Tag Archives: north kitsap

ARCO station and ampm store proposed in Poulsbo

An ARCO fuel station and ampm convenience store could join the Sonic Drive-In at the corner of Viking Avenue and Highway 305.

A site plan review application has been filed for a 3,180-square-foot store, a nine-pump service station and 1,152-square-foot car wash on the 2-acre site, according to a notice distributed by the city Friday.

The station would be served by two underground storage tanks courtesy of Connex (you can rent Connex boxes here). Plans include parking for 11 vehicles.

BP West Coast Products submitted the permit application for the 22003 Viking Ave. property.

The city will accept comments on the application through Dec. 23. See the full notice below for details.

Poulsbo store hosts state’s first Walmart training academy

Tad Sooter

The inaugural class of Walmart’s first training academy in Washington will don caps and gowns in Poulsbo next week.

The new training center at the Poulsbo Walmart Supercenter is among 200 the retail giant plans to open in the next year.

The academies are aimed at helping department managers and hourly supervisors gain retail skills and the knowledge needed to run their specific departments, according to a news release. Participants receive two weeks of hands-on training in classrooms and on the sales floor.

A ceremony for the Poulsbo academy graduates is scheduled for 8 a.m. Tuesday.

Hotel planned in Poulsbo’s College Marketplace

Tad Sooter

Property bordering Poulsbo’s Home Depot offers some of the best views in the city, with Liberty Bay and Mount Rainier visible on clear days.

The hilltop site would provide a dramatic setting for a hotel, which, it turns out, is just what a Seattle hospitality company has planned there.

Hotel Concepts is moving ahead with plans for a 110-room hotel on 5 acres in College Marketplace, according to representatives of real estate firm Marcus & Millichap.

Agent Brian Mayer said Hotel Concepts is in the process of selecting an architect and franchise for the project, and plans to move ahead rapidly with permitting. The Poulsbo site offers easy access to Highways 3 and 305, and is situated near to major retailers and an Olympic College branch:

Hotel Concepts isn’t new to Kitsap. The company operates both the Hampton Inn & Suites and Fairfield Inn & Suites in downtown Bremerton. Its full portfolio includes a dozen hotels in the Seattle area and a Holiday Inn Express in Kona, Hawaii.

Hotel Concepts recently purchased more than 60 acres in the College Marketplace master plan area. Land outside of the hotel site is being offered for sale by Marcus & Millichap. The available property includes a mix of parcels zoned for business park, commercial and residential use.

College Marketplace could once again be a hotbed for development in the near future. Housing Kitsap and Central Highland Homes have plans for a residential neighborhood on the hillside, while The YMCA is considering building a facility next to Olympic College.

Western Red Brewing approved in Poulsbo

Tad Sooter

13692467_492195667657390_684730540229642233_n A craft brewery planned for downtown Poulsbo received approval Tuesday from the city.

Western Red Brewing will open sometime next year at 19168 Jensen Way NE, near the post office.

It’s set to become the city’s fifth brewery, joining Rainy Daze, Slippery Pig, Sound and Valhöll.

Plans for Western Red include a 4,702-square-foot brewery and 1,552-square-foot tasting room, with room for about 97 occupants, according to a city notice.

In a recent interview, co-owner Marianna Smyth said Western Red will launch with a 15-barrel brewing system, which would place it among West Sound’s largest breweries in terms of production capacity.

I wrote more about the Smyths’ plans in this October story.

ChocMo, High Spirits plan move to new Poulsbo building

Tad Sooter

Poulsbo’s ChocMo restaurant and High Spirits liquor store plan to move to a new building and expand next year.

The businesses will set up shop in a 28,000-square-foot commercial facility planned by the Crabtree and Ryan families on Eighth Avenue.

The building is expected to open in the fall of 2017, according to a news release.

ChocMo and High Spirits will be joined in the facility by a 180-seat restaurant called Crabtree kitchen + bar and a shared workspace center called Vibe Coworks.

The move will allow High Spirits to grow from 4,000 to 10,000 square feet.The store will add a growler-filling station, “beer cave,” and wine cellar, and plans to host classes and tastings.

A delivery service is being considered, according to the release.

ChocMo, which began as a chocolate shop in 2005, will offer breakfast, lunch, espresso and chocolate drinks. With added space to work in, ChocMo staff will start making chocolate from raw cocao beans.

Upstairs, Crabtree kitchen + bar will focus on connecting diners with locally-grown food, including fruits and vegetables cultivated onsite. Beef for the restaurant will be raised at the family’s Silver Creek Angus farm in Kingston, which currently supplies ChocMo.

Local business vies for $20k prize on Thursday

Tad Sooter

A Kingston farm is one of five finalists that will vie for a $20,000 award Thursday during the live finale for Kitsap Bank’s Edg3 fund competition.

Silver Creek Angus was the only Kitsap-based contestant to earn a spot in the finals for the Edg3 Fund, which honors businesses dedicated to growing their communities “economically, socially and environmentally.”

The finale is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Kitsap Conference Center in Bremerton. The keynote speaker will be Combat Flip Flops CEO Matthew Griffin, a former Edg3 Fund finalist who appeared on the ABC show Shark Tank.

A panel of judges will select the winner of this year’s $20,000 top prize, and a $5,000 prize for the contestant that best embodies “the spirit of community.”

The Edg3 Fund finale is part of a slate of events marking Global Entrepreneurship Week in Kitsap.

See the flyer below for additional events:

More apartments planned near North Kitsap High School

Tad Sooter

Owners of two apartment complexes near North Kitsap High School plan to add an additional 24 units, according to a site plan review application filed with the city.

The units would be divided among three new buildings on the same property as the existing Peninsula Glen and Woodcreek apartments on Hostmark Street.

More parking and landscaping will be added, according to a notice of application published Nov. 11.

The apartment owners also are seeking to combine the two lots through a boundary line adjustment. The 10-acre property is zoned residential high.

Both Peninsula Glen and Woodcreek recently sold and are now managed by Pacific Living Properties.

The full notice is posted below:

NOA PeninsulaGlenWoodcreekSPR by Tad Sooter on Scribd

Poulsbo coworking office will open in 2017

Tad Sooter

A coworking space aimed at serving contractor umbrella companies, telecommuters, freelancers and entrepreneurs is slated to open next year in Poulsbo.

Vibe Coworks has leased a 5,300-square-foot space in the top floor of a new commercial building planned on Eighth Avenue, according to a news release.

The building, designed by Rice Fergus Miller, is expected to be completed by Tim Ryan Construction in the fall of 2017.

Poulsbo native Alanna Imbach and her husband, Marcel Imbach, are the creators of Vibe Coworks. They’ll be relocating from New York City to start the business.

“We’d had phenomenal experiences with coworking communities in NYC, and knew the timing was right to bring something like that to Kitsap,” Alanna said in the release.

Vibe Coworks will provide Kitsap residents a flexible alternative to commuting, working from home or working out of coffee shops. The Imbaches believe Seattle-area employers also may be interested purchasing memberships at Vibe for employees who want to live in Kitsap.

The space will feature conference rooms, offices, individual phone/video booths, event space, a balcony, lockers and a coffee shop-style community kitchen, according to the release.

See the Vibe Coworks website for more information.

More self storage space proposed in Poulsbo

Tad Sooter

With limited development land available, self storage companies are building up to meet demand.

That’s the case in Poulsbo where Pro-Guard has proposed a new three-story storage building on the site of its existing facility at 20554 Little Valley Road NE, near Central Market.

The 45,000-square-foot structure would replace a portion of RV parking on the property, according to a notice of application issued by the city.

Pro-Guard submitted the site plan review application Oct. 5. The city will accept comments on the proposal through Nov. 11.

Pro-Guard’s proposal is one of several possible storage developments in the north end of the county.

Urban Self Storage recently submitted an application for a multi-story storage building near Safeway in Poulsbo. On Bainbridge, Urban is considering plans for self storage on Day Road near Highway 305.

Peninsula Cancer Center adds oncologist

Tad Sooter

A fourth physician has joined Peninsula Cancer Center in Poulsbo to help meet increased demand for services.

The independent cancer treatment center announced the addition of radiation oncologist Dr. Aaron Sabolch in a news release Thursday.

“There’s a growing demand for our services and the addition of Dr. Sabolch will allow us to continue to provide timely, high-quality patient-centered care for new and existing patients,” practice co-founder Dr. Berit Madsen said in the release.

Sabolch received his medical degree from the University of Michigan and completed his residency at University of Michigan, Department of Radiation Oncology.

Peninsula Cancer Center was founded by Madsen and Dr. Alex Hsi in 2009. Dr. Heath Foxlee established a satellite clinic in Port Townsend in 2010.

See the center’s website or Facebook page for more information.