Poulsbo’s Old Town Study might just be old news by the time it gets city council’s final approval. And while we applaud the group’s effort to take steps and protect the character of historic neighborhoods, we also feel that it needs to take steps to ensure these areas are not adversely impacted by new construction in the interim.
Discussions over a new 4,200-square-foot monster house in a neighborhood under review were tabled Wednesday. But if the city had simply put a moratorium on such developments until the study is completed, it wouldn’t be facing this request and others that are surely in the wings.
It just doesn’t make sense for the city to be working to reduce impacts of large homes in neighborhoods and at the same time consider construction of yet another monster house. The request should be denied and with it, the council should opt to postpone future inquiries until residents and consultants have given their input on the issue. Certain areas in Poulsbo are already feeling the burden of these monster homes — it’s the council’s job to ensure that others don’t suffer the same fate until the people have spoken.