Manchester | Small-town life with a view

Like so many small communities in Kitsap County, Manchester is feeling the hot breath of growth on its neck.

Just across the Sound — that sparkling stretch of water that blesses the community with spectacular views — lies a city teeming with well-heeled dwellers looking for escape.

They have money and they want out. Out of the noise, out of the traffic, out of the pace that is life in Seattle. And as they cast their eyes back across the water, more than a few of them will let their gaze rest on the green and lightly-housed hills, the unspoiled waterfronts and unclogged streets of South Kitsap and see in them the refuge they're seeking.

Developers know this. Real-estate agents know this, too. As if to a clarion call, they are mobilizing forces all across the county to fill this need. The little community of Manchester — tucked away, nestled into the hills and coastline just east of Port Orchard, as small as it is — has not been lost on them.

For one thing, there are the views. Invariably, this will be the first mentioned of Manchester's charms, followed by that often sadly ironic Second Favorite Charm of small communities, which is that they're small. And which, anymore, seems to mean that more and more people are now hungry to live there.

So far, the choices in Manchester are limited. Less than 100 houses are on the market at the moment and the community itself covers only a few square miles.

But luxury condos are already going up, filling a prime spot by the waterfront where the community's down-home grocery store recently stood.

The condos, called "Anchors at Manchester" will include nine single-level residences and two multistory town homes, ranging in size from 1,300 square feet to more than 2,500 square feet, priced in the $575,000-to-$1.5 million range.

Waiting in the wings, at least two more condo developments are hoping for approval.

A wider range of prices are found in Manchester's houses. At the lower end, it's still possible to find a three-bedroom home in the $225,000-to-$300,000 range.

This will typically sit on quarter-acre lot without any of Manchester's classic views. For a bigger lot and better look at the water, homebuyers can expect to pay $400,000 to $600,000 and to get truly close — or to have a stunning hilltop view — can cost $1 million or more.

Longtime residents have a mixed reaction to the coming changes.

John Winslow sees positive effects for the community. He was in a core group of residents who became involved in the Manchester Community Plan, drawn up in 2002 to "steer development in a direction that would maintain the community character of Manchester."

Winslow, whose family has visited the area since 1925, combines sentiment with practicality. "We just love Manchester," he says, but also notes that "a few well-planned projects are in order."

Bob Parks, on the other hand — 80 years old and a four-decade-long resident — is vexed and minces no words.

"It's getting too crowded!" he says. "When I moved here in 1968, you could shoot a rifle in the street. Now you can't go outside and burp without everybody knowing about it."

Caught somewhere between hope and trepidation, Debby Trudeau expects that within five years, Port Orchard "will be knocking on this door" and that Manchester may be incorporated into the larger city.

Even though she says that the potential growth scares her to death, Trudeau admits there could be an upside, such as greater police and fire-protection services.

In any case, says Trudeau, after staying in her home through a marriage, divorce, remarriage, six children and a mudslide that destroyed the backyard, she's not moving.

It all comes back to the spectacular view. In her eyes, it seems, there's no view like the view found right there at home.

And that in itself is enough reason to stay.