Port Orchard, Washington

2 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 10 L ike the immortal words sung by Frank Sinatra, the City of Port Orchard, Washington boasts, “I did it my way.” Faced with enormous growth over the past decade and poised for even more in the coming years, the Seattle suburb has put plans in place to make sure that growth is done in a way that benefits the community. “Not everyone is comfortable with how fast we are growing, but we are,” says Port Orchard Mayor Robert Putaansuu. We have a state law called the Growth Management Act, so we’re required to plan for and accept this growth. The growth is going to happen, so we’re working hard to make it ours. We’ve passed design standards, we’ve passed impact fees, so that growth is paying for growth. We’re getting road improvements, park improvements, and the capital facilities built that we need. The growth is having an impact and it’s important that the growth pay for its impact. That way we can make this development and growth ours and the way we want it, versus just letting it happen organically and not getting the type of growth and the improvements that are necessary that come with it.” Originally incorporated as Town of Sidney in 1890, Port Orchard is a waterfront community with stunning views of the Olympic Mountains. The Kitsap County seat is situated on the Sinclair Inlet on Puget Sound, which allows residents and visitors easy access to the Kitsap Transit Fast Ferry for a 30 minute ride into downtown Seattle. “We have a beautiful waterfront with a fabulous marina,” Putaansuu exclaims. The city’s beauty, proximity to Seattle, and affordability have made it an attractive place for people looking to put down roots in recent years. Port Orchard’s population sat at just over 11,000 in 2010 census and jumped to 15,586 by the time the 2020 report was released. “It’s now up even more just two years later to 16,400,” says Nick Bond, Port Orchard’s Community Development Director. “Over the next two years, I’m expecting Port Orchar Realizing the potential