The Citizens Park Task Force is an informal group of community volunteers
who have come together for a single purpose — to convert the ugly vacant
lot on the corner of Highway 305 and Winslow Way into an attractive and
welcoming gateway to Bainbridge Island. Our vision is to make this former
Unocal gas station site into a source of pride for our entire community.
In connection with this campaign, we are committed to four key principals:
(A) No public funds will be spent to create this park; (B) Every step of the
project will be subject to the approval of the City and Kitsap Transit (the
current owners of the parcel), and the Parks and Recreation District (the
future managers of the park); (C) the design of the park will integrate
broad public input and ideas; and (D) the park will be environmentally safe
and responsible.
To help Island residents understand more about the environmental
circumstances at the site, here are some key facts that we have learned
after discussion with environmental consultants and the State Department of
Ecology:
1. Even after the initial clean up of the site by Unocal in the 1990s, some
gasoline products remain below the surface of the site — but the top 6-12
feet of soil are clean and safe.
2. The City and Kitsap Transit purchased this property from Unocal with
full knowledge of the subsurface conditions, and a below-market price was
paid for the property because of the environmental condition.
3. The City and Kitsap Transit are contractually obligated to indemnify
Unocal for all environmental liabilities relating to the site, and
conversion of the site into a park will not in any way change the nature of
the City’s current liability.
4. The State Department of Ecology has no objection to use of the site as a
park so long as there are no deep soil park improvements.
5. Placement of a park on the site will not hinder future environmental
remediation efforts at the site (whenever that should happen). All existing
testing wells located on the site will be protected and remain accessible
for future sampling of groundwater.
6. Many former gas station sites in Washington — with residual sub-surface
contamination — have been converted into safe and attractive public parks.
The former Unocal site can easily become one of these.
If you have any questions, or if you want to get involved, please contact
one of the undersigned members of the Task Force Steering Committee. We
would love to hear from you.
Help us convert an eye-sore into a beautiful Island gateway.
Sincerely,
Task Force Steering Committee: James Chapel, Steve Davis, Kimberly Gawlik,
Jill Johnston, Chris Snow and Bruce Weiland
What a great project! This is in the best tradition of service and generosity to the community.
How many tens of thousands of people have come across an ugly fenced-in derelict site as a first experience of Winslow and Bainbridge. This project will transform that site into a welcoming corner.
-Barry Peters
What a great idea for a new park, ….. except for the fact we can’t afford to maintain the parks we have now. If the Citizens Park Taskforce (and why do we need one of those?) wants another park, let them decommission two others and sell the land to bring money into the City coffers.
Melanie Keenan and Malcolm Gander are licensed geologists and hydrogeologists. They have responded with a guest column in the Review.
http://www.bainbridgereview.com/opinion/138162009.html