Council to mull East Park sub-area plan

After months of public meetings and study, the planning commission is recommending the Bremerton City Council adopt the East Park sub-area plan following a public hearing set for Wednesday Jan. 18.

Council members examined the plan Wednesday at a regularly scheduled study session.

The detailed-plan would become part of the city’s comprehensive plan and set the design standards for the development itself.

According to the plan, the development is a mix of single-family homes, townhouses and carriage houses. It would also have a residential/retail unit along Wheaton Way. That unit is expected to have about 4,000 square feet of retail or office space on the ground floor with residences above. The development would be a mix of densities from a maximum of 50 units per acre to 12 units per acre.

In addition, about an acre of the 46-acre site would be designated as open space to specifically preserve three large trees. The plan also includes “passive” and “active” open spaces. About four acres would be used for two parks and green space connecting the YMCA and madrona forest to the development.

The overall density would be closer to nine homes per acre said Chris Hugo, the city’s community development director.

“It introduces a range of new housing types not seen in Bremerton or Kitsap County,” he told the council.

In other business, the council is expected to consider:

• The land purchase agreement, lease and easements between the Navy and the city for the Harborside Park project.

• Increasing compensation to the Naval Museum to cover its monthly rent and utilities for 2006. For the past several years the city has paid for only utilities. If approved the cost per month would be $2,365.

• Service agreements with Bremerton Area Chamber of Commerce and Kitsap Visitors and Convention Bureau to promote tourism in the city. Under the agreements the Chamber would receive about $42,000 and the VCB would get about $31,000 this from lodging tax proceeds to promote other smaller organizations in the city.

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