Paint the town volunteers seek permission to change awning's color

Port Orchard may have been painted in a day but it will still be a few weeks before every detail is finished, according to a presentation before the city council on Tuesday night.

“I want to thank the community for its support,” design consultant Heather Cole said during the meeting’s public comment period. “We are now taking care of several details, and it will be finished by Cedar Cove Days.”

Cole said work still needs to be completed on Moondogs Too, the building next door, and the Olympic Bike Shop.

The antique mall at the corner of Bay and Sidney is also in the process of repainting, but that is under the supervision of the business owner.

Cole, who stated a desire to repaint the awning that covers the north side of Bay Street. brought that idea to the council.

The awning, which covers the sidewalk, has been painted at least four colors in recent years.

In 2007 it was painted a deep green, after a protracted decision process by the city council.

Cole proposed the awning be painted in a light cream shade, which would better match the new building colors and would make the downtown brighter and more cheerful.

By its nature, however, the awning requires a different product than standard exterior paint, which is more durable and more expensive.

Even so, Cole said event sponsor Delilah Rene was willing to pay for the paint and manage a volunteer crew to get the job done by Cedar Cove Days at the end of this month.

The original paint the town project was a private effort, with Delilah dealing directly with property owners to broker the paint deal.

Changing the awning is a project of a different color, since it involves city property and public approval.

The council determined more data was needed, and Cole promised to comply.

It was moved to hear the request at the Aug. 25 council meeting, but Cole said that wouldn’t provide enough time to complete the project prior to Cedar Cove Days, which starts the next day.

As a result, the matter has been placed on the agenda for the Aug. 18 study session.

In anticipation of Cole’s request, downtown business owners Mallory Jackson and Tim Waibel attended the meeting specifically to respond to the proposal.

Waibel requested clarification about the color selection and said he hoped he would be able to provide his input into that decision-making process.

Jackson, who had opposed the painting project, objected on the grounds that continued painting negated what downtown merchants had previously accomplished.

“I want to remind people that we do have a downtown merchants’ association,” she said. “We selected the forest green after a long process. I’m a little bit concerned about changing to a lighter color, as I think it will be harder to maintain.”

Jackson said she was disappointed that “downtown merchants don’t have a say about the town in which they work.”

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