REMINDER: Public open house Feb. 22 to discuss preliminary growth alternatives for Kitsap's Comprehensive Plan

A public open house takes place 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22 in the Kitsap County Administration Building, 619 Division St., Port Orchard to provide residents and other community members the opportunity to get information and ask questions of staff regarding proposed alternative maps, descriptions and policies, as part of Kitsap County's 2024 Comprehensive Plan update. These preliminary alternative land-use maps and descriptions address targeted population, employment and housing growth through 2044.

The three alternatives distribute growth differently, based on Washington state's Growth Management Act and regional plan goals, growth targets, requests for reclassification of properties and local circumstances. The three alternatives can generally be described as:

• No action: All maps, policies and regulations remain as they are today.
• Focused growth/urban center focus: Population 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 they are currently. Policies are developed to set greenhouse gas emission areas and provide greater tree canopy in urban areas.
• Dispersed growth: Distributes growth similar to historic trends focusing on single-family housing. Urban areas are expanded to accommodate growth and some additional rural development is allowed for housing and jobs.

Documents and maps related to these alternatives can be found at kcowa.us/compplan.

None of the three alternatives are a recommendation but rather provide a menu of options to assess environmental impacts and capital facility needs (road, sewer, schools, etc.). They will also be evaluated through public comment as the Board of County Commissioners works to determine a preferred alternative by the end of the year.

Public participation opportunities to discuss the merits of the alternatives will be held through March. Details are available at kcowa.us/compplan including dates, times and more information.

To provide comment on the alternatives or any other aspect of the Comprehensive Plan update, please email compplan@kitsap.gov. All comments received will become part of the update record and available to the Board of Commissioners.

Send specific questions and comments to compplan@kitsap.gov or call Kitsap1 at (360) 337-5777 and ask for Planning and Environmental Programs.