By Jon Rose

One of the truths about a company that grows trees and develops large master-planned communities is that things don’t happen overnight. A case in point is the town of Port Gamble, now about a decade in the planning process.

For the past several years, we’ve held many community meetings and open houses. The most recent occurred in June, when nearly 400 Kitsap County residents turned out for an informational open house to learn about the Port Gamble Master Plan as well as hear updates on the Kitsap Forest & Bay Project and the ongoing environmental clean-up of Gamble Bay. It was a great meeting and the energy and excitement for the revitalization of Port Gamble was palpable in the room.

If you missed the meeting and want to see what we’re talking about, we’ve posted a nine-minute video (www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApN3mWI1gKk) that gives you a great overview and summary of the meeting.

Believe me, the excitement continues — it’s just not as evident as it was during the meeting. So I thought it would be a good time to offer an update on all three initiatives.

PG Master Plan
Planning for the revitalization of Port Gamble is moving ahead. Triad Associates, the lead consultant on the project, has assembled a team that is busy applying its expertise to the project in key disciplines such as sustainability, historic preservation, traffic planning and architectural landscaping, to name a few.

In late August, Triad president Jeff Cox and senior vice president Al Fure led an invigorating design review of the Master Plan, and some key points emerged:— Port Gamble will have a compelling blend of residential and commercial elements that is consistent with the historic legacy of Port Gamble. It will reflect the town’s New England heritage by preserving the current buildings and homes while adding single-family homes with detached garages on a well-planned grid of streets and alleys that retain open space and view corridors.

— The revitalized Port Gamble definitely will live up to the concept of “live/work/play,” and preliminary plans showcase the possibilities. It offers the possibility for a dedicated market square that incorporates various merchants and plans for an ongoing farmers market. Nearby multi-family units provide interesting opportunities for residents who want live-and-work housing arrangements.

— Plans for the town’s commercial zone not only incorporate existing businesses but add new ones, including plans for an inn or hotel that would offer some of the best views in the Pacific Northwest.

Under the steady leadership of Triad and their talented supporting cast, we expect to submit the Port Gamble Master Plan by the end of 2012 to Kitsap County to start the formal review and approval process. For maps and additional project details, please visit www.itsyourbackyard.com.

Kitsap Forest & Bay Project
The Kitsap Forest & Bay Project, or KFBP, is an initiative by multiple stakeholders to buy all or part of Pope Resources’ 6,900 acres of North Kitsap timberlands. The project is led by Forterra (formerly Cascade Land Conservancy), which holds an option agreement with Pope Resources. At present, property appraisals are under way for the Port Gamble millsite and the Gamble Bay shoreline immediately south of the millsite. An appraisal for the remaining 6,900 acres of timberland that is part of the option agreement with Forterra is forthcoming.

We expect all three appraisals to be completed in September.

Environmental clean-up of Gamble Bay
Pope announced recently that it has set aside more than $14 million for potential clean-up costs. Negotiations are ongoing with the Department of Ecology and both sides are working hard to agree on a cleanup plan.

One key factor in the negotiations is a legislative appropriation of $9 million that is earmarked for shoreline acquisition and restoration of Gamble Bay.

We invite you to learn more, see the proposed Master Plans and to get involved in Port Gamble’s future by visiting www.itsyourbackyard.com and its sister website, www.popenorthkitsap.com.

— Jon Rose is president of Olympic Property Group, a subsidiary of Pope Resources which owns the town of Port Gamble and nearly 7,000 acres of surrounding timberland in north Kitsap County.