We woke up one morning and found the wait was over

PORT VIEW
By Bob McChesney
Executive director, Port of Edmonds

Youre five years old. Youve been waiting and waiting for your family vacation to get here. All youve been able to think of is the fun youll have and the cool things youll be able to do.

Then suddenly one morning you wake up and its here. And you barely know how to react.

At first you cant believe its really happening. You still have to brush your teeth and get dressed and all the other regular stuff mom makes you do. And its not fun yet.
Then theres the boring car trip and hours of nothing to do. Remember?

Well, after years of waiting to get a new Edmonds Yacht Club building, we woke up the other morning and found the waiting was over. The heavy equipment was in our front yard, tearing up pavement and moving dirt around.

The clubhouse will be the first new building built at the Port in 25 years and after all the waiting it is finally happening.

The Port commissioners have been supportive of the idea all along. But they wanted to be sure it fit in with the rest of the marina: there would need to be adequate parking and the right kind of landscaping.

The city fathers were supportive, too, but rules are rules and the facility would have to comply in every respect. The permitting process was a long one; then there were the architects and innumerable drawings, and the financing with lots of bankers hoops to be jumped through. Oh, and did I mention the attorneys?

Every time one thing changed even if to comply with a rule the attorneys and bankers and architects and public agencies each had to adjust their approvals, too. A months-long process turned into years. But it happened.

Everyone ultimately agreed and today the first steps of construction are underway. The Yacht Club will have its new home here at what just three years ago was honored as the best marina in the nation.

It will be a structure that the club, the Port, the city and the community can all be proud of.

The Yacht Clubs building committee hopes to have the new facility open in time to have the annual New Years Eve party as their grand opening event. If all goes smoothly, it could happen, but it will be a long trip. And like that family vacation of long ago, the destination will be worth the trip.

We at the Port of Edmonds commend the volunteers of the Edmonds Yacht Club for their vision, determination and persistence. They made it happen. Now we, like the rest of the community, will wait and watch with anticipation.

Congratulation to everyone connected with bringing the new facility to where it is today. You are our oldest continuous tenant, and about to become our newest. We are proud of what you have done.