Tag Archives: south kitsap

‘Marijuana Superstore’ approved on Bethel

marijuana.superstore

A “Legal Marijuana Superstore” will become Port Orchard’s fourth recreational pot outlet.

The state Liquor and Cannabis Board approved the retailer Dec. 30. The store is located at 3610 Bethel Road SE.

A representative at Legal Marijuana Superstore said the company was still completing the buildout of its space and expected to open in about a month.

 

Legal Marijuana Superstore joins a cluster of retailers already established along the Bethel Corridor. Greenway Marijuana, Pot Zone (formerly Crockpot) and 420 Spot Shop all operate in the area.

The new store is Kitsap’s tenth legal marijuana retailer, including a tribally-owned store that opened this winter. Another 10 producers and processors are licensed in the county. (Zoom in on the map above to see all the business locations.)

Kitsap saw its first drop in legal marijuana sales in November. The state has yet to release sales figures for December.

Image via Google

Dragonfly Cinema seeking new owners

dragonflyIf you love movies and aren’t hung up on making money, there’s an indie theater in Port Orchard that would like to meet you.

The proprietors of Dragonfly Cinema on Bay Street announced Tuesday they are seeking new owners to keep the two-screen movie house going.

“Despite our love of Port Orchard, our family may need to be a bit more mobile than we’ve been over the past few years due to some recent positive personal events,” reads a Facebook post signed by Gryphon, Sharalyn, Alexander, and Evangeline Shafer.

“So it’s with immense sadness that we announce our intention to vacate ownership of Dragonfly Cinema. That said, obviously we want to see the theater continue to operate under new ownership if possible.”

The Shafers aren’t simply tossing the business on the market. Instead, they’ll be accepting proposals from prospective owners, with the hopes of finding the best possible custodian for the downtown institution.

Proposals will be accepted through December. In an email Wednesday, Gryphon Shafer said he’d already received five submittals.

“The response so far has been better than I expected,” he said. 

The Shafers offered a candid overview of their business in a FAQ accompanying the announcement. How much profit should the new owners expect to make?

“Pretty close to none,” according to the FAQ. “When we took over the cinema four and a half years ago, it was losing a lot of money. We’ve taken it to pretty close to break-even.”

Running the cinema has other rewards, the Shafers said in their announcement:

“We’ve been blessed to work with some top-shelf employees and dedicated volunteers, and we’ve been lucky to serve you, patrons who care about a great movie-going experience. And of course, our popcorn ain’t that bad.”

The Shafers revitalized the shuttered Historic Orchard Theater in 2011 and renamed it the Dragonfly. They’ll continue to operate the theater into early 2016 if no viable proposal is submitted, according to their announcement Tuesday.

You can read the full announcement and FAQ here. Dragonfly Cinema shows free movies during the Festival of Chimes and Lights, scheduled for Dec. 5 this year.

Port Orchard Godfather’s becoming Westside Pizza

Godfather27s_PizzaGodfather’s Pizza in Port Orchard is closing but its space on Mile Hill Drive won’t empty long.

Port Orchard Godfather’s owner Steve westsideRunge plans to retire. A Westside Pizza franchisee is taking over the location.

The pizzeria will shut down Saturday and remain closed for about a month for renovation, said Westside Pizza franchise owner Teresa Mahoney. She plans to remove carpet, install hardwood floors, repaint and hang new signs before reopening.

“Basically just update it,” she said. “Then it’s all about customer service, and who I can please.”

Mahoney said the new shop will offer discounts for military personnel, first responders and teachers. The Enumclaw resident is moving to Port Orchard to run the business.

Port Orchard will be the 28th location for Westside Pizza, a fast-growing West Coast chain. Westside was founded in Colville and has shops on Bainbridge Island and in Bremerton, Kingston and Poulsbo.

Godfather’s has been a popular Port Orchard gathering place since opening in 1982. Runge took over in 1997. He said he’s excited for retirement but sad to close the restaurant.

“It’s always hard to give something up after 18 years,” Runge said. “And we’ve had great customers.”

Godfather’s Pizza, soon to be Westside Pizza, is located at 1700 SE Mile Hill Drive.

Two marijuana grows approved near airport

Not one but two recreational marijuana grows have been approved southwest of Bremerton National Airport.

The state Liquor Control Board issued licenses to companies called Hesperides and R 7 this week. Both are located at 11854 SW Lake Flora Road, off Highway 3.

The addition of Hesperides and R 7 brings the count of licensed marijuana growers in Kitsap to 10. The state has approved a total of 16 recreational marijuana businesses in the county.

Expand the map above or click here to see all the marijuana business locations in Kitsap.

On a related note, Wednesday marked the one-year anniversary of the of the first recreational marijuana sale in Washington. The first bag sold was produced by Nine Point Growth Industries in Bremerton.

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Marijuana grow approved in SK

The state Liquor Control Board approved a license Tuesday for a small recreational marijuana grow off Mile Hill Drive.

The producer, Northern Lights Wholesale Nursery, will be located on Garfield Avenue, south of Manchester.

Northern Lights is licensed as a tier 1 producer, meaning it can grow up to 2,000 square feet of plant canopy.

Northern Lights is the seventh recreational marijuana producer, and eleventh recreational marijuana business licensed in Kitsap County.

Expand the embedded map or click here to see all the locations.

Manchester could be getting a microbrewery

10985869_1574322029508290_7102575816289966737_nTwo entrepreneurs hope to open a microbrewery and restaurant in Manchester by the summer of 2016.

Cody Morgan and Ludomir Wanot are co-founders of the aptly-named Manchester Brewing Co. Morgan, an avid homebrewer, is developing the beer lineup.

11009989_1556834387923721_1983697457931933585_nThe partners have begun applying for the necessary licenses. They’ve also picked a location, a vacant two-story building on Colchester Avenue.

Wanot said codes in Manchester require them to open a restaurant before they begin selling beer. They plan to install the brewery on the ground floor of the building and open the restaurant upstairs.

The duo have an investor lined up for the project and plan to launch a Kickstarter campaign soon.

Wanot said Manchester is a growing hub that seems primed for more business development.

“I think it will be a really nice crowd,” he said. “It’s a great area.”

See the Manchester Brewing Co. page on Facebook for updates.

Kitsap’s brewery scene is buzzing this year. Silver City, Slaughter County and Sound are all in the midst of major expansions. Two breweries are under construction in Bremerton, and another is planned in Silverdale.

Contributed photos.

Port of Bremerton to award $2M road project

SKIA.2.1The Port of Bremerton is poised to award a $1.97 million contract to extend its Cross SKIA Connector Road to Old Clifton Road.

The low bidder for the project WHH Nisqually Federal Services, LLC., a tribally-owned enterprise based in Olympia. The company’s bid came in just under the engineer’s estimate for the work, according to a port staff memo.

The port commission is set to approve the award at its Tuesday meeting. A breakdown of the bid is embedded below.

The port received a $2 million allocation from Puget Sound Regional Council for this phase of the connector road, and budgeted $345,800 of its own cash.

The existing connector road extends south off Highway 3 and runs along the east edge of Bremerton National Airport.

Phase 2.1 will extend the existing connector road by about 3,000 to meet Old Clifton Road (click the inset map to enlarge it). Contractors will also build a roundabout to accomodate future road extensions.

Work is expected to begin in June and be completed within 80 days.

The port considers the connector road critical for encouraging growth in the industrial and aerospace acreage surrounding the airport. You can read its pitch to the Regional Council here (PDF).

The area was previously called South Kitsap Industrial Area (SKIA), but was recently renamed Puget Sound Industrial Center-Bremerton (PSIC-B).

  SKIA Bid Award by Tad Sooter

Harper Pier reopening set for Jan. 16

harper dockA new-and-improved Harper Pier should open to the public by the middle of next month.

A ribbon cutting is set for 10 a.m. Jan. 16. U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer will attend.

Contractors hoped to have the new dock ready by the end of the year. But Port of Bremerton Facilities Maintenance Manager Lamarr Wright said progress has been slowed because a shipment of electrical fixtures hasn’t arrived.

The delivery was held up by the labor disputes disrupting shipping at Puget Sound ports. The same labor disputes forced container ships to anchor off South Kitsap this winter.

So it’s possible the electrical fixtures for Harper Pier were bobbing just offshore…

container shipWright said Harper Pier is still on track to be completed by Jan. 15, within the original projected timeline for the $1.3 million project.

The Friends of Harper Pier page on Facebook is a good place to keep up on Harper news and find lots of cool pictures of the new structure.

(LARRY STEAGALL / KITSAP SUN PHOTOS)

Port Orchard Chamber has a new director too

Matt Murphy PhotoThe Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce announced its new executive director last week.

The chamber selected Matt Murphy, a fourth generation South Kitsap resident with an varied business background.

According to a chamber news release, Murphy wants to make the organization a “resource for local businesses by providing them training and offering other support to help them increase their sales and improve their profits.”

Murphy is a Gonzaga University graduate. After college he moved back to Port Orchard and worked as a real estate agent and opened a bookstore with his wife, Linda. The couple was active in Fathoms O’ Fun and the chamber.

Murphy later served as an area support manager for Mail Boxes Etc.,  a UPS Store franchise manager, and as director of business development for a Native American firm researching and responding to federal agency procurement requests. He most recently worked for Dex Media.

Murphy replaces Christine Daniel, who resigned earlier this year.

The Port Orchard Chamber is one of several transitioning leadership this fall. Chambers in Bremerton and Poulsbo also announced new directors recently.

Port of Bremerton interested in Bay Street property

port orchard

Update: The commission approved signing a right of first refusal agreement on the Nordic property Tuesday. Commissioner Larry Stokes abstained, saying he is personal friends with the owner.

The Port of Bremerton is securing the option to buy a chunk of Port Orchard waterfront.

Port commissioners will vote Tuesday on a right of first refusal agreement with Nordic Properties for about 2.5 acres of upland and tideland adjacent to Yachtfish Marine. Nordic Properties President Roger Jensen has already signed the agreement.

nordicThe contract would give the port the option to buy the land if it finds a prospective tenant in need of a shoreline site. The Bay Street property is zoned industrial.

“It’s just one of the few properties left where you have access to the waterfront there,” port CEO Jim Rothlin said.

The port has good reason to seek commercial space on the shoreline. Its business properties in the freshly-rebranded Puget Sound Industrial Center are landlocked, which limits their usefulness for some maritime companies.

Other shoreline properties owned by the port are largely devoted to marinas, piers and boat ramps.

The combined assessed value of the seven Nordic parcels (outlined in red in the inset image) is about $200,000 according to county documents.

The port commission meeting begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Bremerton National Airport. The agenda packet is posted below: Continue reading →