Kitsap Transit is attempting to take control of the pier to moor the Southworth Fast Ferries and create a light maintenance facility without public input or meaningful effort to look for other options.

In May 2021, mentions were made at a Kitsap Transit Board Meeting of interest in purchasing Harper Pier. When the public asked about this, KT denied there was even a plan. Soon the project to purchase was acknowledged as just a preliminary idea. By July, $7M had been added to capital budgets, and on September 7th, the KT board approved a $37K proposal for a consultant to conduct a feasibility study but ONLY studying Harper Pier.

This is a serious proposal that Kitsap Transit is budgeting and spending significant dollars on. This is a real threat to the overwater recreational activities in South Kitsap.

The feasibility study does not include any public input. It also doesn’t consider the feasibility of the obvious option of locating moorage at Southworth, where the ferry operates.

Kitsap Transit has not been transparent about why they are proposing this purchase and move to Harper. Maybe KT would like to reduce costs by moving the moorage and light maintenance from Port Orchard to a location close to the operation of the ferry service. Rumors stated that Kitsap Transit is limited to how many trips their ferries are allowed thru Rich Passage, this is not true.

Kitsap Transit’s proposed change of operating plans doesn’t mean they can take control of and reconfigure the community’s recreational pier. Kitsap Transit needs to do the due diligence and feasibility for all options, which would include Southworth. The original Southworth Fast Ferry plans, approved by voters, included an additional dock at Southworth for passenger-only ferries (POF). Kitsap Transit has not answered the question of why they are not investigating Southworth first, and they have been asked MANY times.

We won’t have the pier just taken from us or sold to the highest bidder.