Residents, downtown business owners press Port Orchard council to act on late-night noise, racing and parking enforcement

Dozens of Port Orchard residents and downtown business owners used the public-comment period at the June 10 City Council meeting to raise persistent problems in the waterfront and Bay Street area: loud cars that rev and race late into the night, drivers speeding through downtown, and parking enforcement practices that owners say hurt small businesses.

Kevin Fox, representing the nonprofit Communitas (which operates group homes in Port Orchard), said one of the organization27s group homes on Harrison Avenue regularly needs four to six staff vehicles present for 24/7 care and that employees are receiving street parking tickets because they cannot use landlord parking; he asked staff to look for solutions. Downtown business owners said two-hour limits and frequent Saturday ticketing force shop owners to move their cars multiple times a day, interrupting service and driving away customers. "This is aggravating," said Karen Hayek, a downtown business owner who said she was ticketed three times in a single day.

Multiple residents described a pattern of late-night disturbance on Bay Street and adjacent blocks beginning about 10 p.m. and continuing to 2 or 3 a.m., with engine revving, backfiring, loud stereos and occasional fighting. Several speakers linked the behavior to groups that gather on Port property at the waterfront and said police presence has been limited. "We have law-abiding, tax-paying citizens suffering from lack of sleep," said Kelly May, who proposed stepped-up nighttime patrols, updated noise ordinances, speed bumps, cameras and a partnership with car clubs to provide a designated place and time for enthusiasts.

Speakers also said the waterfront is a magnet for mixed activity at night, sometimes involving alcohol and people camping under waterfront structures, and that police responses are limited by property-ownership questions. Council members and the mayor noted that the Port of Bremerton owns much of the waterfront property and that the Port must install certain signage before Port Orchard police can pursue trespass enforcement there; Chief Matt Brown confirmed the department continues to coordinate with the Port. Council asked staff to continue discussions with the Port, to explore signage and trespass options, and to return with enforcement and operational options.

Several residents suggested engineering fixes (speed bumps or radar feedback signs) and stepped-up, targeted enforcement, including unmarked patrols and decibel measurements where practical. Some recommended changes to parking rules to create a business-friendly zone or dedicated parking for employees of group homes who are required by state rules to remain with clients on shift.

Council members acknowledged the long-standing nature of the complaints and that resources and legal limits (property ownership, noise measurement equipment and state vehicle laws) constrain what can be done immediately. Chief Brown and staff said they would continue coordination with the Port and examine options such as trespass signage, targeted patrols, and communication with stakeholders; no ordinance or funding decision was made that evening.