Staff report
Kitsap County’s new park and stormwater filtration system in Manchester will be unveiled to the public Saturday, Nov. 7, when county officials cut the ribbon to the project.
County Commissioner Charlotte Garrido is hosting the 1 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The Manchester project on Colchester Drive and Main Street was completed in June. Since then, county road crews have been working on roadway restoration work on Colchester.
The project includes a large green space, pedestrian and traffic-safety improvements, and a new outfall and pier at nearby Pomeroy Park.
It was funded by the county’s stormwater and roads fund and a $1 million grant from the Washington state Department of Ecology and the Stormwater Division of Kitsap County Public Works.
The park, to be known as qaqad (pronounced “ka-kawd”) is named to honor the first inhabitants of the area from the Suquamish Tribe, who used the site as a summer camping area and a place to dry clams, according to Dennis Lewarch, historic preservation officer for the Suquamish Tribe.
“We are delighted to celebrate the opening of this extraordinary park in the heart of Manchester,” Commissioner Garrido said in a news release.
“It reflects the collaboration between the community and Kitsap County working together to create an innovative public space that improves the water quality of Puget Sound. There is nothing else like it in the county.”
The facility collects stormwater runoff from about 100 acres of surrounding hillside and filters out pollutants including oil, heavy metals and pathogens through a patented mixture of sand and organic materials in several chambers.
Plants, chosen for their abilities to absorb and filter water, surround the perimeter of a large open green. The cleaned water then flows back into Puget Sound through a naturalized creek-like channel underneath the Pomeroy Park pier.
Initially designed to replace an aging and undersized stormwater outfall, Public Works staff recognized it was a unique opportunity to remove pollutants from a larger drainage area while creating a community commons, they said.
The project team worked closely with residents, including the Manchester Citizens Advisory Committee, as well as a team of consultants and contractors to design and create the park.
The community space may be used for annual events such as the Father’s Day Salmon Bake, Manchester Days and Fourth of July events. The public also can reserve the space for special events.
Kitsap County’s new park and stormwater filtration system in Manchester will be unveiled to the public Nov. 7, when county officials cut the ribbon to the project.
County Commissioner Charlotte Garrido is hosting the 1 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The Manchester project on Colchester Drive and Main Street was completed in June. Since then, county road crews have been working on roadway restoration work on Colchester.
The project includes a large green space, pedestrian and traffic-safety improvements, and a new outfall and pier at nearby Pomeroy Park.
It was funded by the county’s stormwater and roads fund and a $1 million grant from the Washington state Department of Ecology and the Stormwater Division of Kitsap County Public Works.
The park, to be known as qaqad (pronounced “ka-kawd”) is named to honor the first inhabitants of the area from the Suquamish Tribe, who used the site as a summer camping area and a place to dry clams, according to Dennis Lewarch, historic preservation officer for the Suquamish Tribe.
“We are delighted to celebrate the opening of this extraordinary park in the heart of Manchester,” Commissioner Garrido said in a news release.
“It reflects the collaboration between the community and Kitsap County working together to create an innovative public space that improves the water quality of Puget Sound. There is nothing else like it in the county.”
The facility collects stormwater runoff from about 100 acres of surrounding hillside and filters out pollutants including oil, heavy metals and pathogens through a patented mixture of sand and organic materials in several chambers.
Plants, chosen for their abilities to absorb and filter water, surround the perimeter of a large open green. The cleaned water then flows back into Puget Sound through a naturalized creek-like channel underneath the Pomeroy Park pier.
Initially designed to replace an aging and undersized stormwater outfall, Public Works staff recognized it was a unique opportunity to remove pollutants from a larger drainage area while creating a community commons, they said.
The project team worked closely with residents, including the Manchester Citizens Advisory Committee, as well as a team of consultants and contractors to design and create the park.
The community space may be used for annual events such as the Father’s Day Salmon Bake, Manchester Days and Fourth of July events. The public also can reserve the space for special events.
