Monthly Archives: February 2016

Gas prices may finally be creeping up

Just when it seemed gas prices couldn’t get any lower … they didn’t

The price of gasoline has begun to edge up nationally and locally, according to AAA Fuel Gauge, which tracks such things.

The average price for a gallon of regular  in Kitsap was $2.014 per gallon Monday, up just a hair from a week ago when it was $1.995.

Filling up was still cheaper than a year ago, when the average price was $2.788.

Nationally, the average price of gas has been under $2 for most the year, but is now climbing.

AAA noted price swings are typical this time of year as refineries conduct maintenance. The association predicts generous supplies of gasoline and low crude oil cost will keep prices from climbing as high as in previous years.

2013-2016_Avg Gas Prices 2-29-16

At $2.03 per gallon, Washington is one of only four states in the country where the average price of gas is more than $2.

Silverdale gets a marijuana store

A recreational marijuana store is finally coming to Kitsap’s commercial hub.

The state Liquor and Cannabis Board has approved a Silverdale store called Fillabong, located at 2839 NW Kitsap Place, just east of the mall. It’s the first recreational store approved in Central Kitsap, though there are a few medical dispensaries in the area.

The addition of Fillabong brings Kitsap’s count of licensed pot stores to 11 (not counting the Suquamish Tribe’s Agate Dreams). The state plans to issue 20 retail licenses in the county.

Another 11 marijuana producers and processors are licensed in Kitsap.

New Admiral Manor owner wants to help ‘revitalize’ Bremerton

B0012880399--834114As we reported in our Friday paper, tenants of the Admiral Manor apartments in Bremerton are being evicted by a new ownership group, which plans to renovate the complex.

The property was bought at the end of January by Project S12 LLC., an affiliate of The Stratford Company in Seattle.

Nobody at Stratford responded to my requests for comment before our print deadline Thursday, but I did receive an email from CEO George Webb on Friday.

This was Webb’s statement on changes at Admiral Manor:

“We are planning to make significant and necessary improvements to the property. We believe this will be a benefit to the community and are excited to help revitalize this part of the City.”

We’ll continue to follow this story. If you’re an Admiral Manor resident and want to discuss the situation, you can reach me at tad.sooter@kitsapsun.com or 360-475-3783.

Subdivision, dog training center planned on Bainbridge Island

Planning activity is picking up on Bainbridge this year, with a bevy of land use proposals in various stages of permitting.

Here’s a look at proposals for a residential subdivision and an assistance dog training center:

Winslow Grove subdivision

winslow.grove
Click to enlarge

The applicant: DeNova Northwest of Kent. They’re also behind the “Ashbury” subdivision between Wyatt and Shepard.

The property:  Four parcels totaling 8.77 acres west of Weaver Road, across from the Rotary Park ball fields (pictured above).

There’s a 1,500-square foot rambler on the main parcel.

The proposal: A subdivision creating 19 residential lots, surrounding a street and cul-de-sac, with access from Weaver (see inset image).

Next steps: The city has posted a notice of application for the project. A SEPA comment period will be open until March 4.

Assistance dog training center

dog.training

dog trainingThe applicant: Assistance Dogs of Hawaii, a national non-profit organization

The property: A 4.3-acre vacant parcel at the corner of Bucklin Hill Road and Ridge Lane.

It’s next door to the American Legion hall and across from Hyla Middle School.

The proposal: The project would create two buildings, each about 1,800 square feet.

One building (pictured above) would be a teaching barn to provide training for students and assistance dogs. The other building would house an instructor/caretaker and two students.

Lawns, a courtyard and parking lot are also planned. The development would be tucked in the northwest corner of the property, with access from Ridge Lane (not Bucklin).

Wenzlau Architects is designing the center. You can see more preliminary plans here.

Next steps: The proposal is in the pre-application phase. A public participation meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m., March 1 at Waterfront Park Community Center, 370 Brien Drive.

Fewer Kitsap retailers selling tobacco to kids

tobacco

Three years ago, Kitsap County had the highest rate of illegal tobacco sales to minors in the state, according to the Synar Report.

Local retailers performed better in compliance checks in the past two years.

After an alarming 39.3 percent sold to minors in 2013, 14.8 percent made illegal sales in 2014, followed by 13.3 percent in 2015 (see chart above).

20051230-071415-pic-363824317These numbers are based on relatively small sample sizes. Thirty compliance checks were conducted in Kitsap last year as part of the Synar study. There are about 200 tobacco retailers in the county.

During the checks, underage teens, working with law enforcement, attempt to buy cigarettes from randomly-selected retailers.

State health officials were discouraged by the statewide trend, as more than 17 percent of retailers sold to minors during compliance checks last year.

According to a news release, the state could lose federal funding for drug, alcohol, and tobacco prevention and treatment if the rate exceeds 20 percent.

“It is unacceptable that more than one in six retailers are illegally selling tobacco to minors,” Secretary of Health John Wiesman said in the release. “When kids get their hands on tobacco, it can lead to a lifetime of addiction, poor health, and early death.”

Surveys suggest tobacco use is declining among Kitsap teens, though vaping is on the rise.

You can find more Kitsap-specific tobacco stats here.

Poulsbo’s Portside Pub to become ‘Brass Kraken’

The former Portside, a beloved waterfront bar in Poulsbo, will reemerge from the dusty depths of renovation as the Brass Kraken Pub, according to posts on Facebook.

New business owners have a long list of improvements planned, including fresh flooring (that green carpet was getting long in the tooth):

Posted by The Brass Kraken Pub on Monday, February 1, 2016

Look for the Brass Kraken to open in late February or early March.

Posted by The Brass Kraken Pub on Monday, January 18, 2016

New brand unveiled for home builders association

gI_146212_KBA_Logo_pmsThe Home Builders Association of Kitsap County unveiled a new name and logo earlier this month.

The group has changed its name to the Kitsap Building Association, to better reflect its mix of members from both the residential and commercial construction industries.

The association’s board approved the new brand in January, according to a news release.

“Our name has changed,” Executive Director Teresa Osinski said in the release, “but really, we have always welcomed non-home builders as part of our membership. Anyone involved in construction in Kitsap relies on us for support, advocacy, and community connections. That will never change.”

Poulsbo-based Rockfish Group designed the Kitsap Building Association logo, pictured above.

The full news release is posted below.

Continue reading →

Third quarter retail sales topped $1 billion

Taxable retail sales in Kitsap County topped $1 billion for the first time in the third quarter of 2015.

The $1.01 billion in sales reported from July through September marked a 9 percent increase from the same period of 2014, according to the Department of Revenue. 

Retail trade sales were also up about 9 percent in the third quarter, with $524 million reported. Retail trade sales are sales made by dealerships, stores, online sellers and other traditional retailers.

These were some third quarter highlights:

  • Sales by new and used auto dealerships were up 19 percent
  • Sales of building materials were up 8.6 percent
  • Sales by general merchandise stores were up 6 percent
  • Construction was up 9.25 percent
  • Wholesale trade was up 11.4 percent
  • Information was up 10.5 percent
  • Accommodations and food services up 8.9 percent

Kitsap’s growth in retail trade sales set the pace for Puget Sound counties in the third quarter:  

The jump in third quarter retail sales came on the heels of an 11 percent increase in second quarter sales. We should see sales figures from the fourth quarter of 2015 a few months from now.

Silverdale Chipotle, Total Wine will open in March

chipotle

Update: A Chipotle spokeswoman said the Silverdale opening has been pushed to Saturday, March 12.

Another wave of stores are set to open next month in The Trails at Silverdale shopping center.

Chipotle Mexican Grill will debut March 10, according to a spokeswoman. So will beverage retailer Total Wine and More.

totalwineMOD Pizza, a Seattle-based, made-to-order pizza chain, expects to launch its Trails location March 18.

The county has issued tenant improvement permits to Corner Bakery Café, Forever 21, Verizon, DSW and Sleep Number, allowing those companies to begin outfitting their stores.

A representative for developer CenterCal Properties confirmed Old Navy also is planning a Trails store.

Silverdale Smiles Dentistry was the most recent business to open at the Greaves Way shopping center, joining Blazing Onion, Homegoods, Ulta Beauty and AT&T.

Centercal has yet to announce tenants for a few remaining retail spaces, including a planned grocery store. The developer began work on The Trails in August 2014.

The opening of Chipotle — the first west of Puget Sound — has been highly anticipated since it was announced last summer. But the chain’s reputation took a beating this winter as a series of E. coli and norovirus outbreaks were linked to its restaurants.

According to the New York Times, Chipotle turned to food safety specialist Mansour Samadpour to overhaul its safety protocols. Samadpour is a familiar name in Kitsap. He owns prominent properties in downtown Port Orchard.

Chipotle is posting food safety information here.