Safety a top concern of NBK land use plan

Published 12:09 pm Thursday, February 26, 2015

BREMERTON — Safety proved to be a top concern over the Navy’s preliminary draft of the Joint Land Use Study (JLUS).

Consultants from Makers Architecture and Urban Design presented the draft at the Norm Dicks Building Feb. 24.

Makers worked with over 20 stakeholders, including local military, tribes, and local agencies. The study is expected to work in conjunction with the city’s 20 year comprehensive plan.

“It’s going to help us plan for the future,” said Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent.

Some contention was raised by members of the activist group Ground Zero concerning Navy protocol if a ship were to catch fire at Indian Island.

A JLUS draft published Feb. 12 addressed common myths about Navy operations, one of which being that a burning ship at Indian Island would be sent out to sea toward Port Townsend.

But Glen Milner of Ground Zero cited page 31 of Navy and Department of Defense regulations that state burning ships “must be moved to avert damage to other ships or piers.”

“That is exactly the plan, so your information’s false,” Milner said.

A representative from Naval Base Kitsap said the rumor was based on old standards.

“So that was started as part of the earlier response plans that were based on previous standards for our fire capabilities at Indian Island and that’s now labeled as a myth,” said Lynn Wall, community planning liaison officer at Naval Base Kitsap. “That’s not our current response plan.”

Milner took issue with Wall’s response.

“It gets to the heart of the problem here. What happened is the Navy disestablished a scuttling site out of Port Townsend but the reality is when you’re suggesting that if a ship is burning with three million pounds of explosives on it at the loading wharf that they’re gonna leave it there and let it blow up and take out portions of Indian Island which is absurd,” Milner said. “Of course they’re taking it out and the Navy regulations say they have to.”

Wall said clarifying misinformation was part of the reason to do the study.

“There’s a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding out there and we are working to the extent we can to clear that up through this study,” Wall said. “While its probably more transparent than we’ve ever been it’s still probably not going to be to the level of information that you would like to see.”

The study also found that an increase in boating and water traffic could compromise the Navy’s ability to do underwater testing, particularly in Hood Canal and Dabob Bay.

The Navy does sensitive acoustic testing, research and development, and uses underwater vehicles in those areas, said Julie Bassuk of Makers.

“It’s probably not understating to say that’s an irreplaceable asset that the military in this area relies on,” Bassuk said. “As the area grows in general … more boats on those waterways means more noise and noise disrupts the very sensitive acoustic tests.”

New marinas and master planned resorts and forest land conservation were named as a potential conflict, as well.

Milner again took issue with the lack of perceived concern for the surrounding areas.

“They’re concerned about encroachment by the public on Navy facilities but not so much the reverse,” Milner said. “The concern isn’t on the impact the Navy will have on civilian population.”