October 2020 Newsletter - 10/01/2020October 2020
City of Port Orchard Project Update
While COVID-19 has kept our offices closed to the public, the City of Port Orchard staff have
continued to move forward with community improvement projects without missing a beat.
Budgets have remained stable during the pandemic – a pleasant surprise – thanks to our
citizens rallying together to spend locally to support our local business community. The future
continues to look bright for Port Orchard. Each of the following infrastructure and planning
projects will ensure that the City is in the best position to accommodate the current and future
needs of our residents.
Ruby Creek Neighborhood Subarea Plan
In September, the City Council
approved a comprehensive Ruby
Creek Neighborhood Subarea Plan
that addresses zoning for
commercial and residential growth
near Sedgewick Road and Sidney
Road SW. The zone is proposed to
be a thriving and attractive
walkable neighborhood with easy
access to goods and services, a
variety of housing types, and
convenient access to employment
via Kitsap Transit and its proximity to SR-16 and SR-160. Residents will be able to walk and
bicycle to the neighborhood grocery store, restaurants, and businesses providing other goods
and services, as well as to Sidney Glen Elementary School and Cedar Heights Middle School.
The Ruby Creek Subarea Plan includes the current and proposed status of the Ruby Creek
neighborhood, the proposed zoning and regulatory requirements for the subarea plan, and
designs illustrating how a built-out Ruby Creek Neighborhood Center would look and function.
The Ruby Creek central business district will consist of walkable shopfronts along Sidney Ave
SW. Natural environmental features and park and recreation amenities along Ruby Creek and
Blackjack Creek, along with this central business district, will form the heart of the
neighborhood. At buildout, it is estimated that the neighborhood will contain approximately
1,800 residents and 652 jobs, exceeding the minimum residential and employment thresholds
set by the PSRC for a countywide center.
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October 2020
Ruby Creek Neighborhood, continued:
The subarea plan encompasses 166.45 acres in land area and identifies investments that are
needed in support of the development of the neighborhood including:
• Reconstruction of Sidney Road SW as a complete street with sidewalks, bicycle lane,
landscaping, on-street parking, and center landscaped medians.
• Improvements to Sedgwick Road between Sidney Road SW and SR-16 to improve traffic
flow, especially in the vicinity of Lowes.
• The construction of a future park with an extensive trail network near the confluence of
Ruby Creek and Blackjack Creek.
South Kitsap Community Events Center
Community input is
invaluable during the
current design phase of the
South Kitsap Community
Events Center. Our town
has been in need of a
central gathering place for
decades through a venue
that will provide a
multitude of functions and
uses that would serve the public and business needs of our community. Last year the project
was met with overwhelming public and private support and allotted up to $12,000,000 in
funding from the Kitsap Public Facilities District to help make the vision of a revitalized
downtown, a new space for the Kitsap Regional Library, and a multi-purpose gathering space a
reality.
Rice Fergus Miller (RFM) Architecture in Bremerton is leading the design phase and we’re
currently seeking input from the community through a survey, available through October 16, to
guide the process. We want to know what your vision is for the facility and surrounding grounds
from education to recreation. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey and learn more
about the SKCEC.
McCormick Woods Lift Station #2 & 580 Reservoir
Residential and commercial growth on the west side of Port Orchard is happening as we speak.
The City is nearing completion of a sewage pump station near the corner of McCormick Woods
Drive and Old Clifton Road and a water reservoir off of Feigley and Old Clifton. Page 2 of 4
October 2020
McCormick Woods Lift Station #2 & 580 Reservoir, continued.
The McCormick Woods #2 Lift station will connect
current and new developments to the Port Orchard
waste treatment plant in Annapolis. The new 1
million gallon 580 Reservoir will give the community
water independence from Bremerton and a pressure
source exclusive to our community. Both are
anticipated to be completed by early next year or
sooner.
Etta Turner Park
The City in collaboration with the Rotary Club of
South Kitsap is in the process of adding lighting
to Etta Turner park on the waterfront where
Blackjack Creek meets Sinclair Inlet. The Rotary
Club contributed $15,000 to help cover costs.
In addition, the club is contributing three
memorial benches to improve the area. Etta
Turner Park that will serve as a gathering place
along the Bay Street pedestrian pathway that
will span the waterfront from the Port Orchard marina to the Annapolis Pier.
Bethel Corridor
As part of the City’s efforts to implement the Bethel and Sedgwick Corridor plan, the City has
agreed to purchase several properties from Kitsap County that are needed for road widening
and stormwater management. This acquisition is a further step in support of an eventual
improvement to this corridor. The City is currently aiming to resume engineering and design
work on this project. These designs will enable the City to compete for State and Federal grants
to fund this project in a phased approach. The properties being purchased were originally
acquired by Kitsap County prior to the City’s annexation of this corridor.
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October 2020
3rd Quarter
Bethel Corridor, continued.
A roundabout at the corner of Bay Street and
Bethel has been approved by WSDOT after a
public comment period and should begin
construction in 2021. Roundabouts are
proven to be 75% safer and more efficient
than stop lights. The landscaped roundabout
will be a gateway between downtown and
Annapolis benefitting the City’s entire
waterfront.
Bay Street Pedestrian (Multi-Modal) Pathway
Now, 15 years in the making, the Bay Street Pedestrian (Multi-Modal) Pathway project along the
waterfront from the Kitsap Transit center in downtown Port Orchard to the Annapolis Pier is
back in play as the City has completed a nearly year-long environmental certification update
process. The project will give the public access to the waterfront in many places for the first
time. The City has re-entered the right-of-way acquisition phase where the City intends to
purchase over-water homes and right-of-way from near-water properties adjacent to the
mile-long stretch and make way for the
14-foot-wide pathway.
Citing the historical positive impact that
pathways have in benefiting retail
businesses, property values and
neighborhood revitalization, the City is
confident that that pathway will promote a
future of healthy, active lifestyles and be a
significant draw for future residents and
visitors.
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