Kitsap County has provided three alternatives related to land use and zoning to be included in the Comprehensive Plan Update. Working groups of KEC members have been discussing the alternatives. Here are suggestions that they are providing for your consideration. We urge you to submit written comments (send to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and speak at the public hearing on April 10 @ 5:30 pm before the Board of County Commissioners. Check website for meeting details.  Feel free to draw on these ideas as you see fit.

In September 2022, when land-owners were submitting requests for rezoning, KEC submitted a request to rethink the County’s mission and vision. As we look at the three alternatives, we realize again the importance of the mission and vision. For example, in our suggestions for changes in mission and vision, we called for an orientation that promote a locally-based economy that provides:

• • a living wage and quality of life for all;
  • the ability to live and work in one’s community;
  • protection, security, and fair treatment for all;
  • protection and rejuvenation for our ecosystems in the midst of climate change;
  • well-being for current and future generations of Kitsap inhabitants, human and wild-life.

Alternative 2 is congruent with this vision while the other alternatives are questionable.

Overall, we place quality of life for all as our priority. And a true priority requires that financial viability is aligned with it.

Thus, here are our suggestions about the alternatives for your consideration.

1. Use Alternative 2 as the basic alternative as you move toward a Preferred (Composite) Alternative. We support concentrating on the UGAs and not dispersing growth.
2. Wait until after the Comp Plan Update is finished to look at rural land use, zoning, and codes as a whole with attention to ensuring protection of the natural environment and support environmentally responsible farming and timber harvesting practice.
   This means putting all requests for changes in the rural zones or LAMIRDs on hold until there is concerted attention to the rural areas following the completion of the Comp Plan Update. As examples:
   • Do not allow the zoning changes requested by the owners of 400 (approx.) acres near PGFHP to change from 1 dwelling/20 acres to 1 dwelling/5 acres.
   • Do not allow zoning changes for the LAMIRD request near Bond Rd in North Kitsap.
3. Support transit as well as housing options that promote Alternative 2. Invest in nonmotorized transportation that connects communities. If any shared use paths are allowed, ensure that they support affordable living and protect our ecosystems in the midst of climate change and new scientific knowledge about ecosystems.
4. Provide county residents with information about the costs to the County (and thus its taxpayers) of chosen elements of the preferred alternate including costs of maintenance and operations.
5. Ensure that goals can actually be carried out and will be adequately monitored to determine whether the shift from current practices are actually happening.

We have many other points to make about each chapter of the Comp Plan as the staff brings forth drafts. We will address those later. We have suggestions that range from roof top and parking area solar to recognizing that nonmotorized transportation could include communication modes such as broadband. We’re calling for creative thinking and action that supports the funding of quality of life for all.

Click here for the changes we requested in September 2022 to create a new vision and mission for the County. If you are part of a Community Advisory Council, we encourage you to talk with your community group about using such changes in Mission and Vision in your sub-area planning.

A Comprehensive Plan (plan) is a 20-year blueprint for local policy, planning and capital facility investment. This plan is used as a guide for local governments through the establishment of vision statements, goals, objectives, policies, and implementing actions. This framework is intended to guide the day-to-day decisions of elected officials and local government staff.

The Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA), 36.70A Revised Code of Washington (RCW) requires Kitsap County to enact a comprehensive plan for unincorporated Kitsap County. The GMA requires the Comprehensive Plan to include mandatory elements while other optional elements may be included based on local circumstances. The cities located within Kitsap County such as Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo, Bremerton and Port Orchard also develop their own comprehensive plans for their incorporated municipalities.  These local comprehensive plans are guided by GMA, applicable multi-county planning policies established by the Regional Planning for a Sustainable Future | Puget Sound Regional Council (psrc.org), and countywide planning policies such as those developed by the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council - Land Use Planning (KRCC).  

Kitsap County adopted its first GMA compliant comprehensive plan in February 1999.

Efficient transportation is one part of the Kitsap County Comprehensive Plan Update and one of the keys to sensible and sustainable growth over the next 20 years. Transportation is all about how people connect with one another, between home, work, school, parks, neighbors and more. The transportation plan is tied to land use which in turn will affect reclassifications or zoning changes and the balance between Urban Growth Areas (UGAs) and rural areas.  Transportation planning affects the other goals in the Comprehensive Plan Update including housing/human services, economic development, parks and recreation access as well as the new climate change goal. The three county commissioners approve the final transportation choices for the Comprehensive Plan Update that is due to the state at the end of 2024. Below are issues to consider as North Kitsap’s population grows to help you understand their impacts and allow you to communicate what your priorities are to the county commissioners.

Climate Change: This year a new climate change goal is added to the Comprehensive Plan Update. County transportation plans need to consider how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with an emphasis on efficiently moving people (not necessarily personal vehicles) by increasing bus service and the ability to safely use non-motorized transportation, such as walking or riding bicycles, through existing transit corridors rather than creating new ones. 

County versus State Roadways: North Kitsap will rely heavily on several state highways including 3, 305, 307 (Bond Road) and 104. These roadways serve us as well as connect the Olympic Peninsula to the rest of the state. Kitsap County staff will coordinate transportation planning and design with several agencies including Washington State Department Of Transportation (WSDOT), Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC), and Peninsula Regional Transportation Planning Organization (PRTPO) for unincorporated Kitsap County. State roadways will first need funding approval by our state legislatures and coordination with WSDOT. One such project is moving inbound ferry lanes in the Port of Kingston and installing an overflow car ferry ticket system..

Public Transportation and Growth: Currently Kingston has two weekday bus routes which serve people commuting on the ferries. Route 302 serves Suquamish, Indianola and West Kingston Road to the Port of Kingston. Route 307 runs from the Poulsbo North Viking Transit Center, along SR 307, and SR 104 to the Port. There is no bus service for the 741 home Arborwood development and the 254 home Port Gamble development. Studies have found that adding more lanes will not decrease traffic flow, more lanes just encourage people to use cars versus public transport and do not ultimately improve traffic flow. Conversely, when faced with roadway bottlenecks, people find other ways to travel including buses/trains and bikes to improve commutes. Unfortunately many parts of county and state roads including Kingston Road, SR 307 and SR 104 are not safe for cycling or walking which will be noticeable once major housing developments reach significant buildout by 2026. Neither the current WSDOT or Kitsap County transportation budgets have improvements for safe non-motorized travel along these major county and state roads through North Kitsap County.

Given the complexity of the many transportation issues, what are your priorities for North Kitsap County? What balance among public transit, non-motorized transportation, and private vehicles do you want to see? For example, rezoning rural land for greater housing and commercial density creates sprawl outside the defined urban growth area. No road improvement plans, and lack of county or state funding makes commuting to jobs, schools, shopping and recreation more difficult and even dangerous. What planning is needed so the rural environment we enjoy is maintained for a healthy and safe lifestyle for both current North Kitsap residents and the inevitable population growth? The opportunity to plan unincorporated Kitsap County’s future is happening now. Make your ideas known to the county by sending your comments to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Resources

WSDOT

SR 104/307 to Ferry Study

SR 3 Corridor Study

Kitsap County Transportation Improvement Plan 2023-2028

Arborwood Development Presentation to the Kingston Community Advisory Council 

Port Gamble Development Master Plan

Kitsap Transit Bus Routes 

Kitsap County's Comprehensive Plan includes a 20-year blueprint for local policies, planning and capital facility investment and it is required by Washington State's Growth Management Act (GMA) to be updated periodically. The last major revision was done in 2016. 
A process is now underway to update the Comp Plan, with input from the public, by December of 2024. 

Commenting on the Comp Plan is A MAJOR WAY TO GIVE INPUT TO THE COUNTY DECISION MAKERS ABOUT THE PROPOSED REZONE. See notes on the 8/28/23 Commissioners Meeting (below) for more specifics. 

The CompPlan Revision now underway is an opportunity to revise population and employment growth targets with the most up to date data; review existing goals, policies, and regulations; write new policies that reflect the priorities of communities in unincorporated Kitsap County; and confirm that all federal, state, and local requirements are met.   

Source:  The core 2024 Kitsap County Comprehensive Plan page is at https://www.kitsapgov.com/dcd/Pages/ComprehensivePlanUpdate_2024.aspx
        --- Sign up there for Updates from the County and see Links to Meetings on the Comp Plan
        --- E-mail to get more info, attend meetings by Zoom or in person, and sign up for notifications:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

__________________________________________

8/28/23 County Commissioners' Meeting - (reported by Beth Nichols/ from Stop Rezone Facebook page) 

Updates on the Comp Plan alternatives being considered & why/how to give your input:

To recap:  The Raydient Rezone request is part of the Comprehensive Plan process. The County is looking at 3 alternatives that distribute growth differently based upon Growth Management Act, regional plan goals, Commerce guidance, growth targets, requests for reclassification of properties and local circumstances.

The three alternatives being considred are generally described as: 1. No Action 2. Focused Growth/Urban Center Focus 3. Dispersed Growth.

   Within these three alternatives, applications for rezoning will be considered, which have been submitted from throughout the county.
    The 400 acre Bond Road Raydient property is one of these requested re-zones.  Raydient Corporation is requesting change of zoning from 1 house per 20 acres (Rural Wooded) to 1 house per 5 acres (Rural Residential)

*** TWO ACTIONS RECOMMENDED TO TAKE ***:

1. Write in about the Comprehensive Plan to Kitsap County Dept of Community Development.  [see email & suggestions below]

2. Attend a Kitsap Board of Commissioners meeting on Zoom and give your opinion during the public comment period.  Meetings are Monday at 5:30 - every 2 weeks.  The next meeting is Monday Sept 11 at 5:30 pm.

(You can also write to the Commissioners directly by email or postal mail, good to write to all three: Christine Rolfes, Charlotte Garido, and Katie Walters. See Get involved section for contacts for all of them )

Eric Baker from the Department of Community Development (DCD) said that people who want to have input about rezoning should *** comment on the Comprehensive Plan.  The email for Comprehensive Plan comments is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
*** In addition, you can make a specific comment about the zoning change request for the 400 acres owned by Raydient

ALSO attend the monthly Commissioners' meeting by Zoom & share your comments:  "It would also be good to attend the monthly Board of Commissioners meeting and make your opinion known about this development. Can attend the meeting by Zoom and make a 2 minute comment on general issues. It's pretty easy!"

___________________________________

Learn More & give your input: