Enormous turnout spells big concern at ‘Futures’

HANSVILLE — Residents in the northernmost tip of the county are well known for stepping up to help the community in any way they can.

Even so, Hansville Community Center President Steve Bauer was shocked when 84 people showed up at a May 20 meeting to discuss the most recent effort to improve the area.

“I am stunned at the turnout,” he said. “Dumbfounded.”

Residents who attended last Thursday’s Hansville Futures Project meeting at the center were on hand to learn more about the latest community project, volunteer or do both. The current project aims to get North End residents thinking about the current conditions in the Hansville area and research how it could grow during the next 10 to 20 years. Issues such as the replacement of the Point No Point boat ramp, Hood Canal Drive improvements, the Puget Sound Energy generator site and growth and development are all tell-tale signs that the area’s population is growing and there are going to be some impacts, Bauer explained.

For the past year, a group of Hansville residents, including members of the Hansville Community Center Board, have been working on a plan to help create a regional vision that neighbors feel is appropriate.

“If you are going to do a vision, you have to know about a community comprehensively,” Bauer said.

Last Thursday’s meeting was a volunteer orientation/recruitment session and yielded a much larger turnout than Bauer expected.

The plan includes several steps and begins with a “Community Scan,” in which the conditions of the area, such as demographics, economy, environmental quality, government, transportation and utilities, are studied. The historic and current trends of these conditions will be compiled.

At the same time, another group will survey the community’s values.

The two groups will then compile their information and come up with both a predicted future and a desired future.

The final step will be to develop action plans to help create the future the community wants, based on this research.

A planning committee will also be developed and include representatives from each local group within the greater Hansville area, as far south as Eglon and the Port Gamble S’Klallam Reservation.

After the orientation finished, about 45 people stuck around to volunteer their services for the “scan” research, to conduct value surveys, or be part of the administrative staff.

Hansville Community Church pastor Greg Uvila, who attended a similar meeting last year on the same topic, said he showed up get an update on how things were progressing.

“We want to be a player and we want to be a supportive entity,” he said. “We see the church as an important part of the community.”

Uvila said he feels the plan will bring people together to work on issues that effect everyone.

“I think everyone is concerned this doesn’t become Disneyland North,” he said. “We can be open to growth in a reasonable, measurable way.”

Donna Grout Jr., who has been visiting the area since she was young, said she has witnessed how the area has changed over the years and believes the plan can help.

“I think it needs to be done,” she said. “I think it’s going to be useful. If something doesn’t come to fruition, it will be a great education experience.”

Resident Tom Lee said the plan makes sense for the well being of the area.

“It’s the only way to make sense of what you want out of your community,” he said, noting he’s interested in how the water and sewer systems will support further growth.

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