HANSVILLE — There’s a quiet debate taking place in Hansville over several buildings located on the Norwegian Point Park property— considering whether they should stay or go.

The buildings, which were constructed during different periods in Hansville’s history, have been examined by Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation officials, and three of the cabins were judged to be potentially historic. Several Hansville residents are thrilled by this development and expressed hope the buildings will remain.

Others are hoping they will not, and recent vandalism reported by the Kitsap County Parks, Recreation and Facilities Department affirms the belief the structures will be targeted by troublemakers.

“We don’t want them to be utilized by young people who are shooting up or whatever,” said Hansville Greenway Association vice president Fred Nelson. “As a community, we don’t know what we’re going to do at this point. Some people want the buildings to stay, others want them to go.”

“I’m really disappointed in the vandalism,” said Kitsap County Commissioner Chris Endresen. “The buildings have been completely boarded up to try and prevent any more from happening.”

Many people in the community are also concerned keeping the buildings will cause the grant awarded by the Washington State Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation to the county to buy the property in September 2005 to be rescinded. That’s not the case, Endresen said, some money will be removed if the county decides it wants to keep the buildings. It will have to purchase them with other funds, she said.

“Some people are concerned that we’ll lose the full grant, and that’s not the case,” Endresen said. “We’re not looking at any big deadline either for our decision on the buildings, so we’ll probably take some time while making our decision.”

Hansville resident Steve Bauer, who was on the Hansville Futures Project steering committee, advocates keeping the buildings and hopes they will be incorporated into the new park.

“They are unique to the history of Hansville,” he said. “We should keep them so future generations have that history.”

Several representatives from the state’s department of historic preservation were in Hansville March 13 to discuss the buildings with members of the GHA and Futures Project, and said three of the cabins, built in the 1930s, would qualify as historic. The other buildings, constructed in 1950s and 1960s, would not. Nelson said public meetings will be held in the near future to decide their fate.