Mixed-Use Development Planned in Bremerton

By Sandra Spargo, For The Kitsap Sun
July 9, 2006

Although the idea of mixed-use development sounds modern, ancient structures such as the medieval, 20-foot wide London Bridge held more than 130 shops with residences above them.

Today, the Bremerton City Council regards mixed-use development as an important option toward curbing urban sprawl and improving the quality of urban living.

"When the Bremerton City Council approved the 2004 Comprehensive Plan, we adopted a very different growth strategy," said Chris Hugo, director of community development.

"We were trying to connect places of living, working and socialization. Then, out of the blue, Nor'west Properties walks through the door with the City Villa project. City Villa is written as though we wrote it ourselves. The people at Nor'west Properties are urban pioneers."

The council recently voted to make City Villa a priority. It will be a part of the 106-acre Wheaton/Riddell District Center, one of the largest mixed-use town centers of Bremerton. The District Center is bisected by Wheaton Way, creating east and west portions. The two portions are projected to accommodate 660,000 square feet of commercial and professional floor space, to employ 1,850 people and to house 3,800 residents, after 20 years of development.

City Villa will be located in the western portion of the center. Properties will be sold in about three years, according to Paul Eberharter, architect and managing member of Nor'west Properties, LLC. City Villa will offer residents equity and pride of ownership.

"We really believe that the comprehensive plan is where we should be going," Eberharter said. "The older malls are dying, leaving gray fields, vacant big-box stores and parking lots. We are on the same page as the city in our desire for the way Bremerton should look and function.

"Mixed-use urban neighborhoods are family friendly. You can walk your daughter to the local park, and children can have fun and be safe."

Eberharter envisions City Villa's 23 acres as a pedestrian-friendly destination. Hillside Park, a 2,000-foot-long linear park, will offer trails with mountain views. An amphitheater, playground, community center with pool, outdoor picnic gazebo and events center for weddings and conferences will help meet recreational and social needs.

Moreover, a small hotel located in the events center will accommodate residents' visitors.

Visitors and residents will be attracted to the small commercial center. It will hold seven buildings, each approximately 20,000 square feet with three floors. The first floor will house retail, including restaurants. Sidewalks 12- to 20-feet wide will allow outside seating. The second floor will house commercial or business enterprise. The third floor will house residential condos.

The surrounding residential zone will include single-family homes with attached and detached garages. Seven three-story condos will offer 20 to 50 units per building.

Brownstones will offer family living, each unit consisting of three floors with underground parking. Brownstones are row houses built or faced with brick, with at least one wall in common. Home prices will start around $200,000.

City Villa residential is currently zoned R10 (10 residences per acre).

However, Hugo has offered a R15 carrot to Nor'west Properties. The company has agreed to take the lead in developing a mixed-use, conceptional master plan for the 106-acre District Center. In turn, the City of Bremerton will approve R15 for City Villa.

According to Hugo, that zoning is a placeholder, meaning that zoning can be changed to accommodate residential housing that is closer to Highway 303 and main arterials. A new set of zoning regulations and standards can be tailored to sites of mixed-use zoning.