Residents take first stab at Old Town Study

POULSBO — Old Town residents aren’t crazy, there is a pattern to growth in their neighborhoods, reported architect Mark Hinshaw this week.

But that doesn’t mean that answers to their concerns will be any easier to come up with.

Hinshaw, of Seattle’s LMN architects, was the guest speaker at a public meeting on the Old Town Study Sept. 24. About 60 Old Town residents came to hear Hinshaw’s initial findings and make comments on the direction of the study.

The $20,000 project was initiated by the Poulsbo City Council earlier this year in response to complaints from residents concerned with the losing character of the original residential areas of Poulsbo. The study comprises the area east of downtown south of Iverson Road to the southern city limits and west of State Route 305 to Fjord Drive — a total of about 140 acres.

The first public meeting in the study process was simply a chance for Hinshaw and his staff to share preliminary data with Old Town residents and get public input.

“Tonight we are not prepared to talk about any kind of changes in regulations,” Hinshaw commented to begin the proceedings. “In fact, we intentionally shied away from that until we could talk to you about what you want.”

Hinshaw presented a series of maps of the Old Town Study area, breaking individual plots into:

•Age of houses

•Number of stories

•Total house size

•Total lot size

•Floor area ratio

•Pathway access to sidewalk

•Garage types

•Garage located in rear

•Low improvement value to land value ratio

•High potential for infill

Hinshaw said in many of the categories, distinct patterns did arise. For instance, older homes tend to be concentrated closer to the downtown area, whereas the newer homes appear farther south in the study area.

“Perhaps this could indicate that we shouldn’t treat this as one district,” Hinshaw ventured.

Hinshaw said he and his staff also noticed that characteristics like pathways to the front doors of homes from the street and garages located in the rear of the lot were more prevalent in areas where older homes were more prominent. He gave the example of sidewalk access as something that residents may want to ponder.

“It creates a kind of social environment that’s kind of like a welcome mat. It’s a friendly gesture because it reaches out into the purely public space,” Hinshaw explained. “That’s a feature that you don’t see in newer houses. Either the path is off the driveway or there isn’t a path at all. I think people sometimes see a change happening in an area and don’t even realize what they don’t like about it.”

Hinshaw said some of these features give a more welcoming, public feel to homes compared to more urban styles that irk many residents. He said Poulsbo is only one of a handful of communities that still have a distinct old town area, which may warrant looking at some sort of development overlay.

“You have got an authentic, real history here that’s still there and based on Scandinavian history,” Hinshaw said. “It’s very, very wonderful. It’s why people pay money to come here — because it’s real.”

Many in attendance brought up issues like house footprints, protecting views and even accessory dwelling units. Hinshaw pointed to the map of areas with a high potential for infill. He cautioned that said people who are concerned about these things should think about the high number of properties in the Old Town area that could legally be allowed to subdivide.

“This map should scare the begeezus out of you,” Hinshaw said. “What this says is every fight you’ve had in the last year, you’re going to be fighting tenfold. What you want is some sort of predictability. You want a fix that’s generally applicable to development so you can take a rest.”

With potential answers to Old Town residents’ concerns still far off, many community members said they were reserving judgement about the Old Town Study for now.

“I’m not sure what to think, really,” said Old Town resident Mike Wall. “What is the town going to look like? I don’t know. It’s so hard. I wish it could stay the same and quaint but there’s some major houses and infill I don’t agree with.”

Officials in attendance, including Mayor Donna Jean Bruce, city council members and members of the planning commission, walked away equally confused. Planning commission member Jim Coleman said he was hoping to hear a clear direction or wish from residents but instead heard a myriad of problems — some of which couldn’t be fixed.

“I was very frustrated,” Coleman said. “I didn’t hear what people wanted. I didn’t hear about what they want the Old Town to look like. I heard everything else but.”

City staff will be compiling the results of surveys filled out at the forum and giving them to Hinshaw. Other public meetings will be scheduled in the future.

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