Finally, progress is visible at the Village Green. Of course, that’s depending on whether you equate tree removal with progress.
What you see happening is part infrastructure (underground conduit and the like, along with improving the road that goes to the pump station) and part construction of the senior apartments.
You may recall that this infrastructure work actually starts our exciting community center project, since the cost is being shared equally by the Village Green Foundation and the Village Green Senior Apartments partnership. In case you’re curious, the large pit along West Kingston Road that required removal of some trees (and our park sign) is a rain garden — part of the stormwater planning for the apartments and the community center.
Funding progress
We’ve raised just over 70 percent of the funds needed for the Community Center we want to build — a 21,000-square-foot facility that includes a Boys & Girls Club, library, senior center, and meeting rooms. The percentage is edging upward thanks to several generous pledges from community individuals and groups. We’re hoping to emerge from this quiet phase of fundraising in the coming months, and leverage the excitement generated by our Birkenfeld Trust award.
Stay tuned, and address any questions you have about our fundraising status to Bobbie Moore or Tomi Whalen at info@kingstonvillagegreen.org.
Picnic pavilion: Ready for reservations
So many are owed thanks for the picnic pavilion at the park. The Kingston-North Kitsap Rotary Club provided the funding and many volunteers; Greater Kingston Kiwanis provided still more critical volunteers; and all suppliers of labor and material, whether paid or not, were thanked at the pavilion on Oct. 5. The pavilion is dedicated to and named after Kingston Rotarian Rea Mowery, whose persistence resulted in transfer to Kingston of money he had raised at his previous Rotary Club, thereby providing the lion’s share of funding for the pavilion.
To reserve the pavilion, go to www.myvillagegreen.org, the Village Green Metropolitan Park District site, or call (360) 930-9242 and make a request. To ensure you have exclusive use of the pavilion for a given two-hour period, you will be asked to make a damage deposit of $50, and mail a check to the MPD, P.O. Box 1792, Kingston 98346.
Pea-Patch plots available next year
There’ll be no planting this year, but a deer fence is being installed by the end of October. A dedicated and talented crew of volunteers will be ready to prepare for early 2013 gardens, so be looking for that news as well.
Volunteers will be joined by a capable team of Leadership Kitsap participants, who are going to tackle getting the tool shed and teaching kiosk made. Visit www.kingstonvillagegreen.org to find out how to participate in the P-patch garden.
Architectural services being negotiatedWe issued a Request for Quotes to provide architectural services for building design, and received inquiries from 33 architectural firms.
Six firms submitted packages for review by the Village Green Foundation’s building committee. Miles Yanick & Co. was the clear leader and contract negotiations with Yanick are under way. These services will result in a building design that can be used in 2013 to go out for construction bids; as mentioned earlier, everything about the timing of actual construction hinges on the success of our local fundraising.
— Online: Village Green Foundation, www.kingstonvillagegreen.org. Village Green MPD, www.myvillasgreen.org.
