Stop Bond ReZone News Blog

 Please plan to come to The Kingston Community Advisory Council ( KCAC) meeting 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesday, November 8 in person at the Village Green Community Center, 26159 Dulay Road NE, with a virtual option via Zoom.

There will be a presentation by Kingston-North Kitsap Rotary on the club's proposed North Kitsap sports and recreation complex to the KCAC members and the public. 

(Be aware that KCAC are not decision makers for this project) 

 Kitsap County Notice of Event

 There are opportunities for public comment. Showing up and making your questions and concerns known will make an impact. It’s important to have comments well thought out, focusing on facts. Remember there will be a time limit of 2 minutes for public comments. 

Look through this Stop Bond Rezone website for talking points ! 

Overview of the Comprehensive Plan Update for the Kitsap Community News by Beverly Parsons.  October 12,2023

Get Involved in Kitsap County’s Comprehensive Plan Update 

Kitsap County is currently updating its Comprehensive Plan—a blueprint for local policies, planning, and capital facility investment with long-term implications for Kitsap residents’ quality of life, and the County’s environmental health. This is an opportunity to revise population and employment growth targets with the most up to date data; review existing goals, policies, and regulations; and write new policies based on community priorities. It’s important that you make your views known to the Board of County Commissioners, county advisory groups, and county staff involved in this planning process at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

The overarching decision within the Comprehensive Plan Update is about land use. The county uses three alternatives about land use as the organizing framework for then conducting an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). 

Because North Kitsap has considerable land classified as rural, the choices among the alternatives are especially important to the North End. The three alternatives distribute growth differently based on regional plan goals, growth targets, requests for reclassification (rezoning) of properties and local circumstances. 

Kitsap County’s three alternatives can generally be described as: 

Alternative 1—No Action: In this alternative, no changes are proposed in maps, policies, and regulations. This alternative accommodates the least growth in population, housing, and employment. This alternative continues current land use, urban growth area sizes and configurations, zoning and development regulations. Generally, it does not accommodate future population and employment growth or document its environmental impacts or capital facility needs. Since this alternative does not meet the requirements established for the county by the state and regional entities, it is used here as a baseline for looking at change rather than thinking of it as a viable alternative.

Alternative 2—Focused Growth/Urban Center Focus: Population, housing and employment growth is focused in existing urban areas such as Silverdale and Kingston with policies to incentivize more diverse housing types such as townhomes, multi-family and cottage housing. Rural uses remain the same as current and policies are developed to set greenhouse gas emission targets and provide greater tree canopy in urban areas. This alternative accommodates the most population growth focused within existing UGA boundaries to meet housing targets.

Alternative 3—Dispersed Growth: This alternative distributes growth similar to historic trends. It is single-family centric with limited multi-family opportunities or incentives. Urban areas are expanded to accommodate growth and some additional rural development is allowed for housing and jobs. The population is spread in a larger geography than the other alternatives but overall includes less population, housing and employment growth than Alternative 2. It would include most reclassification (rezoning) requests except those that are GMA-non-compliant (e.g., urban zones in rural areas). This alternative includes no new incentives or regulatory revisions for urban center development. 

There are two ways to communicate your views are: 

• Written comments:  Clearly identify the property/area or policy you are referring to and make specific comments about why you do or do not support a proposed change or are suggesting a change that is not currently in one of the alternatives.
• Public oral comments: Attend meetings of the Board of County Commissioners or the county’s many advisory groups (in-person or via Zoom). To find advisory groups, go to www.kitsapgov.com. Scroll down and click on County Advisory Groups to see which groups seem relevant to your interests and concerns.

The Board of County Commissioners will make a decision (likely in April 2024) about what is called the “Preferred Alternative.” The preferred alternative can draw from all three of the alternatives initially proposed. This is why it is so important for you to comment and let them know which features of these plans you prefer. 

While the commissioners are expected to act in accord with the state Growth Management Act (GMA), there is considerable room for them to make decisions about the reclassifications (rezoning) that have been requested by landowners. If you support or are opposed to certain rezoning requests, please make your voice heard at any time through written or oral comments at meetings. Additionally, a public hearing will likely be held by the Board of County Commissioners in early 2024. 

Keep your eyes open for a series of monthly articles published here with topics that include sustainable growth, fish and wildlife habitat/biodiversity, water, wetlands, critical aquifer recharge areas, and transportation. The articles are intended to help you contribute to the Comprehensive Plan Update and related planning efforts currently underway such as the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS plan) and the updating of the Critical Areas Ordinance.

PDF copy for download

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The City of Poulsbo is officially opposing the rezoning of the Stottlemeyer/Bond road property by Raydient. The rezoning would allow for clustered housing and commercial development right below the Port Gamble Heritage Forest. They join both the Suquamish and Port Gamble S’Klallam tribes and many non profits in the opposition to this project.

Department of Community Development
Planning and Environmental Programs
614 Division St. MS-36
Port Orchard, WA 98366
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Subject: EIS Alternative, City of Poulsbo Opposition to Alternative 3 rezone request

I am writing on behalf of the Poulsbo City Council to express our strong opposition to the rezone application submitted by Jon Rose (aka Raydient) for the vacant, 413.9 acres located off of and north of Bond Road, which seeks to change the zoning designation from Rural Wooded (RW) to Rural Residential (RR) (aka Reclassification Request #72). We understand that this request has been included in the Alternative 3 “Dispersed Growth Focus” land use alternative of the 2024 Comprehensive Plan.
The Growth Management Act was enacted to promote responsible and sustainable growth within city limits and urban growth areas (UGAs) and to preserve rural areas for agriculture, open space, and other valuable purposes. Upzoning land outside of UGAs runs counter to the fundamental purpose of the GMA and undermines the careful planning and thoughtful development that the Act seeks to achieve.
The rezone would result in an increase of at least 60 units by increasing the density from one (1) unit for every 20 acres (20 units) to one (1) unit per every five (5) acres (82 units). We have several concerns regarding this application:

1. Environmental Impact: The area currently designated as Rural Wooded (RW) contains valuable natural habitats and forested areas that play a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance of our region.
The approximate 414 acres has multiple watercourses designated by DNR and the Wildfish Conservancy that includes fish bearing streams, nonfish bearing streams, as well as unknown, unmodeled hydrographic features. Moderate landslides and erosion hazard occur as well as a mapped wetland.

Furthermore, the Port Gamble S’Klallam tribe submitted a comment (April 6, 2023) against this requested siting that it is within the Gamble Creek Watershed that feeds directly into the Port Gamble Bay. They are concerned that the watershed will be directly impacted by any development, but most intensely impacted with Rural Residential development.
Changing the zoning to Rural Residential could lead to increased deforestation, habitat disruption, and environmental stress.

2. Traffic and Infrastructure: Bond Road is already a heavily trafficked route, and the proposed rezone will result in increased traffic congestion, putting additional strain on our infrastructure. We are concerned about the adequacy of infrastructure and roadways to support the proposed development. The project will have significant impact on the LOS for major intersections on Bond and must be addressed.

3. Inconsistent with the Purpose of the R zone:
The purpose of the RW zone is to encourage the preservation of forest uses and agricultural activities, retain an area’s rural character and conserve the natural resources while providing for some rural residential use. This zone is further intended to discourage activities and facilities that can be considered detrimental to the maintenance of timber production. Residents of rural wooded (RW) residential tracts shall recognize that they can be subject to normal and accepted farming and forestry practices on adjacent parcels.
The purpose of the RR zone is to promote low-density residential development and agricultural activities that are consistent with rural character. It is applied to areas that are relatively unconstrained by environmentally sensitive areas or other significant landscape features. These areas are provided with limited public services.
The properties do not appear to meet the purpose of the RR zone as they are relatively constrained by environmentally sensitive areas. As stated, the site is largely covered in moderate geological hazard slopes and contains fish and non-fish habitat streams as well as a mapped wetland and hydric soils. It is also within the Gamble Creek Watershed that feeds directly into the Port Gamble Bay.

4. Community Character and Increased Demand for Services: The proposed area abuts Port Gamble Heritage Park (Park zone) to the west and Rural Protection zoned areas to the east. An increase in density from one unit per 20 acres to one unit per 5 acres would be a dramatic increase immediately abutting a Park zone and is inconsistent with the existing zoning pattern. Additionally, and as stated in the comment letter from the Suquamish Tribe dated April 14, 2023, increasing rural housing densities will also increase the need for school, libraries, churches, transit, road maintenance, availably commercial and retail opportunities as well as other public amenities. The densification projects require urban services and the extension of services to projects located in the rural areas and is not only expensive but contrary to the GMA.

Given these concerns, we respectfully request that the Kitsap County Board of County Commissioners carefully consider the implications of this rezone application on the environment, traffic, and the character of our community. We appreciate your attention to this matter and urge you to consider the impacts to the residents of Poulsbo and the surrounding natural and manmade environment.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Mayor Becky Erickson
200 NE Moe Street
Poulsbo, Washington 98370-73

Take part in the information drive for StopBondRezone.
New cards & posters you can download - print - post 

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Concerns about Proposed Rezone Short Sheet-PDF

No Bond Rezone Fact Sheet - PDF