As the Port of Coupeville and Greenbank Farm Management Group work out the details to receive $1.5 million from the state, the farm got some more support to help finish roof work on one of its barns.
Greenbank Farm Executive Director Laura Blankenship came to the Wednesday morning Port of Coupeville meeting to ask for an additional $3,500 to weatherproof Barn 2.
She said light can bee seen creeping through the openings in the barn roof and that she would like the work completed before the start of the rainy season and before the contractor hired to renovate the barn finishes his work.
The commissioners originally deferred making a decision until they could look into it further.
Port Consultant John Coyne had initial misgivings about giving the farm more money.
“I don’t see another reason why the port should spend $3,500 when the farm is going to receive $1.5 million,” Coyne said.
The port did approve the $3,500 later that afternoon, Coyne said in a Friday morning interview, because the port didn’t want to risk any rain damage to the recently renovated barn.
The money to repair the barn comes as the farm management group is trying to fulfill the requirements needed to receive the $1.5 million it was awarded from the state earlier this summer.
The management group has to secure a long-term, 10-year lease with the port.
Blankenship brought a list of proposals to the meeting that would allow the management group to move forward with securing the state money.
The proposal includes giving management a 10-year lease of Greenbank Farm including barns 1, 2 and 3, a caretaker cottage and the Jim Davis house.
Blankenship also outlined the scope of the renovation project which includes remodeling Barn 2 to create retail space, light manufacturing space and storage space.
After the meeting, Blankenship wouldn’t speculate on when the farm would receive the $1.5 million.