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City staff say Port Orchard cruise permit stalled over safety and WSDOT requirements
Summary
Staff told the committee the annual Port Orchard cruise event is stalled because organizers did not provide a phased-exit plan or meet Washington State Department of Transportation requirements, and city staff cited liability concerns after national incidents involving mixed pedestrian and vehicle movements.
Administrative staff told the Economic Development and Tourism Committee on March 10 that organizers of the Port Orchard cruise have not submitted an acceptable special-event application and that the city cannot approve a road-closure permit without a safety plan that meets Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and city requirements.
Brandy (administrative staff who processes special-event applications) said staff route special-event applications to city departments and outside agencies for review and that the city has been trying for several years to limit situations where vehicles and pedestrians mix on closed streets because of public-safety concerns.
“Once we have been put on notice for 3 years in a row that there is a safety impact, we reached out to our insurance, and... the risk of liability increases significantly,” Brandy told the committee, explaining why staff sought a plan that prevents participants from driving through crowds and that phases exits so vehicles do not leave into pedestrian areas.
Staff said WSDOT, which has jurisdiction over Bay Street (a state highway), now requires a detailed description of how participants will be escorted out through crowds as part of the state-closure review; if WSDOT is not satisfied, it can deny use of the state highway. Staff described a proposed compromise to designate exit areas near a Kitsap Bank drive-through lot and to lower barricades in phases so leaving vehicles depart without entering pedestrian flows, but said event organizers objected to that approach and indicated they would not submit an application under those conditions.
The city’s event administrator said the mayor and police chief would be the decision-makers on any final approval; the event’s president sought a one-on-one meeting with the mayor but the mayor’s next available date was the 19th (no formal meeting outcome was reported during the committee discussion).
Committee members urged the issue be elevated for mayoral and police-review because the cruise is an important community event. Staff reiterated their willingness to negotiate with organizers if the organizers provide a detailed traffic-control plan and phased-exit approach consistent with WSDOT guidance, and said they would not approve a closure that leaves an unmanaged mix of vehicles and pedestrians. No permit decision was recorded at the committee meeting.
