Resource Center
Rain Garden Work Party
An exciting volunteer event is coming up next Saturday, September 21, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A new demonstration garden is underway near the County's offices at Castle Hill Mall, which will feature rain gardens, native plants, and drought-tolerant plants. You're invited to help plant them!Please forward this email to your gardening friends to spread the word. Bring your shovels, boots, gloves, and dress for the weather. We'll be planting, rain or shine!
Call for Bids
With the final design complete and the full package of plans and specs ready to go, we're excited to invite qualified contractors to bid on the installation and construction of our LID Demonstration Garden.Note: The due date has been extended and the project substantially modified. Prospective bidders can download key documents here.
"How To" Handouts
Three new help documents are now available to help our customers use the online resources available, including locating parcel data for your property, checking the status of your permit, and learning more about low impact development (LID) methods for managing rainwater runoff. These are available as reference documents at each of the public research computer stations in our Resource Center and available online here:- How to Check Permit Status
- How to Find Parcel Data (information about a piece of property in Jefferson County; 13 MB)
- How to Watch the LID Slideshows
Also available is a handout previously prepared for a workshop focused on agricultural lands, but is applicable no matter what the zoning designation. Learn how to navigate the online mapping system and related database tools to learn more about any property in Jefferson County:
- How to Use Mapping and Database Tools
Friendly Volunteer Greeters Needed (June 2012)
The Resource Center needs volunteer greeters to provide a friendly welcome to customers and help connect them to brochures, handouts and other available information. no experience is needed and some training will be provided. Learn more about local natural resources and how low impact methods and sustainable development techniques can help protect them.Applications are now being accepted for the Volunteer Greeter Program:
- Flyer
- Press release
- Volunteer Duties and Application Form
Castle Hill LID Demonstration Garden Final Design
Soon to occupy the grassy lot across the parking lot from our Resource Center here at the Castle Hill QFC Shopping Center, we now have a final design (3 MB) for our LID Demonstration Garden! We're currently translating the design in to a set of construction documents to ensure every component gets built just right - including the rain gardens, permeable pavement pathways, sidewalks and gathering areas, green roof entrance kiosk, rainwater collection arbor and cistern, ecoturf and native vegetation landscaping, and more. Stay tuned for news of when we'll go to bid for installation this spring and opportunities for volunteering to help make this beautiful new learning site a success.2012 Home Improvement Guide (March 2012)
Did you see us mentioned on pages 30 and 37 of the special supplement to the March 21 2012 Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader newspaper? Pick up a copy today at the Resource Center or view a summary page below:- March 21 2012 HIG Summary page
Development Professionals Invited to Join Rosters (February 2012)
Over the next 18 months, there will be numerous ways for a variety of professionals to get actively involved in the project, including volunteer and paid opportunities. The County's small works, vendor, and consultant services rosters will help identify professionals to be contacted about upcoming mini-grant award, workshop, stakeholder focus group, demonstration site, video tour, marketing, education and outreach, and resource center greeter opportunities. Learn more in this press release that was published in the March 21 2012 Leader.Educational Art Posters Are Up (November, 2011)
Come see the set of beautiful and informational posters now on display in the Resource Center (photo 1; photo 2; photo 3) featuring: Rain Gardens; Low Impact Living; Puget Sound Hedgerows; Soft Shore Stabilization; Love Your Stream; and Urban Wildlife. There are even take-home versions of two of them and plenty of brochures with similar and related information.
Staff & Volunteers (August, 2011)
The Department of Community Development hired Assistant Planner Shannon Glass as our new Coach for the resource center. She started in February bringing her background and expertise in horticulture, garden design & installation, green roofs, and landscape architecture. Shannon joins Assistant Planner Colleen Zmolek and other DCD staff to provide a daily Coaching Services Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon, and Wednesday 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.We're also working towards having staff and volunteers share the role of Receptionist/Greeter to welcome customers to the resource center and provide assistance with the resources provided. Stay tuned for volunteer recruitment announcements or contact us to join the email list.
Open for Business with a New Look! (August, 2011)
Remodeling construction was completed in February and in March, Shannon used her eye for design to arrange furniture and reconfigure this new customer service area. We now offer a bookshelf of reference materials, 2 large study tables, 2 computer research desks - a GIS Mapping Station and an LID Learning Station - along with a rack full of brochures and handouts. Both computer stations play a slideshow of LID and green building images and have dozens of pertinent websites and digital resources bookmarked to assist online research efforts. We've also gathered a collection of educational posters that are both beautiful and full of useful information. Topics include:- Rain Gardens - planted depressions designed to absorb stormwater from rooftops, driveways and more;
- Low Impact Living - ideas for 'water smart' neighborhoods;
- Puget Sound Hedgerows - living fences for fish & wildlife habitat (buffers);
- Soft Shore Stabilization - the natural alternative to bulkheads for erosion protection;
- Love Your Stream for families living alongside creeks, rivers and wetlands; and
- Urban Wildlife - for backyard stewardship projects