Those KCCHA Land Sales and Poulsbo
My first thought when I heard reporter Steve Gardner talking to an editor about this story was, “What about Poulsbo?”
The story is that the Kitsap Consolidated Housing Authority is selling eight properties to cover its debt obligations related to the downtown Bremerton condo deal - which hasn’t been going so well.
The housing authority’s had a long history developing affordable housing in Poulsbo - from Vetter Homestead, to Austurbruin, the Windsong and Hostmark Apartments, and Fjord Manor, to name a few.
The property at Olhava is the big one. It’s part of the master plan there, and was to be about 100 apartments aimed at OC students. (The property’s next door.)
I talked with city officials today, and there’s no stipulation in the master plan that says whoever buys the property has to develop affordable housing. But it’ll remain multi-family housing. As far as how the property will look and what market it will serve, “That’s up to the developer,” planning director Barry Berezowsky said.
The second property is next to an apartment complex on Fourth Avenue. It’s smaller, and a lot less than the Olhava property. ($461,000 versus $2.8 million.)
The agency suffered a setback in Aug. 2007 when it had to back out of a plan for 146 self-help homes when it couldn’t get the land for an agreeable price. (How different the market is today, eh?)
Selling these properties certainly leaves me wondering about the role KCCHA will play in affordble housing in Poulsbo, at least in the near term.
Recent Comments