Liveaboards at Shilshole Bay Marina are trying to reach a solution with Port of Seattle officials about where to store bicycles previously held on the marinas' docks.

The Ballard marina, which is home to about 1,500 boats and 300 liveaboards, has been undergoing major construction since 2005. The four-year, $80 million project will update all the docks and piers and increase the total amount of moorage, as well as create new public areas.

The port decided in 2003 to rebuild the four-decade-old marina because of growing maintenance costs and demand for slips that could handle longer and wider boats.

Some liveaboards say there have been problems with the way the port has conducted the project. One issue for some tenants is bicycle storage.

Before construction began, tenants stored their bikes in fully enclosed "sheds" located on the old docks. The reconstruction project criterion specifically prohibits the storing or parking of bikes anywhere except onboard boats.

Liveaboard Fulvio Casali_ said bike storage is important to have at the marina because he and several other tenants depend on their bicycles to commute to and from work. A secure bike storage area is needed to protect them from weather, theft and vandalism, said Casali, who's been living in the Shilshole community for the past five years.

President of the Port of Seattle Commission, John Creighton, said due to recent complaints port staff is working with the community towards storage options for bicycles.

"One of my biggest priorities is environmental stewardship and I want to encourage alternative modes of transportation," said Creighton.

For some liveaboards biking is their only transportation option since the marina is about a mile away from major bus routes and many don't own cars.

The on-board storage requirement also didn't take into account space restrictions for people who live on smaller boats like sailboats, said Casali, a member of Sustainable Ballard, a local non-profit.

Original marina construction estimates in 2004 were around $78.5 million. But bids came back almost $20 million over budget, forcing the port to cut some of the smaller projects, including bike storage and the rebuilding of bathroom and shower facilities.

Those are core amenities to at least half of the liveaboards who don't have those services aboard their boat, Casali said.

The current restrooms have been left in place.

Creighton said it's possible the port commission could consider building new restroom facilities at the marina in the future.

"Large projects always have growing pains throughout the process," Creighton said. "It's important that we're working with our customers and helping fulfill their needs. The port has achieved our best when working with the communities around us."

A group of liveaboards and Shilshole neighbors started a community Web log in 2005 to track and discuss the construction project. It's been used as an outlet for problems that have arisen as well as a mode of communication between the community and the Port of Seattle.

"I'm glad that there are others who are also annoyed by this astounding basic omission...," wrote one tenant on the Shilshole Blog about the lack of bike storage. "I've not been able to ride to work and put my bike anywhere convenient."

Al Hughes, president of the Shilshole Liveaboard Association, a group representing people who live at the marina, estimated that less than a quarter of Shilshole tenants have bikes.

"But it is something we encourage," Hughes said. "The more people we can get biking the better."

The port wants to solve the storage issue but they just want to closely examine options, he said.

"They don't want to build a $100,000 bike storage area that five people use," said Hughes.

Casali has suggested the port could install a float with a shed structure attached to the docks. Or storage facilities could be built in the marina's parking lot and tenants could pay a small fee for its usage.

"(The Port of Seattle) seems very interested in solving this issue," said Casali. "Our concern is that they'll try to patch something together on the cheap that is not really going to solve the problem appropriately."

The easiest and cheapest solution would be to allow bike storage on the docks again, said Hughes.

In the interim, a short-term bike rack has been installed near the new marina building.

The Port of Seattle and the Shilshole Liveaboard Association are currently renewing their five-year contract, which expires this year. Among other details, it determines how many liveaboards are allowed at the marina.

The reconstruction project, scheduled to complete by the end of next year, is currently on schedule and on budget, said Creighton. The number of boat slips will be reduced to a little less than 1,4000, possibly decreasing the number of liveabaords at the marina.

The Shilshole Bay Marina has been home to liveaboards throughout its 40-year existence. A meeting is scheduled for March 4, 1 to 3 p.m. pm at the Corinthian Yacht Club at 7755 Seaview Ave. N.W. to discuss bike storage and other liveaboard issues.

Rebekah Schilperoort can be reached at 783.1244 or rebekahs@ballardnewstribune.com.