposed design also adds more parking spaces, a public restroom and an Americans with Disabilities Act compliant gangway that would make the docks accessible to people with varying mobility.

Planners said the new design will need to endure high winds and corrosion. Mark Morris, an electrical engineer contracted by the city, said his team wants to see “about a 50 year service life with the floats, and we want the electrical system to last just as long.”

Engineers say there is more time for public comments before they submit a more complete design in December. They expect to have the full proposal ready by next summer. Construction is slated for 2026.