Some debate price, others not yet convinced Moe and Third site is best

POULSBO — With a potential $16.9 million civic structure project moving forward in Poulsbo, the North Kitsap Herald decided to take the issue to the citizens and find out what their views on the tax expenditure are.

Some questioned weren’t sold on the price tag, and others have yet to approve of the city’s choice location. And while some approached the subject with humor, and others with seriousness, few expressed full confidence in the city’s landmark undertaking.

Poulsbo property owner Linda Wooldridge expressed her opinions on the issue, including the new structure’s location and its cost. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, but they plan to retire to Poulsbo in a few years, and because of that have been keeping up on local news.

“I’m always for being more conservative. Making a decision like that I think all the options should be weighed very carefully,” she said of the rising cost — which has jumped from $12.4 million to nearly $17 million — adding she’d do the same with her own property. Wooldridge said the location is OK with her, and will in fact increase civic pride, as long as parking is also addressed.

Eight-year Poulsbo resident Dolph Jeager said he isn’t convinced the project will soon be getting off the ground.

“I’m an octogenarian, and I don’t think a city hall will get built while I’m on this earth,” he said. He thought the city’s previous consideration of an already built structure on Seventh Avenue, the former Government Services Administration building, would have been more cost effective.

Resident Adrienne Willder, who’s lived in Poulsbo for 15 years, said she used to work on Powder Hill and was familiar with the 10th Avenue site. It’s one she thinks the city should’ve stuck with.

“I think that they should have put it on 10th Avenue,” she said, saying especially considering parking, it “made a lot more sense.”

“That whole putting it out to vote was sort of appeasing the people,” she added of the November 2006 citizens advisory vote, which in turn switched the location to downtown.

Tenth Avenue advocate Muriel Williams, who has spoken publicly against the downtown city hall plan, presented voter’s information text from 2006 to the city council Wednesday night. The pamphlet included a statement from the Poulsbo Citizens for a Downtown City Hall, which said building downtown could cost as much as $3 million less than building on 10th.

Williams said she felt voters were mislead.

“In view of that claim, how can the city justify a $17 million price tag on city hall?” she asked.

She said should the original plan have moved forward, a new city hall would be built and open for business today.

Even some of Poulsbo’s youth weighed in on the city hall notion. With the building’s life span aimed to last at least 50 years, members of the next generation are set to benefit from the project. Skateboarders Mitch Koken, 14, and Jake Clark, 16, talked a little on the topic while soaking up some shade in Waterfront Park Wednesday afternoon.

While Clark said he’s yet to have reason to visit city hall, Koken said he wasn’t sure it needed replacing. Both said $17 million seemed a bit steep, and mentioned fixing up the city park as one use they’d rather see the money go toward.

“There’s a lot of things they can fix around here for $17 million,” Koken said. Still, for good measure, both added if the city wants to build itself a new civic structure, that’d be OK with them.