Gig Harbor residents will have a chance to name the city’s newest park at a public meeting next month. The Gig Harbor Parks Commission will hear public input on Dec. 5 for the name of the property, located at 3518 Harborview Drive.

The city purchased the three-parcel property in August, and it’ the only remaining undeveloped piece of waterfront land in Gig Harbor’s view basin. Known as the Ancich property, the land belonged to the local family that immigrated to Gig Harbor from Croatia in the early 20th century. The Ancich family sold it to private developers in 2005.

The site includes a dock and netshed that is listed in Gig Harbor’s Register of Historic Places. The netshed was built in the 1920s.

Lita Dawn Stanton, Gig Harbor’s special projects coordinator, said the netshed could be preserved as part of the property’s refurbishment.

“If it could be adaptively reused, that would be the goal,” she said.

The Gig Harbor City Council is still in the process of reviewing the park’s development plan. Part of the development, Stanton said, is to remove some of the invasive plants and debris that have taken over parts of the property. A team of volunteers and city employees started to weed and remove debris from the site on Nov. 19.

Stanton said the goal is to open up another part of the waterfront. “The intent (of the park) would be to provide public use,” she said.

As for the name, Stanton said she would like to see the city pay respect to the family that first settled on the site.

“My bias is that we honor the history there and keep the Ancich name,” she said. Stanton plans to make a formal presentation about keeping the name at the Parks Commission meeting, which will be open to anyone who wants to make their own presentation to advocate for a new name.

It will be held at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Gig Harbor Civic Center, 3510 Grandview St., in Community Rooms A/B.

Parks Commission has opening for new member

The city announced earlier this month that it is seeking applicants to fill an open spot on the Parks Commission. The volunteer position has a three-year term. The Parks Commission advises the mayor and city council on parks development and operations, including acquisition and maintenance issues.

Molly Towslee, Gig Harbor’s city clerk, said the city doesn’t have strict requirements for applicants but looks for people who have an interest in public parks. Applicants must live within the city limits. Towslee said some past commissioners have had previous parks administration experience, but that’s not a requirement.

“We just want somebody who loves the city and loves the parks and might bring some innovative new ideas to the table,” Towslee said. Interested applicants must submit a letter of interest and an application form, which can be found at the city's website, by Nov. 28. Application materials should be sent to the Mayor, Attn: Terri Reed, City of Gig Harbor, 3510 Grandview St., Gig Harbor, WA 98335.