The Little City by the Sea, renowned for its quaint neighborliness, seems to be on the verge of bursting out of its britches as far as growth is concerned. The downtown corridor has been vastly improved during the past decade but now, Kingston is faced with an identity crisis of sorts as new buildings and large proposals get underway in the heart of its being.

Some will certainly say that the community is just coming into its own. A new high school a nearby golf course boasting houses to the tune of $1 million (give or take $150,000 or so. But let’s face it if you’re looking at $1 million home, is 150,000 large really going to break the bank?) and potential condos and whatnot on the horizon, the “little city” might not be little for much longer.

Kingston, like every other community here in North Kitsap, is facing up to the inevitable: Growth is on its way.

It may be unavoidable but that doesn’t mean it can’t be steered correctly. Residents are doing their best to do just this and in traditional Kingston fashion aren’t shying away when something pops up in discussion that may spark concern. After all, they are neighbors there and like good neighbors, they have the innate ability to talk things out for the good of everyone involved.

Even so, the town on Apple Tree Cove will be getting an influx of new residents as well — it’s part of putting up all those new buildings (someone’s gotta live or run businesses out of them, right?). With this added population will come a host of new issues. Some bad. Some good. We’re hoping for less of the former and more of the latter but are confident that when they arise, Kingstonites will embrace their old ways and figure things out as neighbors. As the “neighborhood” grows this won’t always be easy but if there’s one community in Kitsap has a fairly firm grasp on what it is and what it wants to be, Kingston is most definitely it.