REPORTER CENTRAL KITSAP
KITSAP WEEKLY INSIDE: Check out art exhibit ‘Two Old Geezers’
FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016 | Vol. 32, No. 28 | WWW.CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.COM | 50¢
CKSD may use eminent domain to acquire property District says land needed for new high school, middle school; Says owners wanted $1.6 million for $400,000 property BY CHRIS TUCKER CTUCKER@CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.COM
Chris Tucker / staff photo
Willard Seward (standing at left) and Veniza Seward (standing in center) speak during a public comment period about their property at the CKSD board meeting April 13. Seated at right are board members Eric Greene and Rob MacDermid. “My land isn’t for sale ... if I have to fight you to hell and back to keep my property,” Mr. Seward said.
SILVERDALE — Central Kitsap School District board members want to purchase two parcels of land adjacent to the CK school campus in order to build a new CK middle school and high school. The owners of the property, however, do not want to sell. At least, not for less than $1.2 to $1.6 million, according to CKSD. CKSD said the property was appraised in November at $400,000. Willard and Veniza Seward own the forested property, which is used as an adult family home-care facility. “I understand you guys have a big job of trying to educate the young people, and I can appreciate that because you teach them to grow up to be responsible adults,” Willard told board members April 13.
“But on the flip side of that, my job … is that once they have gotten old, someone has to take care of them.” “My land isn’t for sale. We do not wish to start over. If I have to fight you to hell and back to keep my property, I just want to let you know,” he said. The new high school and middle school are planned to be in a combined building that would be built in the center of the campus, right next to the two privately owned parcels, known as 3898 Windy Ridge Lane. One parcel is 2.75 acres with a home on it. The other parcel is a road (20 foot easement) that leads to the home. Veniza Seward said her property was purchased for use as an adult family care business. “We are licensed for four beds. We live in the home. It’s a 24/7 service to SEE PROPERTY, A9
Work on parking garage for Harrison Overnight homeless shelter needs volunteers Silverdale hospital to begin soon SILVERDALE — Crews at Harrison Medical Center are beginning to build the parking garage at Harrison Medical Center-Silverdale as part of expanding the acute care hospital. “This is great news for the residents of Kitsap County,” said David Schultz, market president, Peninsula Region, CHI Franciscan, in a press statement. “Beginning to build the garage is a significant first step in CHI Franciscan’s commitment to Harrison Medical Center and the communities we serve. This step reinforces our promise to provide families with health care in the right time and in the right setting throughout the Olympic Peninsula.” Construction crews begin the first phase of work on the Silverdale expansion project with building a
IN THE REPORTER
BY MICHELLE BEAHM MBEAHM@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
Chris Tucker / staff photo
An artistic rendering of what the new Silverdale hospital, left, and parking garage, right, may look like. new five story, 240,000 square foot parking garage. During the next few months, crews will work to prepare the site, erect a construction fence, clear trees, install erosion control measures and build the garage foundation. As part of this initial construction
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Carol Arends A3
phase, 37 existing parking stalls will be fenced off for utility work and construction parking. Visitors to the Silverdale campus will see added construction traffic, but no roads will be closed and all hospital entrances will
OPINION
SEE PARKING, A9
A stake in local life A4
BREMERTON — Kitsap Rescue Mission is on a mission: “assist the homeless getting out of homelessness.” According to Executive Director Walt Le Couteur, doing so is their primary objective. To that end, KRM hosts six mobile meal sites throughout Bremerton; opens each day for the homeless population to get off their feet, read, puzzle and generally be safe; and helps connect anyone who wants it to case managers who can help them work through any issues that may be keeping them homeless. The Mission also joined the Salvation Army this year in taking over the emergency overnight shelter.
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With their main location at 810 Sixth St. in Bremerton, the shelter is at a central downtown location. Their day room opens at 9 a.m. and “provides a place to come in out of the climate, have a cup of coffee, sit down, relax, read the paper, do puzzles,” Le Couteur said. “The purpose of this building, long term, is to expand all of those SEE VOLUNTEERS, A9
Seahawk to speak A10