Why oppose the rezone?

Here are the facts:

 

  • A rezone is not required for Raydient to profitably develop or sell the land, or for the creation of parks, athletic fields, or recreation facilities.
  • The only reason for the rezone is to allow Raydient to increase the number of homes and to allow commercial development, which will forever change the character of a portion of North Kitsap County designated to stay rural and natural. 
  • There are already more than 1,000 new homes coming to North Kitsap County – enough to double the population of Kingston. North Kitsap County does not need another intensive residential development. Quadrupling the number of homes on Raydient’s Bond Road property will draw population away from the designated growth areas, contributing to sprawl the comprehensive plan is designed to avoid. 
  • The rezone will do nothing to address the need for affordable housing for people already living in Kitsap County.
  • Raydient is asking the community to support the rezone but is promising NOTHING in return.
    • Raydient has stated the rezone is “the first step” and without it there will be no effort to provide land for potential public use.
    • Even if the rezone is granted, there is no guarantee that the land will be available for a sports complex, or at what cost. “Raydient’s goal is to utilize lot clustering which will create large open space. That open space might allow the non-profits to obtain land at little or no cost. We won’t know what is possible until environmental and financial studies are conducted.”*
  • If the rezone is granted and if Raydient decides it is economically feasible to make some undetermined amount land available for the sports complex at some yet-to-be-determined cost, there is no clear plan as to how ownership will be transferred and to whom. 
  • If land is made available for a sport complex, it’s uncertain what the topography and environmental concerns will allow.
  • At this point, there is NO FUNDING for development of sports fields or construction of recreational facilities. 
  • Even if all the obstacles are overcome, it will be at least FIVE YEARS until the first sports field is ready. At that stage, today’s middle schoolers will have graduated high school before the first team walks onto a Bond Road field. This does nothing to address the current needs.
  • NKU has failed to provide a clear picture of what they intend to develop, with ideas ranging from sports field and a possible YMCA to a vast sports, recreation, and performance facility modeled after Centralia – a town of 18,000 on I-5 that boasts outlet malls. 
  • Again, Raydient is promising nothing in return for your support of the rezone and has issued a threat if they don’t get what they want: “the existing trails will be closed permanently, and nearly all public use of the property will cease.”* Further, Raydient has a track record of adversarial relationships, broken promises, and litigation surrounding its developments.

THE ONLY THING CERTAIN ABOUT THE BOND ROAD REZONE IS NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON NORTH KITSAP COUNTY.

What can you do to protect Kitsap County’s future?

  1. Tell your county representatives to say “no” to Raydient.
  2. Encourage a collaborative effort that unites the county to create more youth and family sports and recreation facilities that do not require meeting the demands of an out-of-state land developer.

 

*Source: northkitsapunited.com