Silverdale Needs a Tower

Silverdale added a Trader Joe’s this month and recently dedicated the new Haselwood Family YMCA. If the Citizens United for Silverdale gathers enough signatures, there will be a vote on cityhood next year. But even with all the progress there’s something the undisputed retail center of Kitsap County lacks that would really put it on the map. Silverdale needs a tower.

Before continuing, I will admit that proposing a regional tourist attraction in Silverdale seems like a fool’s errand given the lingering recession. With record unemployment and tight government budgets, there’s no extra money anywhere to do anything beyond the necessities. So goes the common refrain echoed by everyone from opponents of Seattle’s deep bore tunnel to legislators who cut funds for higher education.

I will concede another point to the nay-sayers. Getting in and out of Silverdale is already hard. The burgeoning burg doesn’t have nearly enough road capacity to efficiently channel shoppers and patients to its stores and medical buildings. That’s even with the county and state adding new roads and interchanges north of town. Why add to the gridlock by attracting even more drivers to Silverdale Way (aka Silverdale No-Way during rush hour)?

All I can say is consider the view (see photo). Plus more people in town means more spending. I took the picture, which looks west from Myhre Road, while standing outside the Harrison Medical Center. There’s an even better view from the top floor of the nearby three-story Cavalon Place buildings. I know this because I saw it from the office of my financial consultant at Smith Barney. With my paltry account I was only there for a few minutes. Still the view was awesome: Dyes Inlet, Olympic Mountains, Clear Creek valley, and the green cityscape of a thriving retail mecca.

St. Louis has the arch, Seattle has the Space Needle, and Silverdale has… well, Silverdale has stores, doctors’ offices, and traffic signals. Leave out Old Town and its waterfront park, and Silverdale is fast becoming Lynnwood West. It doesn’t have to.

Why make people drive to the ridges on the east and west sides of town to take in the scenery? Instead how about a centrally located lookout tower—say in the acres of extra parking at the northeast end of the mall? Tourists would love it and even locals might want an occasional peek from the top to map out the best route for their shopping trips.

I’m just the idea guy. Details on design, height, permitting, admission charge, funding, naming, and so on, are better left to county planners (or city if Silverdale incorporates). Or, even better, a group from the private sector. I do know that the Silverdale Tower will need to be taller than the funky stone 125-foot Astoria Column, which has the advantage of being located atop a 600-foot hill.

The original sketch for the Space Needle was done on a cocktail napkin. How hard can it be to whip out a tower design in AutoCAD?