Poulsbo residents can determine future of PERC

By Ken Park • October 29, 2020 1:30 am
Artist rendering of the Poulsbo Event and Recreation Center (Courtesy of Poulsbo Parks & Rec)
Artist rendering of the Poulsbo Event and Recreation Center (Courtesy of Poulsbo Parks & Rec)

Poulsbo wants to hear from residents via an online survey about what they would like to see at the Poulsbo Events and Recreation Center.

The survey can be found at survey.zohopublic.com/zs/bPCNzN and asks what citizens would like to see at the facility. The categories are grouped by indoor activities, outdoor recreation and types of events residents would like to attend or participate in.

The survey also asks how residents would like to see construction of the PERC be funded.

“Poulsbo does not really have a full-service recreation center for its community. Poulsbo is growing so quickly and the need to have services and quality of life opportunities for our residents and visitors is important,” said Mary McCluskey, director of Poulsbo’s Parks and Recreation. “The city has had a ‘recreation center’ on its capital improvement plan for many years, but the opportunity to engage partners has not presented itself– Past community surveys have highlighted the need for a center. It seems to be a good time to work on such a large scale and important project.”

The PERC is set to be a 20,000 square foot multi-use, recreational, education and event center located on four acres of city property near the Olympic College Poulsbo Campus. Over the course of the next year, the results of this survey will play a key part in the city’s feasibility study that is financially supported by the Kitsap Public Facilities District.

The survey is the first step to starting details of the project, McCluskey said.

Once survey results are in, the city will begin a community outreach and engagement program to get folks excited about the project. Also that will form a stakeholder group and assess potential uses of the building and begin getting into details of concept planning. And, begin the financial planning process for the capital project, with hopes of beginning construction in 2025.

COVID threw a wrench into PERC’s timeline.

“COVID-19 slowed our project progress at the beginning, as staff had many other things to get through. But now we are more than underway … COVID will probably be a part of the discussion once we get to the design part,” McCluskey said.