PORT ORCHARD — The City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to move the pedestrian pathway forward by approving supplemental funding and re-engagement with Tierra Right of Way Services, Ltd., to complete right-of-way acquisitions for the Bay Street Pedestrian Path.

The next stage of the multi-stage project, to acquire over-water properties and near-water rights of way running along Sinclair Inlet and Beach Drive, has been a point of contention for a number of residents and business owners who say the pathway project will adversely affect them.

The multi-model pathway is designed for pedestrians and cyclists and will run from the Kitsap Transit Center in downtown Port Orchard to the transit center at Annapolis Pier when completed. City officials said the improvement project “will give the public new access to the shoreline, open a link to Annapolis to benefit local businesses, and improve the aquatic environment through its sensitive design.”

The City Council, which approved a contract to ensure property owners receive fair compensation, will move the project to final design and construction following the acquisitions sometime in 2023.