Call it new math meets old math but as the city of Poulsbo wrestles with the complex equation presented by its municipal campus, one thing is certain — there is no easy answer. The numbers on 10th and 7th avenues play a big role in finding out what X is but there are other factors that must also be considered.
First and foremost: Has the city already aced itself out of the Creekside Center? Maybe. Poulsbo has already committed $2.2 million toward the purchase of property on 10th Avenue. The only way out right now is if the short plat of the site is denied. Word has it this is highly unlikely.
Should the city pull away from 10th, it would own yet another would-be municipal campus site — the first being the Morrison property on 7th and Iverson. That one cost about $660,000, which would put the city’s expenses at about $3 million with nothing to show for it.
Finances aside, is the Creekside Center the whole package? Residents concerned with size should be silenced because, at 42,636 square feet, it is actually 13,310 square feet larger than the proposed 10th Avenue campus (29,326 square feet). It would have more parking and offer the ability to add other amenities thanks to nearby properties. It’s also a walk away from Poulsbo Village, which will assist businesses there greatly.
Speaking of walking, another lesser debate for the 10th Avenue site. No matter what, most citizens will be driving to city hall. Few walk to its Jensen Way location right now as evidenced by the number of cars parked there for city council meetings.
Is the Herald to “blame†for this whole debate? Pretty much. Few were aware of the Creekside Center until this paper’s Feb. 22 article shed light on it. We didn’t know it would go this far. Honestly.
We’ve been offering options to 10th for several months, not because we’re dead set against it but rather because, frankly, we feel the public should be made aware of properties and buildings the city had passed on and why. Our articles on this topic have sparked discussions that wouldn’t have happened otherwise and have compelled the members of the public to take steps they personally deem necessary to secure a municipal campus to their liking.
Some folks will surely fault the Herald for the “mess†it has created. So be it.
What’s our take on 10th versus 7th? If enough people are up in arms about 10th Avenue and the petition against the site receives the in-city signatures it needs, put it to the voters. If not, proceed with the 10th Avenue location with the understanding that not everyone’s going to be happy. That’s going to be the case either way.
The city’s not going to be able to please everyone on this but it should at least be able to provide us all with clear answers as to why exactly it prefers one site over the next and have the stats to back it up as needed.
