The Bremerton Beat

The latest rendering of the statues proposed for Fourth Street and Pacific Avenue offers more color and shows that the fisherman looks more like one you would see around here. It still has the fish winning, but I’m seeing if there is a newer version to reflect the council’s 4-3 anti-whimsy vote Wednesday.

We had some ideas of our own for alternative statues at Fourth Street and Pacific Avenue. How about the images of the Kirk sisters or Nathan Adrian entering the water on one corner and coming out the other? It certainly passes the whimsy test.

A fish and a fisherman is what we will likely get, barring some momentum from I-don’t-know-where that would overturn the council’s decision to install the two statues we’ve come to know. I’ve received an e-mail from someone suggesting there was opposition on this on artistic grounds. I’ll elaborate when I get it confirmed.

One of the first comments was about unelecting the people who voted for this. Here’s the status of when they run again.

Will Maupin — Up for re-election in 2011.
Carol Arends — Just re-elected.
Adam Brockus — Just re-elected. Ran unopposed.
Nick Wofford — Just re-elected. Had an opponent who realized later he hadn’t lived in the district long enough.
Brad Gehring — Just lost a re-election bid in a close race.

Both Cecil McConnell and Roy Runyon, who voted “no,” and Dianne Robinson, who wasn’t in attendance, are up for re-election in 2011. Mike Shepherd, who also wasn’t there, ends his council service on Jan. 31.

We’re looking into what would happen to the money if it were sent back to the state and other issues in a follow-up story.

Finally, here’s my image of the swimmer. I drew it on the back of an envelope. Feel free to submit your own.

I’m not saying there should be art on the corners, but if there’s going to be something different you might want to consider this idea by me. I’d say it’s in alignment with the idea of connecting Bremerton with the water. Then again, I don’t live in incorporated Bremerton, and reporters are not supposed to offer ideas anyway. It’s not part of that conspiracy theory pact we all signed.

Gardner here.

Angela Dice, the Kitsap Sun’s Web know-it-all, sent me a link to what is a really cool visual of Bremerton’s waterfront potential. The videos adorn you with a virtual jet pack as you hover over the new marina and whisk by condos, many of which have not been built, or purchased.

The second video, though, made me wonder how respect for the law was envisioned as part of Bremerton’s future culture. Once the most violent city per capita in the state, (You weren’t far behind, Port Orchard, so stop snickering.) the new developments and resulting bustle of law abiding citizens were bound to change the personality of the city. However, it appears the designers envisioned a new form of lawlessness in which bus drivers consider traditional lane direction rules to be optional.

I recently decided to punish myself by committing to riding my bike to work at least a couple days a week. After a couple feeble, exhausting attempts on my squooshy, heavy mountain bike I’ve decided to get a proper road bike. I also decided to plan my route using Google’s Street View function.

And that’s when I stumbled upon a virtual time lapse of the downtown Bremerton ferry tunnel project. First, the satellite view before the buildings along Pacific were demolished. Second, the street view shows the construction when there was a mighty hole in the ground. Third, a photo from last week as the city polished off the last few details of the park that now rests atop the tunnel.

A timely diversion after Ed Friedrich’s story today about the tunnel.

- Derek Sheppard

Former Kitsap County commissioner Patty Lent’s name has been among those bandied about as a possible mayoral candidate for Bremerton, but I had no luck contacting her until last night.

Lent attended the county commissioners’ meeting in which the commissioners restructured something Lent did while a commissioner. In 2005 she, Chris Endresen and Jan Angel approved a move that put the county as second guarantor on the loans for the Harborside Condominium project. Since the complex opened the Kitsap County Consolidated Housing Authority has had little luck selling the units, laying the blame on a construction delay that led to the real estate and broader economic meltdown.

Lent took responsibility for the county’s decision in 2005. From Tuesday’s story:

Former county commissioner Patty Lent took responsibility for the current situation. She was a commissioner in 2005 when the board agreed to back the housing authority’s loan for the condos.

“It was an economic time that we thought we were well protected,” she said. Lent said the federal government was investing heavily in economic development at the time and the housing authority leaned into that role. She then praised the current commission for taking the step it took Monday.

“I was part of the problem in the past and you are really moving in a forward direction,” she said.

After the meeting I asked if she was running for mayor. “I haven’t decided, but I’m not saying ‘no,’” she said.

Monday night cleared one thing she said she had to do before deciding. “Tonight was a hurdle I needed to face.”

She described her choice in 2005 as a “poor decision,” but as she did in the meeting she said it was a time when the federal government was spending heavily on local economic development. “There was lots of money for revitalization,” she said.

City council members Mike Shepherd and Will Maupin have announced they are running and Shepherd has been campaigning for a while.

The mayor got another forum to further discuss his comments about the Seattle waterfront.

This began when this story was rewritten by Associated Press and turned into this, which ran on lots of local sites and in the papers.

His comments then went to the top of the front print page at the Seattle Times here.

I cracked wise on the recent pleasant weather in that last post, but I have enjoyed the sun. The seeds I ordered for my garden arrived Thursday, I read on the porch one afternoon, I ran through a fairly full Lion’s Park on Monday morning.

Which reminded me to pass along an announcement about a public meeting coming next week. The city is planning a renovation of the park, and asking for insight from users as they finalize plans. The city has grant money in hand for low-impact development as part of the renovation, and among the goals are water quality improvements in Port Washington Narrows. That may not directly enhances the Sunday night softball experience, but maybe someone will get creative and explain how new dugouts and a beer garden are needed holistic improvements.

The meeting is Tuesday at 6 p.m., at the Sheridan Park Community Center, just up the street on Lebo.

Also next week, if you’re really feelin’ civic-minded, is another round of the Manette Sub-Area plan meetings. At 5:30 p.m. at the Norm Dicks building, there will be an open house on the draft plan. According to an email from the Manette Neighborhood Coalition, they’ll likely bring up zoning issues concerning the R10 designation, or where the commercial core zoning of the neighborhood will be, and maximum height designations for the entire neighborhood, or whether any part of the plan will include buildings over 35 feet.

After this open house, the Sub-Area plan is scheduled to head for the Planning Commission March 17.

For more, see the city’s Web site, which includes a new photo gallery by participants of examples elsewhere of models Manette could follow, or check www.manetteneighborhoodcoalition.org. Have fun planning!

— David Nelson

Some people have asked recently about a “For Lease” sign on the portion of Westpark slated for commercial development. The sign, near Kitsap Way and Oyster Bay Ave., apparently was put up in error.

The redevelopment plan for the 82-acre site has about five acres designated for retail use along Arsenal Way and at the corner of Kitsap Way and Oyster Bay.

The properties are intended for sale, the Bremerton Housing Authority says. A new sign that says commercial plats are “available now”, has already been put up. First Western Properties (College Marketplace/Olhava in Poulsbo) is handling the sales.

We’ll have more information about the progress of the area’s redevelopment soon. You can read up on what we’ve written about it so far: (more…)

The Manette Sub-Area Plan officially came back to life early last month, and will walk among us again next week at the Norm Dicks building.

The city has set the open house to accept public input and answer questions, 4 p.m., Monday, in downtown Bremerton. Judging from the packed house when the Manette plan was cracked open for public questioning in August, stretching to a 4-hour forum in a larger space is a good idea. That raucous August meeting packed the senior center, almost axed the city’s commitment to the process, frustrated some with questions that didn’t get answered, at times exasperated the consultants hired by the city to shepherd the process, and made a lot of people stand in a stuffy room for a few hours.

Not that I’m complaining about involving that many passionate folks, but I did get tired standing that night. So here’s another chance to offer opinions that strengthen the neighborhood’s investment (and hopefully the city’s decision making) in what the Manette of 2025 (give or take a few years) looks like. Catching my attention so far are what becomes of the intersection at the base of a new Manette Bridge, how soon infrastructure improvements come along 11th Street and whether we’ll ever see condos above a sub shop. Click here for the full list of topics and background from the city.

Manette neighbors are knocking doors to spread the word about the meeting, I’ve been told, so maybe you’ve already made your plans. I’m the editor of this newspaper and a Bremerton resident (and now, apprentice Bremerton Beat blogger) who watched the boil-over on this one with interest last summer, so here’s my part in reminding folks of the second round.

Forward the link around, maybe you’ll save some energy for Monday.

Comes now,  another volley in the fight Port Orchard has picked with the city of Bremerton. Er, I mean, how Port Orchard is standing up to Bremerton hegemony.

Behold, this cartoon, featured in the appropriately named Port Orchard Independent.

Oh, wait. My bad. Actually, I found this cartoon in the pile of Bremerton Patriots that have accumulated outside my building door.

In any case, the point of the cartoon is clear. Bremerton is an evil pig. We know this pig isn’t the lovable, cute kind of pig like Babe, of “Babe, Pig in the City” fame or the hedging, insecure Piglet of Winnie the Pooh renown, but the voracious, rude kind of pig, as demonstrated by the slants over his eyes. SKIA, that stretch of property that has become a flash point between the two cities is represented by a cute, fluffy, if not slightly baffled, bunny rabbit. And Port Orchard is a hat that hasn’t been popular since the time of seal clubbing.

By pulling the SKIA rabbit out of the Port Orchard hat, the evil pig is … doing …  something … insidious? I don’t know what. Yeah. Anyway.

For further analysis on the cartoon and the issue of SKIA, read this story.

Photo Credit

Bremerton, and Port Orchard, got a hearty “We (heart) you” from Seattle Magazine this month, which spilled the beans on the real estate secret that is the West Sound.

Read the story here.

Bremerton (and Manette, although I couldn’t immediately figure out why the distinction was made) got a emphatic nod as being among the “best up-and-coming” neighborhoods, sharing the distinction with Lake City (northeast Seattle) and Burien (southwest of Seattle city limit). These neighborhoods are considered “the next hot spot,” by the magazine.

(In geological terms, a hot spot is where magma intrudes through the earth’s crust and sometimes makes a volcano or even an island chain, like Hawaii. Seattle Magazine is not referring to this geologic phenomena. They are talking about the real estate market. Just so we’re clear on that.)

Bremerton was also noted as having homes on the “best affordable waterfront” in the area. Notice that category. Not the “most affordable waterfront,” or “best waterfront.” They are saying this town of ours has potential. That’s a nice thing to say.

Port Orchard earned the prestigious #9 in the “top 10 best neighborhoods,” humiliating Seattle’s uber-uppity Queen Anne neighborhood by five spots. Right on, right on. But that’s OK, because Seattle has arrived.

The Web version of the story offers a database of five categories, affordability, WASL scores, commute, crime stats and property appreciation.

That’s fine and all, but I was hoping for more useful categories. Something like listings for the neighborhoods with the most expensive name-brand water bottles owned per capita, or the rate of teenagers driving cars that cost more than my mother earns in two years.