CAMANO ISLAND, Wash. — The cabins at a state park on Camano Island have been closed for months and may never reopen due to costly repairs.
Thirty-three cabins at Cama Beach State Park comprise one of the last historic saltwater fishing resorts on the West Coast. The cabins date back to 1934, but modern problems are threatening to close them permanently.
"I remember just walking through here, I was in awe," said Deb Bell, who has worked at the park for 13 years. "I was in absolute awe."
Bell called it a place where you can "step back into yesterday."
"We had little kids buying penny candy like I did when I was a kid," Bell said. "It was a step out of your normal life and into what was, and it made a huge impact on so many people."
The 90-year-old cabins were originally a private resort. The property was eventually donated to the state for use as a park. It opened in 2008 and is a popular spot for weddings and family vacations, but years of rain, wind and waves have taken a toll.
The cabins are showing their age, the seawall is too short and needs to be replaced, and the septic system is failing.
Despite all that, when news came from the state in February, it was a shock.
"I got word from friends that they closed the park," Bell said. "I was stunned. Why?"
The state abruptly closed the cabins (not the entire park), forcing a summertime of canceled plans.
"It's tough," said Chad Allen, who owns the nearby cafe.
Allen said the closure and loss of visitors have cost him 30% of his business.
"That's a lot of our bread and butter to get us through winter," Allen said. "We have these weddings in the summer and in the winter time we're just kind of breaking even."
Supporters said the cabins generate close to $1 million a year for Washington State Parks, but the repairs are costly and complex.
Now, it's trying to figure out if it's worth it to do those repairs. It's unclear how much the repairs would cost.
The state is studying a long-term plan for the park over the next two years, but a decision about the cabins is expected in October.
Bell believes the cost of what would be lost is too high to let the cabins go.
"We lose culture, we lose history, we lose potential," Bell said. "I hesitate to say we lose everything, but just shy of everything."
Public comment planning@parks.wa.gov regarding the cabins is being accepted through Sept. 27.