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NorthKitsapHerald.com
Friday, January 3, 2014 | North Kitsap Herald
New stores, homes and parks in Poulsbo in 2014 By BECKY ERICKSON
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n looking forward to 2014, the City of Poulsbo must emphasize where we have come from in prior years. We must acknowledge where we have succeeded and where we still need to strive for success. Our successes include multiple years of balanced budgets without using operating reserves, a reinvigorated downtown, the resurgence of community pride as typified by the Norseman statue, and protection of our environmental resources while increasing business activity. But where will we need to work harder for our community in 2014? We will need to work hard to promote more businesses, better roads, parks that are well maintained and safe, increased police presence in our neighborhoods, and always fostering the community spirit
A new Safeway store and gas station is under construction on the corner of Highway 305 and Lincoln Road. It is expected to open in spring 2014.
2014 FORECAST: CITY of Poulsbo which is the life blood of our community. The work of reinvigorating Viking Avenue has been ongoing for several years. We are seeing success with the relocation of Fishline to the Poulsbo RV property and hopefully Sound Brewery into the old Ford dealership. Can we find a permanent home for the Poulsbo’s Farmers Market along Viking Avenue? The new Safeway store will open this spring. Kitsap Transit will begin to build their new north end park and ride lot on north Viking Avenue. The CVS pharmacy continues to move forward at Highway 305 and Hostmark. The City will be holding a community meeting on Jan. 27 regarding what should be done with the old City Hall site. What
Richard D. Oxley / Herald
is the community vision for this property? Please attend and express your opinion. Most are aware that we have a drug problem in our community. Our problem is no worse than many communities that surround us. We, in Poulsbo, face our problems and work toward solutions. Our action plan is moving forward. We have
North Kitsap: Crossroads of the West Sound Economy 2 By john powers
014 will bring vastly improved economic conditions throughout our region, including North Kitsap — the Crossroads of the West Sound Economy. I am not an economist, I’m an economic developer. I see our economic future through the eyes of the many businesses (all sizes and sectors) that the Kitsap Economic Development Alliance engages on a daily basis. I also view our local economy through a regional lens, always examining ways Kitsap is impacted by being an integral part of the Central Puget Sound regional economy and Greater Seattle market. My day to day market exposure leads me to a clear conviction that our regional economy is powering through an economic recovery turn — like drivers moving from the brake to the accelerator as they sense the turn is quickly leading to a smooth straightaway. As we enter the seventh year of an atypical 10-year business cycle, our economy is beginning to experience “escape velocity,” when business and consumer confidence
2014 FORECAST: economy
grows and economic growth steadily accelerates. The recent passage of a two-year federal budget creates a sense of certainty that will buoy national economic confidence. The next three years will cap a solid recovery and produce meaningful economic growth (GDP of at least 5 percent) with even greater growth in Kitsap and our region. In Kitsap, unemployment will fall below 6 percent and certain sectors (manufacturing, technology, maritime and defense) will experience near full employment. Important to all of Kitsap is the fact that the DoD picture is becoming clearer, and civilian employment at PSNS-IMF may grow to levels not seen since the Reagan era. When your largest employer (by a factor of 4 times) anticipates increasing its FTE base by more than 20 percent over the next few years, it bodes well for all of Kitsap and for the thousands of Naval Base Kitsap employees that live, work
and shop in North Kitsap. Kitsap’s economy is also diversifying. North Kitsap is home to many advanced manufacturing companies (Watson, TruLife, Thermion, Sage, and TMF, to name a few). This sector will continue to expand and hire in the coming years. North Kitsap will continue to lead the growth in technology companies in the county. Kitsap’s technology community is well connected to the Seattle market in terms of ties, talent and infrastructure. Our current employment base of 2,000-plus tech workers will also experience robust growth (at least 10 percent per annum) in 2014. This sector is anchored by several outstanding local enterprises in the Poulsbo area (Paladin, KPUD, ATS, Avalara, and Taqtile, to name a few); and Bainbridge Island was recently recognized by Google as “the” outstanding e-commerce city in Washington state. Tourism/Hospitality is also a large part of North Kitsap’s crossroads economy. The largest privatesector employer in North Kitsap, Port Madison See ECONOMY, Page A9
made multiple arrests, increased patrols in our neighborhoods, reached out to neighboring jurisdictions to coordinate support, formed community watch groups, and are reviewing data to see how our actions are working. We are seeing positive results and will continue with a zero-tolerance policy for drug abuse in our community.
Port
Continued from page A1 It is not infrequent that the absence of a downtown hotel and conference center, with additional parking, has been noted by residents and visitors. The port, in light of its unique status under Washington state law, is well positioned to undertake major projects for economic benefit of the port district and the city. n “Clean Marina” designation. The Poulsbo Marina recently began the process of obtaining a Clean Marina Designation. Clean Marina Washington is an incentive-based certification program in which marinas assess their operations and implement improvements to better protect the environment. When they reach the qualification standards of Clean Marina Washington, they earn the right to “fly the flag.” Liberty Bay’s geography presents special challenges to water quality. Because the bay does not flush well into Puget Sound, it is especially important that the Poulsbo Marina exhaust every option for doing what it can to improve upon water quality. One important strategy has been to provide free sewage pump-
Two new parks are on our horizon, both along the Noll Road corridor. At the intersection of Mesford Road and Noll Road, there will be a 1.25-acre active recreation park with play equipment. It will be furnished much like Lions Park on 6th Avenue. Along Lemolo Creek, there will be a new 10-acre park associated with the Mountain Aire subdivision which will start
out stations at the marina. Additionally, vessels at anchor have long been suspected of illegal discharges into the waters of Liberty Bay. Free access to these pump-out facilities will hopefully encourage boaters to dispose of their waste properly. n Transpor tation enhancements for Poulsbo. Float plane service to and from Poulsbo is limited to private aircraft and special commercial charters. Imagine a scheduled Friday afternoon flight to Friday Harbor or Victoria, with a Sunday return to Poulsbo. In 2014, this idea will be explored by the port. With a 12,000-foot “runway” in Liberty Bay, and Poulsbo’s central location between Bremerton and the Straits’ communities, enhanced air service for the port deserves investigation. n Promotion of yachting events. 2014 will witness increased boating activities by larger groups far beyond Liberty Bay. One key example is the Rotary Club Yacht Regatta schedule for mid-July. The port has been invited to participate in this event’s planning. Hopefully, it wlll become an annual event. n Improved business practices. The Port of Poulsbo’s Marina has been one of the last bas-
in the spring. We in Poulsbo live in a joyous community. New community events for 2014 include a February weekend visit by a large boating group, featuring hydroplane pilot Chip Hanauer. In July, we will host the Kitsap Humane Society Pet Walk, with a pet parade down 6th Avenue and Fjord Drive. We will continue the successful Viking Avenue Tree Lighting the day after Thanksgiving, with even more lights and music. Can we hope for another Viking statue on Highway 305, a Bride for the Norseman? I will continue my open office hours, every Saturday morning, 9 a.m. until noon, no appointment required. Please come and talk to me. Tell me your concerns and ideas. City government works for you. Happy New Year! — Becky Erickson is serving her second term as mayor of Poulsbo.
tions of vessel moorage in the Puget Sound area without a requirement for insurance. While most responsible boaters recognize the need for insurance — to protect themselves, their neighbors, and the marina — the port has ignored this commonsense requirement for its moorage tenants. For moorage agreements in 2014, proof of insurance is required. Additionally, monthly lease contracts also mandate security deposits, for the port’s protection. n Promotion of Tourism. The port is always looking for ideas to enhance the Poulsbo visit by tourists, arriving by land or by sea. As an example, the port is investigating installation of an ATM in the waterfront area. Currently, there is no convenient access to an ATM between Front Street and the marina. The Port of Poulsbo — www.portofpoulsbo.com — is one of 75 ports in Washington state. Bring your friends and families down to the port’s marina and greet our staff and visiting boaters on E and F docks. (Watch us by webcam at www.siteground315. com/~longship/.) — Stephen L. Swann is a member of the Poulsbo Port Commission.