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Here’s a Turn-Key Building lot in East Port Orchard, near downtown, shopping and commuting routes:
 | Active $68,450 Port Orchard, WA South Kitsap | Lot Size: 0.47 | MLS #: 512792 (NWMLS) |
The area was originally platted in 1886 as Sidney, but the city was re-christened Port Orchard in 1892 and until only a decade ago, had only grew to around 8,500. Then, a new city boundary adjustment made that number grow by 25 percent as Port Orchard annexed the McCormick Woods community and its 2,000 residents. But Mayor Copolla recently stated “Over the next few years, Port Orchard will become a much bigger city,” and “In addition to McCormick Woods, we’re looking over a dozen annexation petitions. Once they are in process, this will change the city dramatically.” The city intends to annex the entire urban growth area — a move that would create the county’s largest city in terms of both area and population. The challenge is to do so without losing the character and charm for which South Kitsap is known for. Just across Sinclair Inlet from Bremerton, Port Orchard can be reached by driving south through Gorst along State Route 16. Or by taking the foot ferry, which has regularly scheduled runs at half-hour intervals from the Bremerton ferry dock, the 15-minute trip to the Port Orchard Marina allows you to travel back 100 years to a time when cars were scarce and bridges nonexistent. In those days, the only way to transit Puget Sound was aboard the privately owned and operated ferries known as the Mosquito Fleet, and the Carlisle II, which still carries passengers today, is one of the last remaining Mosquito boats. As much a floating museum as a mode of transportation, the Carlisle II offers you a close-up view of the aircraft carriers and other naval vessels docked at Naval Station Bremerton along the way. Once there, you’ll want to stroll though the quaint boutiques and antique shops in Port Orchard’s historic downtown business district. Nationally syndicated radio host Delilah Rene, whose show is heard nightly by millions of listeners throughout the country, makes Port Orchard her home and owns three businesses along Bay Street, including a restaurant, a clothing shop and an events center. Rene personally organized, supervised and largely underwrote a weekend-long Paint the Town celebration just last summer during which virtually every downtown structure was given a fresh coat of paint. Not surprisingly, the downtown waterfront area is the focal point for much of what defines Port Orchard. Starting in May, Waterfront Park features live weekly outdoor concerts. Later in the month, it’s the site of the city’s delightfully quirky “Seagull Calling Contest,” which awards prizes to those best able to attract the attention of the Gulls. Prizes are also awarded for costumes and hundreds of visitors attend each year. In late June and early July, Fathoms o’Fun Festival swings into action complete with a carnival, a parade, horseshoe pitching tournament and even a frog jumping contest. The Festival concludes with the region’s most spectacular fireworks display on the Fourth of July. Later in the summer, downtown Port Orchard hosts The Cruz car show, one of the largest and best-attended shows of vintage automobiles in the Puget Sound region.
Just up Beach Drive, just past Annapolis — whose own foot-ferry dock is scheduled for a major upgrade this year — you’ll encounter Retsil, home of the Washington State Veteran’s Home, with its panoramic views of Sinclair Inlet and the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton. Next you’ll pass the community of Manchester, whose waterfront homes enjoy a stunning territorial view of the Seattle skyline. And every summer Manchester hosts its annual Salmon Bake fundraiser for the local library. Further along, you’ll cruise into Southworth, the tiny community built around its own Washington State Ferries dock, which connects with Vashon and West Seattle. Thousands of passengers each day commute to jobs in the city; in turn, the Southworth terminal serves as the gateway to the Kitsap peninsula for an equal number of Seattle visitors. At the southeastern edge of Kitsap County, is Olalla, a rural community who value their privacy — except for two occasions a year. In August, thousands of music buffs descend to spend a sunny afternoon at the Olalla Bluegrass Festival. In January thousands more return to Olalla to ring in the New Year by taking the traditional Polar Bear Plunge into the icy waters of Olalla Bay.
In addition to being Kitsap County’s fastest-growing city, Port Orchard has been the seat of county government since 1882. Overseen by three commissioners — one each from south, central and north Kitsap — the county seat in Port Orchard includes the Sheriff’s Office, the county jail and courts system, and a host of administrative offices headquartered in the historic Kitsap County Courthouse and the adjacent annex building just completed three years ago.
