Hindsight is 20/20, but the city of Poulsbo might have learned a thing or three from Olympic Property Group. The latter is opening its ears and eyes to the public BEFORE making any changes to the former mill town of Port Gamble. The former is backpedaling to do so on a location for a new municipal campus and is now finding itself at the mercy of the voters in November as to whether or not the building will land at pre-purchased property on 10th Avenue or somewhere downtown.

Interestingly, the 10th Avenue site was sold to the city by OPG and one can only wonder what may have transpired had officials at city hall got OPG’s two cents on public involvement back in November 2005.

Needless to say, OPG is doing the right thing in getting any and all input from North Kitsap residents prior to making any proposals. Maybe officials there learned from Poulsbo’s mistakes.

The city is basically back to Square One, perhaps even further back given it has now spent several million dollars on a site that it may or may not use for the campus. It seems the project is cursed with taking two steps back for every one forward.

The residents of Little Norway are now taking the helm of boat of indecision, taking the burden off the elected city council that should have steered the municipal campus to its final location. For whatever reason, too many hands grabbed at the wheel and sent it floating toward the rocks.

The project now finds itself stuck on a sandbar, waiting for a November wave to push it east to 10th or west toward downtown. Such delays are becoming a defining characteristic for a building that has yet to rise out of the dirt — or even find the dirt from which to rise out of.

Hopefully, the public won’t hem and haw this fall and send a clear message as to where exactly it would like to see city hall. A 51-49 percent vote should make everyone wonder whether the latest delay was worth it. Hopefully, it’ll be one-sided.

When a concise message arrives, the city needs to get on with it, take the public’s input and set sail for much brighter horizons and a municipal campus all of North Kitsap will be proud of.