POULSBO — The overall plan for the city’s newest park came into focus Jan. 20 as representatives from Larson Casteel gave the city council an overview of how the property might look.

“In terms of parks in Poulsbo, it is quite centrally located,” said Brad Pugh of Larson Casteel, which is developing the master plan for the park.

In addition to various types of trees, the park boasts several species of wildlife, which either reside there or pass through seasonally, Pugh said.

Currently, there are two possibilities for the small parcel, one which includes saving the existing building on the property and the other, which removes it, he said.

“Concept A saves it (the building) and probably saves more trees,” Pugh said.

One tree on the property was of particular interest to Councilman Jim Henry, who asked about the likelihood of saving it.

“In the back of there you have what is probably the only black walnut tree in Kitsap County,” Henry said. “Is there going to be a way to save it?”

Pugh replied that even if the tree were removed, another black walnut tree could be planted in its place for future generations.

As Councilman Dale Rudolph viewed the proposals, he said he was strongly in favor keeping the existing building on the property.

“We desperately need a place for people to meet and we just don’t have it,” Rudolph said.

Bringing the existing building up to the city’s current codes would help meet that need, and it might not prove too costly for the city, he said.

“I have great confidence that our friend, Bill Austin, would look at the house as another challenge,” Rudolph said.

However, Councilman Mike Regis cautioned against incorporating too much activity into the park because of its lack of parking.

“Any large scale use of the property is going to generate aggrievement with property owners to the north,” Regis said.

That might be possible in the future when the city’s public works department relocates, but until that happens, parking will be limited, Regis said.

Councilman Ed Stern, on the other hand, said he believes the issue can be resolved by bringing it together with Poulsbo Village, which has plenty of parking.

“People could walk to the park for a respite from the urban area, and I think use of the park would work to the Village’s advantage,” Stern said.

People could shop at the businesses in Poulsbo Village and enjoy a picnic or some other leisure activity in the park, he said.

“It’s a very different park than any other of our parks, because it’s not a destination park,” he said.

Stern also expressed concern about public safety in the park, because of its proximity to State Route 305 and the fact that signs of transient activity have been found there in the past.

“We need to maintain a human line of sight and perhaps add some lighting to the outside of the park,” he said.

Maintaining the park’s ecological function for wildlife is important, but public safety is equally necessary, Stern pointed out.