Over the next two months, five over-water properties will be demolished to make way for the future extension. Construction on part of the trail will start in 2027.
A recreational path more than a decade in the making is one step closer to becoming a reality along Port Orchard’s waterfront, but not everyone is happy about it.
Right now, the waterfront walking and biking trail in Port Orchard runs 0.75 miles and ends abruptly. The city plans to extend it another 0.6 miles.
Many residents and visitors support the expansion and look forward to seeing the trail extended in the future to allow for more mileage and accessibility.
“People enjoy it,” said Garry Fitzgerald, who comes to the city often from Lakebay. “I see people in wheelchairs and disabled folks that, you know, having this kind of a walk along the shore is really helpful.”
City officials say the project has been in the works for years and recently entered a new phase.
“So currently we are in the phase of demolition,” said Denis Ryan.
The city acquired five over-water homes and properties over the past decade or so and plans to tear them down over the next two months to make way for the extended trail, which will connect the city’s two foot ferry terminals.
“It’s great for commuters, it offers a multi-modal transportation opportunity where people aren’t necessarily using cars, you have the opportunity to walk, bike, jog,” Ryan said.
There will be minor traffic delays in the area of demolition.
Construction to extend the trail to Mitchell Point is expected to begin in the summer of 2027. The timeline for an additional phase connecting to the Annapolis Ferry Terminal remains uncertain.
“There are still some variables we are working through, some design issues, and there is still some right of way we would need to obtain,” Ryan said.
Some people who own businesses near where the trail is planned to go are concerned about the future phases.
“If this goes in the way they designed it, we’re going to lose our business. It’s not going to be able to survive that,” said Robert McGee, one of the owners of the restaurant Whiskey Gulch, which is located right near the Annapolis Ferry Terminal.
McGee said the trail is expected to go right in front of his restaurant, which he said will be problematic.
“A lot of people will look and say, well, they’re just losing a little bit of parking. Well, that may be true, but that impacts everything else. You know, you can’t get delivery trucks in here anymore, there’s no center lane for a truck to park, and they can’t get into our side lot. ADA access also becomes an issue,” said McGee.
McGee said he feels the project hasn’t respected property rights. He did say he’s glad the City is removing the over-water houses he said are now in disrepair.
“They bought those houses, and they do need to take care of those,” McGee said.
He said he likes the idea of a waterfront trail, but not the one they have been planning.
“Do I want to see nice things like that? Yes. Do I want to see it to the detriment of what we’re doing here? Well, of course not. So, you know, obviously, we’d rather see it redesigned or stopped,” he said.
When asked about concerns from businesses about the project plans, Ryan said: “We want to be good partners with our businesses and be communicative and we’ll look for opportunities where we can emphasize that.”
The two-month demolition timeline for five over-water properties represents aggressive schedule where crews must dismantle structures built on pilings over Sinclair Inlet, requiring specialized marine demolition techniques and environmental protections preventing contamination.
The decade-plus acquisition period for the five properties suggests prolonged negotiations where Port Orchard purchased homes as owners became willing to sell rather than exercising eminent domain, with the extended timeline reflecting either budget constraints or reluctance to force sales.
The current 0.75-mile trail ending abruptly creates frustrating experience for walkers and cyclists who reach the terminus without connecting to destinations, making the 0.6-mile extension crucial for trail utility beyond recreational loop.
The two foot ferry terminal connection represents the trail’s primary transportation function, enabling pedestrians and cyclists to travel between Annapolis and downtown Port Orchard ferry docks without using Bay Street’s vehicular traffic lanes.
Garry Fitzgerald’s Lakebay origin indicates visitors travel from southern Kitsap Peninsula communities to use Port Orchard’s waterfront trail, with the wheelchair and disabled users observation highlighting accessibility benefits that standard sidewalks cannot provide.
The multi-modal transportation opportunity language frames the trail as commuter infrastructure rather than purely recreational amenity, potentially qualifying for federal transportation grants that recreation-only projects wouldn’t receive.
The minor traffic delays warning during demolition phase suggests Bay Street or connecting roads will experience temporary disruptions as heavy equipment accesses waterfront properties and trucks haul debris, though officials characterize impacts as minimal.
The summer 2027 construction start for the Mitchell Point extension provides three-year timeline from demolition to building, with the gap likely including environmental permitting, final design refinement, and bidding processes required for public works projects.
The uncertain timeline for the Annapolis Ferry Terminal connection phase reveals the project’s piecemeal progression where funding, design challenges, and right-of-way acquisition difficulties prevent comprehensive completion guarantees.
Denis Ryan’s acknowledgment of “variables we are working through, some design issues, and there is still some right of way we would need to obtain” indicates unresolved problems that could delay or alter the Annapolis connection indefinitely.
Robert McGee’s Whiskey Gulch restaurant location near Annapolis Ferry Terminal places his business directly in the trail’s planned path, with waterfront restaurants typically depending on street-front visibility and parking that trail construction would eliminate.
The “we’re going to lose our business” dire prediction reflects small business vulnerability where reduced parking and delivery access can trigger revenue declines that make continued operation financially unviable, forcing closure or relocation.
The parking loss downplaying by trail supporters ignoring the cascading impacts McGee describes demonstrates disconnect between planners prioritizing pedestrian infrastructure and business owners dependent on vehicle access for customers and operations.
The delivery truck access elimination creates operational impossibility where restaurants requiring daily food deliveries cannot function without loading zones, with the center lane absence preventing double-parking that typically accommodates commercial vehicles.
The ADA access concern reveals how trail construction paradoxically could reduce disability accommodation at businesses while improving it along the waterfront, with restaurant entrances potentially becoming non-compliant if parking modifications eliminate accessible spaces.
The property rights complaint suggests McGee believes Port Orchard prioritized government objectives over private business interests, with the project potentially reducing his property value and business viability without compensation unlike the acquired homes receiving purchase payments.
The disrepair acknowledgment for over-water houses demonstrates even trail opponents recognize some project elements serve public interest, with the structures’ removal addressing blight and environmental hazards from deteriorating buildings over sensitive marine waters.
The redesign or stop preference articulates business owners’ position that trail benefits don’t justify their economic harm, with McGee seeking either route modifications preserving business access or project cancellation protecting existing commercial operations.
Denis Ryan’s “good partners with our businesses and be communicative” response provides vague reassurance without specific accommodations, suggesting the city may lack solutions satisfying both trail completion and business preservation objectives.
