Strongest support for cityhood came from Ridgetop

"Ironically, Silverdale voted against incorporating Silverdale.A precinct-by-precinct examination of incorporation showed that the heaviest support for cityhood came from the residential, outlying areas. The strongest opposition came from the downtown neighborhoods that border Silverdale Way, according to unofficial results released Thursday.The voting precinct dubbed Silverdale by the Kitsap County Auditor’s Office, which is bordered by Silverdale Way on the east, State Route 3 on the west, Newberry Hill Road on the south and Waaga Way on the north, opposed incorporation by a 168-142 vote. Much of central Silverdale, including the Spinnaker and Santa Fe precincts east of Silverdale Way, followed suit.Neighborhoods in Ridgetop, however, supported incorporation. The Ridgepoint and Ridgetop precincts, heavily residential areas which lie on north Ridgetop Boulevard, voted a combined 357-263 in favor of cityhood.Richard Sheak, one of the leaders of the incorporation campaign, said that’s where city backer lobbied hardest.“That’s where a lot of the doorbelling came from. I’m in 149 (Ridgetop) and that’s where I did a lot of my talking to people,” Sheak said.Meanwhile, the two most heavily populated precincts southwest of downtown – Morken, located primarily west of State 3, and Eagle Creek, which borders Dyes Inlet, voted 372-328 to create a new city.Equally surprising was that the highly anticipated resistence to incorporation in Island Lake didn’t materialize. Although Island Lake residents voiced opposition to cityhood during Boundary Review Board hearings held last summer, the two Island Lake precincts involved in the new city (Hilder and Island Lake) combined to vote 144-124 in favor of cityhood."

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.