(Port Orchard, WA) - The Kitsap Board of County Commissioners is holding a work study session to discuss potential "Reasonable Measures" for land use decisions. The work study is from 11:30 a.m. to noon, Monday, August 8 in the Port Blakely Room at the County Administration Building in Port Orchard.
An open house hosted by County staff begins at 3:30 p.m. Monday, August 8 in the Administration Building.
The Joint Board of County Commissioners and Planning Commission Public Hearing on Reasonable Measures is: Monday, August 8, 2016 at 5:30 p.m. in the Commissioner's Chambers at the County Administration Building in Port Orchard
The public is welcome and encouraged to attend these events. An explanation of the issues follows.
The Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA), chapter 36.70A, requires some cities and counties, including Kitsap County, to prepare a Buildable Lands Report (BLR) to determine the actual growth, that has occurred in the past years and whether that growth is consistent with the planning assumptions and policies made in the current comprehensive plan. As of 2015, Kitsap County had completed three BLRs that measured the growth in Kitsap County.
The first Kitsap County BLR was published in 2002, the second in 2007 and the third in 2015. If a BLR shows any inconsistencies between actual growth and what has been planned, GMA requires the adoption and monitoring of "Reasonable Measures." Reasonable Measures are policies or regulations intended to address and reduce the inconsistencies. The County is required to annually monitor the effectiveness of the Reasonable Measures and may revise or rescind them as needed.
While the County's BLRs have shown increasing consistency with the GMA and the County's plans, goals and policies, there are still areas where improvements could be made concerning certain inconsistencies such as not meeting minimum urban densities. Therefore Kitsap County is considering adoption of additional 14 Reasonable Measures targeted at increasing development and densities in the urban areas and meeting rural development standards.
The Reasonable Measures include incentives for increased density, such as smaller lot sizes, in the UGAs, incentives for increased height in the UGAs, encouraging infill development in UGA with adoption of a dry sewer policy, lot size averaging in UGA, removal of minimum lot widths in UGAs, transfer of development rights (TDRs), tax incentives for infill/redevelopment and measures to decrease residential densities in rural areas.
For more information, contact help@kitsap1.com, visit http://compplan.kitsapgov.com or phone the Department of Community Development at 360.337.5777.
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