Tag Archives: cars

Gas prices remain low for Thanksgiving travel

Drivers headed out of town for the holiday will pay a tad more for a tank of gas this year than they did last Thanksgiving.

A gallon of regular gasoline was selling for an average of $2.58 in Kitsap County on Monday, according to AAA. That was up slightly from an average of $2.46 on the same day of 2015.

Nationally, gas prices are still much lower this fall than they were just a couple of years ago:

Gas tends to cost less this time of year and an abundance of crude oil on the global market is helping keep retail prices in check.

AAA projects 43.5 million Americans will take road trips for Thanksgiving this week.

Create bar charts

Proposed project would redevelop Liberty Bay Auto property

Tad Sooter

A Poulsbo property owner is considering a plan to redevelop a car dealership property at the head of Liberty Bay with a mix of shops and homes.

The city received a pre-application submittal in June for a project called Liberty Bay Village, which would replace Liberty Bay Auto and a neighboring commercial building with a mixed-use development.

In a project narrative attached to the submittal, architect Charlie Wenzlau said the project was designed to complement a planned extension to the city’s waterfront boardwalk.

Wenzlau submitted the pre-application package on behalf of Dean Church, who owns the Liberty Bay Auto dealership, the 1.8-acre Liberty Bay Auto property and a 1.6-acre parcel to the south, which is home to a dance studio and auto glass shop.

A pre-application conference with city staff is scheduled for July 19. The pre-app process allows developers to get feedback on the feasibility of a project before filing a formal permit application.

liberty bay photo In an email Tuesday, Church said he would be available to comment on the proposal later this week, and stressed it was a long-range vision for the property.

Liberty Bay Village would incorporate a landscape buffer along the boardwalk, a pocket park and a “central plaza with shoreline access.”

A cluster of retail buildings would be constructed on the Liberty Bay Auto property, with potential for apartments above. Two, two-story residential buildings are planned for the southern parcel. A line of “carriage” houses would add more homes along the east edge of the site.

Overall, the project would create 35,600 square feet of residential space and 14,400 square feet of commercial space, served by 72 parking stalls.

“We believe the project has the opportunity to provide a prominent anchor to the northern end of the boardwalk and enhance this intersection which serves as a gateway to Old Town Poulsbo,” Wenzlau wrote in the proposal.

Click here to see the full pre-application submittal.

Housing Kitsap projects

Also on July 19, the city will hold pre-application conferences for two Housing Kitsap projects.

The county housing authority is collaborating with Sound West Group on the “NK Help Campus” proposal, which would bring a mixed-use development with apartments and commercial space to Viking Avenue property neighboring North Kitsap Fishline.

And Housing Kitsap is working with Central Highland Homes on a “College Park” proposal for single-family homes and an apartment building near Olympic College Poulsbo.

Holiday retail sales in Kitsap rivaled pre-recession highs

Tad Sooter

The 2013 holiday season was kind to Kitsap retailers, according to number released Tuesday by the state Department of Revenue.

Retail trade, which includes traditional stores, dealerships and online sellers, generated $487,117,141 in taxable sales in October, November and December. That was a 5 percent improvement over the fourth quarter of 2012. Car dealers, blog.retail2 furniture stores, sporting goods suppliers and e-commerce, did especially well.

Sales for all industries were up 6.4 percent from 2012, totaling $895,050,130. Industries showing healthy growth included manufacturing, construction, information (software, telecom, print and other media) and restaurants.

Kitsap sales were in step with the rest of Washington, which saw a 5.8 percent rise in overall sales in the fourth quarter.

The long-term trend is positive for our county. Fourth quarter retail trade sales have climbed steadily since 2008 and are close to matching the pre-recession high of $493,353,867 recorded in 2006.

Fourth quarter sales in all industries have been on the rise since 2009 and are also closing in on a 2007 high of $925,280713.

Kitsap also enjoyed a 6 percent rise in third quarter sales last year.

A detailed breakdown of fourth quarter retail sales in Kitsap for 2012 and 2013 is posted below. Use the zoom or full screen buttons at the bottom so you don’t have to squint: Continue reading →