Poulsbo presents Phase 1 plan for six‑acre ‘Perk’ sports complex; PFD to contribute $8.7 million

The City of Poulsbo presented a phase‑1 site plan and schedule on April 28 to the Kitsap Public Facilities District for a six‑acre recreational complex just south of Olympic College, saying permitting and bidding will be complete this year and construction would begin in 2026.

The presentation by Diane Linious, Public Works Director for the City of Poulsbo, and landscape architect Craig Skipton of AHBL focused on site surveys, geotechnical work, stormwater planning, and schematic layouts showing two primary synthetic turf fields, pickleball courts, multipurpose courts and roughly 100 parking stalls. “This 6 acre site is currently at the dead end road, which is Reliance,” Linious said, and she noted an adjacent privately owned parcel is under negotiation for voluntary purchase by the city.

The update matters because it moves a multi‑year feasibility study into design and permitting steps that trigger the PFD funding commitment. Linious told the PFD that the project team has completed site survey and geotechnical analysis, met in a pre‑application conference with the City of Poulsbo, and tested site layouts for field orientation, parking and plazas. “We are on track for what we promised, and what we the dream is still alive,” she said.

Design and scope: The phase‑1 schematic shows two primary multi‑sport fields intended for soccer and other field sports, a set of pickleball courts (the plan shows six as a placeholder; the team said four is the preferred minimum), two multipurpose courts, restroom and shelter buildings, plaza space, and pedestrian connections to Olympic College. Skipton said the site survey and the geotechnical report informed the layout and the stormwater treatment approach. The presentation showed a potential north wall with “supergraphics” separating the site from Olympic College and a proposed future road connection from Reliance.

Funding and budget: The presenters described a total project budget of about $13,000,000 for phase 1 and the funding commitments before the PFD. Linious said the PFD commitment to the project is $8,700,000, with $1,600,000 coming from PFD reserves and $7,110,000 projected as a bond carried by the city; the City of Poulsbo would contribute approximately $4,290,000. The city has applied for two Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) grants, including one for acquisition and one competitive grant in the approximate $2,500,000 range; Linious noted one grant did not clear the recent legislative session but remained a pursuit. “The project budget right now is $13,000,000,” she said, adding the team will bid alternates and fund as much as possible in phase 1.

Schedule and next steps: The project team said 60% design and permit submittal is scheduled for June, with permitting and 100% design through September, advertising for bids in October–November, and contract award in December to meet the interlocal agreement timeline. Linious said, “This project will be built in 2026 and there will be people playing on the field in 2027.” The team said they will return with another update around September.

Access, parking and partnerships: Presenters said they are negotiating off‑site overflow and event parking with nearby commercial property owners and discussing shared use and overflow parking with Olympic College; an ADA walkable connection to the college is included in the plan. Linious said existing built stormwater ponds from the Ojeda master plan will handle most runoff, with local enhancements for parking areas.

Questions from PFD members covered additional parcel acquisitions (one adjacent parcel is not currently available), whether parking could expand into a future phase 2 parcel, trail and driving connections to Olympic College, and details of stormwater treatment. In response, Linious said some additional parcels are not owned by the same owner and availability is uncertain; she described several off‑site and shared parking options and said the project team is negotiating those opportunities.

The presentation concluded with the project team reiterating schedule and funding goals and offering to return with updates on permitting and 60% design.