Poulsbo Place II leads 3rd Avenue extension

Published 1:00 pm Wednesday, July 5, 2006

POULSBO — Large trucks have become a common sight throughout downtown, but the steady stream should slow to a trickle in about four weeks.

The trucks are visible signs of the work being done on the next stage of Poulsbo Place II with 52 homes already planned east of Jensen Way.

However, before the homes can join the 38 that are being completed between Front Street and Jensen, 60,000 yards of dirt must be removed from the site.

“It’s definitely been challenging and we’re being flexible with our routes,” said Mike Brown, owner of FPH Construction, which has partnered with Central Highlands Builders on the project.

Each day, between 12 and 20 trucks haul the excess soil to dump sites south of the city or to different parts of the development, Brown said.

“We obviously need to keep dispersing the trucks out in different patterns, and it’s been relatively smooth,” he said, noting that the trucks are running from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the mass excavation should be completed within four weeks.

“We’re doing everything we can to make it work and it’s been pretty good so far,” Brown said.

Poulsbo Police Sgt. Bill Playter said the department has only received one complaint about a cracked windshield since the excavation began.

“We’ve got a lot of big vehicles on the road, and we have to keep them moving,” Playter said.

FPH truck drivers have done an excellent job of following traffic and safety rules, and traffic flow has been as good as can be expected for a project of this magnitude, Playter said.

Central Highland principal Dave Smith said residents in the area and the Poulsbo Place Homeowners Association have been wonderfully cooperative as large trucks have become a common sight in the area.

“They’ve been great and some Poulsbo Place owners have already expressed an interest in the project,” Smith said. “There are going to be some great views up there.”

Residents have begun moving into the first homes of Poulsbo Place II and the final home in the 38-unit phase, which is sold out, should be completed in March 2007, he said. Construction of homes in the 52-unit Division 6 is expected to begin in late October, once the final plat is approved by the city, Smith said.

“One of the conditions for approval is the extension of 3rd Avenue and that should be complete by October,” he said.

As soon as the extension is completed, Smith said the assumption is that the city will open it to the public.

Pre-sales of the 52 additional homes will begin as soon as construction starts, Smith said, adding that, “We’ve already received quite a bit of interest in them.”