HANSVILLE — In August, the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife and Kitsap County reached an agreement to work together on the Point No Point boat launch redevelopment — but the project’s completion is still years away.
State officials are currently awaiting approval for two permits from the county, shoreline and conditional use permits, but are also waiting for the next round of grant applications to begin.
“It’s like a chicken and egg situation,” County Commissioner Rob Gelder said.
The permits will go before the Kitsap County hearings examiner during a public meeting on Nov. 10. In the meantime, state and county officials have been discussing operations and maintenance responsibilities, according to Gelder.
Penny Warren, Fish and Wildlife’s westside land supervisor, said her next opportunity to apply for state grants will be January. She will be applying for the funds for the design and engineering of the property, as well as the demolition of the old ramp and several structures. If awarded, she said, the money would be available in 2013.
The area was once a popular fishing resort. Known as Forbes’ Resort or Captain’s Landing, it was the last operating resort in the area, which closed in the mid-1990s. It offered boating and cabin rentals under one owner or another since the 1930s, according to a historic structures report by Kitsap County.
Fish and Wildlife purchased the 3.5-acre site, located just west of the Point No Point Lighthouse, in 1996 for $860,000, according to Warren. The department intended to rebuild it, but did not start procedures until after it had been condemned in 2002.
After Fish and Wildlife proposed to redevelop the property in 2009 — tearing down the rusting ramp and old resort cabins — the county appealed the project, citing issues with Fish and Wildlife’s environmental review. In 2010, state and county officials came together and agreed to work together on the public project. However, neighborhood organizations such as the Greater Hansville Area Advisory Council have been vocal about their opposition, citing concerns with traffic issues and vandalism.
