New turn in tower saga

An old water tower could get a new lease on life at City Hall.

The city’s Historic Preservation Commission is requesting that the City Council consider moving the nearly 100-year-old historic Hoskins Farm water tower to the City Hall property from its present location at the intersections of Madison Avenue and Wyatt Way.

The two-story, wood-shingled tower was built in 1912 on land owned by Riley M. Hoskins, one of the founding homesteaders in present-day Winslow.

The tower must be moved to make way for a mixed-use commercial and residential development, the current property owners say.

The historic commission is proposing that the city move the tower to the east side of City Hall, on what is now occupied by a bike rack, lawn and landscaping plants. The tower would overlook the common area between City Hall and the Bainbridge Performing Arts Playhouse.

“It would be visible from public places (and) it would be adjacent to the farmers market, emphasizing original use on the farm,” wrote commission chair Sarah Lee in a memo to the council.

Rehabilitating the tower to make it structurally sound for the one block move, preparing the new site and the move itself could cost the city around $15,000, according to the commission.

The project’s approval would likely mean delays for at least one city work project, said city staff.

The commission has applied for a $2,000 Washington Preserves Grant to help pay for some of the project’s costs. The council will consider the water tower project tonight at 9:20 p.m.

Moriwaki joins Kitsap County

Kitsap County has hired Bainbridge Island resident Clarence Moriwaki as its new public information officer and policy analyst.

Moriwaki currently runs the North Kitsap office for U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Bainbridge Island).

“It’s an extraordinary opportunity,” Moriwaki said. “There are a lot of great stories that haven’t been told about Kitsap County. I would like to be able to be part of telling those stories.”

Moriwaki, 51, worked for Inslee for almost four years in a part-time capacity. He served as chair of the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Memorial Committee, which is building a memorial to World War II internees on Bainbridge Island.