Citizens to hold their own KHS meeting tonight

INDIANOLA — Citizens who oppose the North Kitsap School District’s selection of land for Kingston High School — or those who just want more answers — will meet tonight to discuss the site.

The meeting has been organized by several people who have been to public meetings held by the school district. The session, which will be held at 7 p.m. at the Miller Bay Estates Clubhouse, is open to the public and school district officials have also been invited to attend.

“The main purpose is to keep people updated on what we know... people need to get on board,” said Kingston resident Chuck Veilleux.

After attending several public meetings recently, Veilleux said he became concerned about the land the district purchased. He said he thinks the land, which contains several environmentally-sensitive acres that the district can’t build on, is too restrictive.

“Maybe the small group of us (who don’t approve of the site), we’re all wet. Then I’ll retreat back to my hole. But bad choices have been made on behalf of the voters,” Veilleux said, adding that he wants the meeting to remain informative and educational.

“I hope to stay objective. Coming up with theories and hypotheticals won’t open any great doors,” he explained.

Terry Benish, who opposes the site primarily because it sits on a decommissioned Nike Site, will also attend.

Benish said he is pleased that the district is pursuing testing on the site, but wants it to go farther and get the Environmental Protection Agency involved — “They’re unimpeachable,” he said.

The school board will meet at 7 p.m. on July 10, and the agenda includes approval of an architect for the new site and an approval for the site plan, which defines where the buildings themselves will sit on the property.

Recently, the board and the site planning firm narrowed their proposal to two options, “The School on the Hill Option 2” and “The School to the North.”

The first sets the school building to the west of a chunk of school district land that is not buildable because the latter places the school to the north of that piece.

The School on the Hill option separates the gymnasium, music room and space for an eventual performing-arts center from the main buildings, and spreads the fields throughout the property, while the School to the North keeps the school buildings clustered closer together.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.