Monthly Archives: March 2016

Costco expansion, self storage construction underway in Silverdale

costcoSilverdale Costco is celebrating 30 years with a makeover.

An expansion project is now well underway at the Mickelberry Road store, and work will continue for the next few months, assistant manager Jeff Gagliardi said. (Click on my haphazard illustration for a rough overview).

costcoContractors are adding 13,000 square feet of footprint to the back of the warehouse.

The new store space could be open for use as early as next week. Gagliardi said the expansion is simply to keep pace with growth.

“The standard Costco footprint has evolved quite a bit,” he said.

Meanwhile, a new fuel station is being built at the east end of the parking lot. The future station will be bigger than the original, with nine gas pumps divided between three islands. (No diesel though. I asked).

Gagliardi said the fuel station should be open by early May. The original station will be replaced by parking and a water catchment system. Work in the parking lot will wrap up sometime around June.

Portions of the lot are closed during construction. Gagliardi said he knew the barricades were a nuisance for customers.

“We’ll be happy when thats done,” he said.

The overall project will be completed later this summer, when the store’s freezer area is upgraded.

Self storage going in on Randall Way

randall

A lot near Target will soon be home to a self storage complex.

The facility, under construction at 3442 Randall Way, will open next winter, according to sign at the site.

County permitting docs indicate the three-story, 88,500-square-foot complex will be constructed in two phases. A 1,000-square-foot office will be built alongside the storage units.

The 3.3-acre property was previously slated for 99 senior housing units.

Monday tour will connect local food producers and buyers

Local Buying Tour & Meetup - OlyKit
Click to see full flyer

The state Department of Agriculture will host a tour in Kitsap and Jefferson counties Monday with the aim of uniting local food producers and food buyers.

The tour bus will visit at farms, a grocery store, restaurants, a brewery and a regional food hub. At each stop, industry professionals will discuss their experiences and offer tips for success.

“It’s an opportunity for buyers to get to know farms, but also farms to get to know the market opportunities available to them,” Raymond said.

Click on the flyer for more event information or check out this website for full details.

Private sector wages in Kitsap are in the middle of the pack

wintergreen1_26878523_ver1.0_640_480Kitsap County is in the middle of the pack in Washington when it comes to non-government wages.

The median hourly wage for the private sector in Kitsap was $18.03 an hour in 2014, according to a December report from the state Employment Security Department (these reports take about a year to be released).

Wages in Kitsap were far lower than in King County, where the median private sector wage soared to $26.89 in 2014.

Kitsap’s median wage was also lower than the median for the state ($21.48), which was skewed upward by King. And Kitsap’s median wage was still slightly lower than the state median with King County left out ($18.51).

Overall, Kitsap ranked 15th out of 39 Washington counties for private sector wages. The county’s median wage peaked in 2010, according to the report.

Here’s a graphical look at wage trends:

Port Orchard Safeway will reopen April 27

0729_KSLO_bethel-copySafeway is hiring 75 employees in Port Orchard as it prepares to reopen its Bethel Road store on April 27, company spokeswoman Tairsa Worman said.

The store was previously operated by Safeway but was acquired by Haggen in early 2015. Haggen declared bankruptcy last fall and closed the Port Orchard location Dec. 5. Albertsons bought the store back from Haggen and returned it to the Safeway banner.

The company is hiring full- and part-time workers for all areas of the store, including deli, meat, customer service, bakery and produce, according to a news release.

Benefits for eligible employees include health care, paid vacation and discounts at Safeway and Albertsons.

Worman said priority is being given to former employees of the store.

News of the Port Orchard store opening was welcomed by UFCW 21, which represents local grocery workers.

“We are looking forward to having this store re-open,” UFCW 21 spokesman Tom Geiger said. “Once store opens, we will get a list of employees from the employer and then come in and sign up members to make sure workers there get all the benefits of having a union grocery job.”

Safeway is holding open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday at the store, at 3355 Bethel Rd. SE. Job seekers can also apply at www.careersatsafeway.com.

Application submitted for Viking Way apartments

Arendal_NOA_wmapspDevelopers are moving ahead with plans for a 91-unit apartment complex on Viking Way in Poulsbo.

A site plan permit application for “Arendal on Viking” was filed with the city Monday.

Plans show four apartment buildings spaced across the 7.6 acre property, which lies east of Viking Way, just south of the Highway 305 intersection.

The complex will be served by 184 parking spaces, with access off Viking. Planned amenities include a clubhouse, barbecue area, bicycle storage and a dog park.

According to the notice of application, there is a category 3 wetland on the property, and the developer is proposing a 25 percent buffer reduction.

The applicant is Viking Avenue Properties, LLC., headed by Kelly Clark of Kingston.

Public comments on the project will be taken through April 5, and can be sent to 200 NE Moe Street,  Poulsbo, WA 98370 or plan&econ@cityofpoulsbo.com. Plans can be viewed at City Hall.

The full notice of application is posted below: Continue reading →

Port Orchard area now has six marijuana stores

po.potThe Liquor and Cannabis Board approved two recreational marijuana stores off Mile Hill Drive this month, bringing the Port Orchard area’s total to six.

Both new retailers appear to be just outside city limits. (Click on the image at right to see all six locations.)

A store called Fillabong was approved March 10 for a space at 4978 SE Mile Hill Drive. Fillabong also had a Silverdale location licensed in February.

This week, the board approved a shop at 1762 Village Lane SE, in the South Park Village retail center. Its name: A Recreational Marijuana Store.

The addition of the Port Orchard Fillabong and A Recreational Marijuana Store raise Kitsap’s count of marijuana retailers to 13.

Four Port Orchard stores are already operating along the Bethel Road corridor (though one is currently suspended).

The state will allow a total of 20 marijuana retail outlets in Kitsap, meaning there are seven licenses still up for grabs, including five in the county at large.

About 40 applicants are vying for the remaining slots. An application period for retail licenses closes March 31.

How are Kitsap’s existing marijuana shops faring? Here’s an updated look at sales trends:

Kitsap employment off to strong start in 2016

bridgelead_24864477_ver1.0_640_480

Kitsap County started the new year with strong employment and job numbers, according to the state Employment Security Department. 

Jobs in Kitsap

More than 88,100 people worked for employers within Kitsap County in January, according to preliminary estimates. That was an increase of 2,700 from January 2015.

Significant year-over-year gains were reported in both the private and government sectors.

The report also revised job estimates for 2015, reporting an average of 88,500 jobs for Kitsap last year.

Here’s a graphical look at job numbers:

Employment/Unemployment

Overall employment among Kitsap County residents was also better in January than in January 2015.

B0013070067--582128Kitsap’s labor force (the number of people working or actively seeking work) grew by more than 3,000 workers. About 3,700 more residents were employed.

The number of residents reported as unemployed fell to 7,040. The unemployment rate hovered at 5.9 percent (down from 6.4 percent in January 2015.)

The state also posted revised employment numbers for 2015, with more favorable results for Kitsap. Here’s a graphical look at long-term employment trends:

Coyote Woodshop opens Winslow showroom

Coyote Woodshop has built a business around giving new life to old trees. 

The Bainbridge Island shop turns reclaimed wood from the island into lumber and high-end furniture at its headquarters on Day Road.

This spring, customers will also be able to find Coyote Woodshop’s work downtown.

Coyote Woodshop has opened a pop-up showroom at 563 Madison Avenue N., just north of Wyatt Way. The store will be open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays in March and April.

The shop will also participate in First Friday Art Walks and be available to show furniture by appointment.

For information, email info@coyotewoodshop.com or call 206-855-3401, or check out the Facebook page. 

Poulsbo Chamber names new director

Dan Barry

The Greater Poulsbo Chamber of Commerce announced Dan Barry as its new director of operations.

Barry will oversee board governance, marketing, membership, event planning and staff management, according to a news release.

He replaces Marc Abshire, who departed for the Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce in January.

Barry worked as a sales manager at another chamber, and held management positions in the banking, mortgage, and travel industries.

“The Greater Poulsbo Chamber has become the catalyst for business prosperity, connections, and opportunities in our business community,” board president Ingemar Anderson said in the release.

“Dan’s unique skillset will insure the Chamber is successful in executing our recently developed 10-year strategic plan.”

Barry was named Volunteer of the Year in 2015 by the Poulsbo Rotary Club and was a 20 Under 40 award recipient of the Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal.

He lives in Keyport with his wife and 4-year-old daughter.

 

MOD Pizza opens Sunday at The Trails

MOD Pizza copy

MOD Pizza will be the next restaurant up and running in The Trails at Silverdale, with a grand opening planned for noon Sunday.

The first 52 people in line will receive a free pizza or salad, and be entered to win free pizza for a year, according to a news release. MOD will donate all proceeds from pizza sales on its first day to the Paul Linder Educational Foundation, which supports Central Kitsap School District.

The Seattle-based, “made-on-demand” pizza chain was founded in 2008 and has grown in bounds. The company tripled its store count in 2015 and plans to grow to from 110 to 190 stores this year, according to Puget Sound Business Journal.

Permitting documents indicate a Jersey Mike’s Subs is also headed for The Trails, though I haven’t confirmed that with the chain. Chipotle opened in the Greaves Way development last Saturday.