Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor | Crescent Creek deserves a future, not another study
The City of Gig Harbor is reportedly considering spending up to $50,000 on yet another historical assessment of the former Masonic Lodge at Crescent Creek Park. As a taxpayer and community member, I believe this would be a mistake.
The question of the building’s historical significance has already been studied. A 2023 review determined that the structure had been so extensively altered over the years, including the removal of its second story and numerous other modifications, that it no longer retained enough of its original character to qualify for listing on either the state or national historic registries. Pierce County representatives also declined to seek a Pierce County historical preservation designation.
The building’s future has also been examined repeatedly by the Gig Harbor Parks Commission. After multiple public discussions and reviews, the Commission consistently recommended demolition, citing the building’s deteriorated condition, significant structural issues, other safety concerns, and the extraordinary cost of rehabilitation. Estimates to restore the building have exceeded $6 million dollars. To date, no private funding source has emerged to cover those costs.
At one point, the City Council agreed with those conclusions and voted to demolish the structure. A small group then advocated for preservation, and the issue was reopened. The Parks Commission once again reviewed the matter and once again recommended against further investment.
Despite those repeated findings, taxpayers may be asked to fund another historical review. Professional evaluations have already concluded that this structure lacks the integrity necessary for historic designation. Spending another $50,000 hoping for a different answer is difficult to justify when our city has many competing priorities.
If members of the community believe another historical review is warranted, I respect their passion. But there is nothing preventing private individuals or preservation groups from raising the funds themselves to pursue that effort. Taxpayer dollars should be reserved for projects that benefit the entire community and move long-delayed improvements at Crescent Creek Park forward.
The Crescent Creek Master Plan has been years in the making. The park deserves investment in amenities that residents can use, not additional studies of a building that has already been evaluated multiple times.
Mary Kolar
Gig Harbor