Time to repaint that mailbox: NW is going away

The City of Gig Harbor is reminding residents that the “NW” for “Northwest” designator will disappear from street addresses inside the city limits beginning Sept. 30.

From then on it will be just plain “Rosedale Street” or “Stinson Avenue.”

The U.S. Postal Service will continue to deliver mail bearing the old address for a year, but no longer. It is up to homeowners to notify correspondents, such as banks, cable companies and agencies such as Social Security, of the change. The city has notified state agencies, GPS carriers and Pierce County.

The change is being made to bring Gig Harbor into line with Next Generation 911 standards and to prevent confusion by police and fire services between city and county addresses.

The city is updating streets signs by stages, a process it expects to complete by early 2020. The state Department of Transportation will make the changes on highway exit signs.

Learn more about the “NW Directional Project” by visiting https://www.cityofgigharbor.net/682/NW-Directional-Project; by calling 253.851.6170; or via email at ghnwproject@cityofgigharbor.net.

In other city news:

▪ The Gig Harbor Arts Commission awarded $13,830 to six recipients as part of their Creative Endeavors Support Program. They include Peninsula Hands on Art, Gayle Beard Design, Kate Everling, NW Choir Resources/Spectrum Choral Academy, Gig Harbor Film Festival, and Bike Gig Harbor.

▪ Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings has upgraded the City’s water and sewer utility revenue bonds to AA with a “Stable” outlook, according to Mayor Kit Kuhn. The upgrade makes Gig Harbor the highest-rated utility provider in Pierce County. This upgrade was in conjunction with the City’s sale of $8.6 million of refunding bonds, so the city saved nearly $700,000 over the term of the bonds, the mayor said.