Fish cleaning station won’t be shut down this summer

Fishermen in Port Washington will be able to use the fish cleaning station at the marina throughout the season this year.

The Common Council on Tuesday approved a design for the new fish cleaning station and agreed to extend the deadline for Ansay Development to build the facilty until April 22, 2022.

Ansay, which is moving the fish cleaning station to the east side of the north slip as part of its Newport Shores project, had been expected to complete work on the fish cleaning station by July 31.

The station is currently at the far north end of the marina parking lot. 

Several factors led to the decision to delay the project, Ian McCain, Ansay’s design/construction manager, told aldermen.

Ansay will be refurbishing the existing grinder for use in the new station, a project that’s expected to take four to six weeks during which the existing fish cleaning station will have to be closed. 

To avoid closing the station in the middle of the fishing season, delaying the work is the preferred option.

“This way, we won’t have the fish cleaning station decommissioned during August and September,” McCain said.  “This way, the existing one stays open all the way through the 15th of September.”

The later date will also allow the city and Ansay to coordinate the project with planned work on Lake Street and accommodate marina operations during the height of the summer, officials said.

In addition, the lead time for equipment and materials is eight to 12 weeks, they said.

“Everything has a long lead time,” McCain said.

McCain noted that the new facility will be a wooden structure with a blue roof to coordinate with the marina buildings. The table will be relocated and refurbished with new equipment, providing the same number of spaces as there are now.

However, the structure will be a bit larger than the current fish cleaning station to allow more room for people to move around the table.

“I think we’ve got something here we’re all very comfortable with,” McCain said.

Ald. Mike Gasper, a member of the Harbor Commission, said he wished the panel had signed off on the plan prior to the council action.

“I know at the next meeting I will be fielding complaints from them about not having seen it,” he said.