I spoke with Port Orchard Mayor Kim Abel today about tonight’s public hearing on the proposed downtown overlay (7 p.m. Feb. 26, City Hall). Mayor Abel expects comments from residents on the issue of building heights. The proposed plan would allow buildings of up to 55 feet in height with the addition of amenities specified in the plan. The mayor and other city officials took a tour of properties up on the hillside above downtown to see how properties would be impacted.
Although this is billed at the final public hearing on the plan, additional public comment will be taken after tonight’s meeting, because of a glitch in getting the public notice out to all residents potentially affected. The additional comments may be taken at the next city council meeting or at a special meeting of the council. Stay tuned.
It is amazing to me that tall buildings along the waterfront are allowed to hog the view from everyone else – IF the water view is a premium.
The only people to really ‘profit’ are the owners of the property, builders and, if condos, the owners of the condos.
Why doesn’t P.O. allow building to be regulated for the maximum enjoyment of a water view…and maximise tax to the city?
Shops or buildings alongside the waterfront should be LOW…buildings across the street could go up a little higher and so forth to resemble a good theater…the waterfront the ‘stage’ and other building height would be raised to give more people a view.
In Bremerton, the people with the ‘view’ are the waterfront condo owners…nobody behind them.
Why doesn’t Port Orchard set a different standard for building around a desirable ‘view’?
Sharon O’Hara