Kitsap Real Estate Blog

Will Farms In Kitsap Be Preserved As Productive Farmland and Open Space or Subdivided For Housing?

Hansville Nursery

Jim Freeman, associate broker at Coldwell Banker Park Shore announced on February 15, 2010 the listing of the 144 acre Hansville Nursery land for sale. Also known as the Old Homestead Plat the owner, Olympic Property Group LLC, a subsidiary of Pope Resources Group, has operated the land as a Douglas Fir tree nursery for more than 20 years. Recent price and volume declines in the lumber industry forced a decision to shutter the nursery operation in 2009 and put the property on the market.

Download a sale brochure for the Hansville Nursery here.

The infrastructure improvements installed to support the nursery operation make it an ideal site to consider conversion to pastured grazing and eventually vegetable and fruit production. The improvements include a cold storage warehouse, a processing warehouse, a two bay equipment maintenance garage, a five bay tractor shed, four miles of drain tile to collect and manage water storage ponds, a well, an irrigation system, truck dock, three phase power, an office, restrooms and crew room. The entire property is surrounded by an eight foot deer fence and adjoins densely populated housing subdivisions known as Shorewood. Neighborhood residents often enjoy walks through the property and many have asked about the possibility of preserving the property from further subdivison.

What's Next For Kitsap Farm?

Because of the old Homestead Plat plans a portion of the property enjoys paved and gravel roads. Public water is available from a system that adjoins the southern boundary. No sewers are available in the area.

Farms play a significant role in Kitsap cultural, historical and economic life although most people are unaware of this. The Kitsap Conservation District has estimated that there are 9 major watersheds in the county and a greater number of lesser watersheds with 1,874 tax parcels as being used for agriculture not including Christmas tree farms. The total area of these parcels is 10,819 acres with an average size of 6.3 acres. That being said the trend in recent years has been a diminishing acreage under cultivation in the county and a trend away from local food production to things like hay production and equestrian uses.

As a member of a community organization dedicated to building a local food network Jim Freeman and the Kitsap Community and Agricultural Alliance have been active in efforts to preserve farmland in Kitsap County and plan for succession of aging farmers. The KCAA has efforts underway to apply for farmland preservation grants through the Washington State Conservation Commission and the Recreation and Conservation Office. Discussions have also been held with the PCC Farmland Trust and the Great Peninsula Conservancy.

Other uses for the property as improved include tree nurseries, forest land and open space. Otherwise, the property is capable of subdivision into as many as twelve building lots due to the current zoning and historical entitlements.

For more information please visit Land For Sale In Kitsap County.