This coming Friday could be Doomsday for the long awaited and much-anticipated Olympic View Marina Project out in Seabeck.
How this has remained under my radar, I have no idea. Tonight, while taking a walk with my wife, I ran across fellow RE agent, Nick Blickhan (Nick and I had worked together at the Windermere office here in Silverdale).
As a waterfront resident of Seabeck WA, Nick has been keeping close tabs on the progress, or lack thereof, of the Olympic View LLC Marina Project. Four partners purchased the fledging property a few years ago, and put together a very detailed development plan. At considerable expense, they effectively jumped through each and every hoop that the County and State required, and in most instances, went way beyond what was necessary. From every indication, it appeared that things were moving forward, and the much needed marina would become a reality.
Unfortunately, due in large part to one lone, dissenting squeaky wheel, the ear of the WA Department of Ecology has been effectively bent, and it appears that the project is headed to a devastating demise. Evidently, the neighborhood squeaky wheel is one of these types who defines/measures ‘Smart’ growth by how far you can bury your head in the sand.
Nevermind that the dire needs of the many clearly outweighs the preferences of the few, or, in this case, the one.
Nevermind that the partners paid exceptionally close attention to detail in their plans towards maintaining and even enhancing the existing environmental integrity of the areas impacted by the proposed marina development.
Nevermind that the marina would have a very positive impact on the financial stability of existing Seabeck merchants/businesses, and long-term residential property values.
Nevermind that area boat owners would finally have badly needed basic marina services and mooring space available. The closest marina is Pleasant Harbor, over on the western side of Hood Canal, just south of Brinnon. You can moor your boat there, but it takes nearly an hour by car to get there.
The Olympic View Marina Project should make complete sense - ecologically, or otherwise. While it could be argued that some commercial developments are not necessarily environmental-friendly, this project clearly fulfills the demand for highest and best use. Although Kitsap County Commissioner, Josh Brown, has voiced his full support for this project, but his influence may not be enough to affect the outcome.
The WA State Department of Ecology is issuing their final verdict on the project this Friday. In my humble opinion, the Dept needs to step up and display some backbone. Rather than buckling under the incessant whining of one solitary voice, the project should be measured and approved on the merits of the significant positive impact it will have on the environment/habitat, and the true value that quality marina services will offer to our community.
As a result of yesterday's cliff hanging victory against the Texas Longhorns, the Kansas Jayhawks secured a #1 seed in the upcoming 2008 NCAA Tournament.
The brackets for this year's 'Dance' were released yesterday afternoon. The first round opponent the Crimson & Blue will face are the Vikings of Portland State, a 16 seed out of Oregon. The game will take place this Thursday March 20th at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Nebraska. Tip-off time is 12:25pm EDT.
I have KU going all the way to the Final Four and winning this year's NCAA Tournament. Rounding out my Final Four predictions are North Carolina, Memphis, and UCLA.
Rock Chalk, Jayhawk. GO KU!
Sparky and Buckwheat (aka Rich Jacobson and Mark Flanders), the dynamic blogging duo of SOUNDBITEBLOG, meet every Thursday morning at 8AM for coffee at The Global Bean in Silverdale WA.
We invite all area real estate professionals to join us for an informal discussion on all things Web 2.0 worthy, and to share our lives and experiences together.
For information on The Global Bean and directions, go HERE.
Hope to see you there!
Yours Truly is quoted in this month's issue (March 2008) of the Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal. I was contacted several weeks ago by one of their contributing writers, and was interviewed for an article in their Technology Section about business blogging.
In the article, I mention my involvement here on ActiveRain, and the local blog, SOUNDBITEBLOG, that I co-author with fellow Rainer, Mark Flanders.
For anyone in the West Sound area interested in discussing/networking with other business professionals about blogging, Mark and I meet every Thursday morning at 8AM at the Global Bean in Silverdale WA.
In the early morning hours of May 30, 2006, a very popular local eating establishment in Poulsbo WA was gutted by fire. When the landmark restaurant, Mitzel's, went up in smoke, area residents lost a dining tradition they have enjoyed for over 20 years.
Fast forward to 2008, and the grand opening of "Taprock Northwest Grill."
Recently, I offered my son, Ben, and his friend, Josh, a lunchtime reprieve from their house-building efforts, and treated them both to a meal at the new Taprock Northwest Grill.
As is usually typical of newly opened restaurants, the place was packed with plenty of local business people and assorted patron patiently awaiting a seat.
The hired help was extremely friendly and gracious throughout our meal. On several occasions, the Manager, Steve Hancock, came up and personally greeted us, and inquired about our meal/service.
Yours Truly enjoyed a plate of Pan-Fried Totten Bay Oysters, while both Ben and Josh manhandled the Mountain High Tillamook Cheddar & Bacon Burger.
Trust me when I say that "Mountain High' is an adequate description!
The food was very tasty, the service prompt and attentive, and the prices kind to your wallet/purse.
The decor was classic Pacific Northwest, appointed with generous use of wood and stone, giving you the sense of an upscale hunting lodge or ski resort, but only next to a strip mall. It wasn't too high-end. Ben and Josh felt right at home in their work boots and bibs.
Overall, a very pleasant experience, and one that will no doubt more than adequately fill the shoes left behind by Mitzel's.
Located at 760 NE Liberty Road, Poulsbo, WA 98370 * Phone: 360.697.2215
Hours of Operation
Sunday - Thursday: 11am - 10pm
Friday and Saturday: 11am - 11pm
Providing Empowerment and Relentless Representation for Buyers and Sellers of Residential Properties throughout the Western Puget Sound WA
Rich is a licensed real estate professional specializing in residential real estate throughout the Western Puget Sound area, including Kitsap, Jefferson, Mason, and Pierce Counties, and the communities of Silverdale, Bremerton, Port Orchard, Kingston, Poulsbo, Belfair, Allyn, Union, Gig Harbor, Hansville, Seabeck, Port Ludlow, Quilcene, Brinnon, and many more.
Rich believes in consumer empowerment and in the relentless representation of his client's best interests. His goal is help you to achieve your "Next Adventure in Life!" by providing expert counsel through experience and knowledge.
Rich strives to stay on top of all the latest emerging and available technologies in order to better serve his clients. Rich serves as Community Support Administrator (www.ActiveRain.com/rich) for ActiveRain, the world's largest online network for Real Estate Professionals. He also maintains a local blogsite, www.SoundBiteBlog.com, as well as his real estate website, www.KitsapLife.com.
Maximum Internet exposure is one of the keys to effectively selling homes in today's challenging market. By using the latest technology tools, Rich can take advantage of literally dozens of viable domains to publish and promote your home!
"In the past few years, I have dealt with several realtors. Rich Jacobson is by far the most honest and trustworthy of them all. He found us our dream home here in beautiful Kitsap County, and did all the worrying for us. Rich understands the needs of moving Navy families because he was once a sailor himself. I highly recommend Rich Jacobson to handle all of your PCS relocation needs!"
Steve Pavlik
"As first time homebuyers, we had a lot of questions. Rich answered all of them patiently and thoroughly, and always with a smile on his face. He was quick to respond to e-mail and phone calls, easy to talk to, flexible, and respectful of our wishes. Rich truly made the home buying process simple! He was great in every aspect of our home buying experience. With this being our first home, we were really starting from scratch and we felt like he was always there to provide help and thoroughly explain each facet of a very complex endeavor. We truly appreciate his diligence as he helped us throughout the entire closing process. We couldn't be more pleased with our first home. Our deepest thanks go out to Rich for his generosity and hard work."
Dave and Diane Payne
"We were coming to Washington from another state, so it was critical to find an agent who understood our needs and in whom we could trust. Rich only had one day to take us around Kitsap County, learning what we liked and getting an idea of what we wanted. He continued to look for properties while we returned to California and waited. Rich was able to find the absolutely "perfect" home for us and we trusted him so much that we bought the house without physically seeing it, only viewing it through pictures he sent us. Without any reservation, we would highly recommend Rich to anyone searching for a home. He listened to what we wanted and gave advice as to what he thought would meet our needs. He was the perfect agent and now we own the perfect home!"
Jorge and Carol Cordero
"We received excellent service from Rich during every step of the process. He kept us totally informed and worked with us perfectly. If we ever buy another house, or know of someone who is buying or selling, we will definitely recommend Rich. Moving with 3 small children and 5 dogs is difficult enough, but Rich was extremely helpful and went out of his way numerous times to accommodate us. Thank you, Rich!"
Tim and Diane Hallwirth
"I have been commuting to the Central Kitsap School District for the past 8 years from Sumner, which is about a 1 and 1/2 hour drive each way. Through the years, this drive has become very old and tiring. Just recently, I realized I no longer wanted to make this commute and decided to buy a home closer to work as an investment and as a place to live during the week. Rich Jacobson was recommended to me by one of my employees as a person who could help me with this purchase. I contacted Rich and in an extremely short period of time I purchased and moved into the perfect place for my needs. Rich was wonderful to work with, took care of all the details of the purchase and was very professional in all aspects of his job. If you are looking to buy a home, I strongly recommend Rich Jacobson of Windermere to help you through that process--you will be glad you did!"
Brent Anderson
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