I apologize for the confusion created by an inaccurate statement in the story on a proposed public park at McCormick Woods (the online version of which has been corrected): “The city also will assume responsibility for an existing 1-acre park within McCormick Woods, a trail head and a partially built trail system that connects to the county-owned Coulter Creek Heritage Park.”
This is inaccurate on several counts.
1. The City of Port Orchard will not as a result of the pending inter-local agreement between itself and Kitsap County have any responsibility for parks, other than the 63.5-acre McCormick Village Park, either within McCormick Woods residential area or The Ridge at McCormick Woods.
2. The park, trailhead and partly developed trails I mentioned in the original story are in The Ridge (also known as McCormick North) and belong to The Ridge’s homeowners’ association, not the McCormick Woods homeowner’s association.The trails connect The Ridge with the proposed McCormick Village Park.
3. The agreement between the city and the county simply states that if, in the future, the Ridge homeowner’s association wants to enter into negotiations with a local government entity on a potential sale of its park, trailhead and trails, or an agreement about upkeep or development of same, that government entity will not be Kitsap County but the City of Port Orchard.
4. The Ridge is McCormick North, which is partly built out. McCormick West is yet to be built.
5. Finally, to reiterate, the McCormick Village Park will be open to the public.
For more information on the McCormick Woods annexation, the McCormick Village Park and the City of Port Orchard parks survey (for all city residents) visit the city’s Web site.
