Residents started a petition in support of the Olalla Bay Market and Landing after the market’s owner, Gregg Olsen, filed a $35 million tort claim against Kitsap County earlier this month.
The online petition had 1,036 signatures as of Friday afternoon, more than double the original goal of 500, according to petition creator Huguette Marsicano. 700 signed in the first 24 hours after the petition was launched Aug. 7, she said.
Real estate websites say Olalla has a population of about 7,000. Census Reporter data says 4,889 people live in Olalla’s only zip code, 98359.
“We respectfully urge Kitsap County Board of Commissioners, community leaders, and fellow residents to acknowledge and support Olalla Bay Market in any way possible, ensuring its continued operation and success for years to come,” Marsicano’s petition says. “By signing this petition, we affirm our commitment to supporting Olalla Bay Market and ensuring it remains a thriving and cherished part of our community.”
Kitsap County spokesperson Krista Carlson sent a statement to The News Tribune via email when asked for a comment on the petition.
“The Kitsap Board of Commissioners is committed to inclusive and respectful community dialogue,” the statement said. “Diverse perspectives are valued in our ongoing efforts to serve our community. The County has received a tort claim relative to the Olalla Bay Market and will not be commenting publicly on damage claims or pending litigation.”
Complaints against the Olalla Bay Market
The claim Olsen filed against the county Aug. 2 centers on a barrage of complaints made to the county about the market at 13965 Crescent Valley Road SE. Olsen and his family bought the property in February 2021, according to a copy of the claim shared with The News Tribune. The claim alleges that a public works employee for the county and his spouse who live near the market have submitted hundreds of false complaints about the business.
It also alleges the county was negligent by failing to properly investigate the employee’s behavior and instead taking action on the complaints, which included noise levels from their open-mic nights, parking issues and a planter garden the couple argued blocked access to their driveway, among other things. That led county officials to order the market to stop hosting live music performances, to demolish the planter, and to briefly prohibit them from serving food, the claim said.
The complaints and the county’s actions have damaged the business and its reputation in the community, Olsen’s claim alleges.
‘We’re not trying to attack anyone.’
Marsicano runs the website I Love Olalla , which has information about local businesses and events and is meant to give visitors and community members a guide to the area, she said.
Marsicano said she and other supporters want to show Kitsap County and the commissioners the role that the market fills in the community.
Residents have neighbors that they don’t see on a regular basis outside of places like the market, she said.
“It’s very important that we have places like that where we can gather,” Marsicano said.
Anne Bremner, the lawyer representing Gregg Olsen in his claim, said she’s seen a broad show of support for the market and Olsen across the county and on social media. The market is a central gathering place for the small community, and she’s heartened by the petition, she said.
“That is where people gather, that’s where people love to relax and that’s where people are employed,” she told The News Tribune Friday. The petition says that over 20 local residents, ages 14 to 80, work at the market.
As for what’s next, Marsicano said she and other residents plan to attend the next county commissioners’ meeting and publicly express support for the market. A handful of people have cast a negative light on the market to the point of a “gross misrepresentation,” and they want to present another voice to the county, she said.
“We’re not trying to attack anyone, we just want our voices to be heard,” Marsicano said.
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