October-November 2024

We're Having a Party!

Reading Time: Approximately 2 minutes

In this issue, we're having a party. Join us as we pull together this celebration.

You can compare our PREP (Permit Review Efficiency Plan) activities update to baking a cake. We are bringing together the ingredients to this multi-layered cake with many hands helping us decorate and put it together. This isn't just any kind of cake; it is a decadent dessert, a sweet symphony with only the best ingredients. In this issue, we will define some of those ingredients to help you understand some of the terms we use in our posted documents. Proceed to our article titled, What is Saffron Anyway? to help you understand terms that may be new to you in our PREP plan.

We will have some activities to keep you busy at the party. Our noxious weed program update contains information to keep you working, tidying up your landscaping and disposing of your noxious weeds at various solid waste collection facilities in the county.

Our party needs some invites, so we have three opportunities for you to join us. The first is a community workshop where we will join in on a virtual Q&A with the author of Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World. Then, we will discuss the book's elements, including the cost of parking, parking regulations in development, and more. The second is a public meeting for the Comprehensive Plan Update as it winds down toward approval later this year. Last but not least, we have a brief survey on sea level rise that could use your valuable input.

Then we need something to celebrate, and in October, we celebrate Community Planning Month. Read more about the American Planning Association's, National Community Planning Month and the contributions of planners in our communities.

See you in December! Until then visit our website and update your email preferences to ensure you are receiving all the great Community Development news.

What is Saffron Anyway?

Reading Time: Approximately 3 minutes

The process of baking a cake requires you to gather your ingredients as the first step. The quality of your ingredients determines the quality of your cake. The permit review process, PREP (Permit Review Efficiency Plan), is like reimagining an existing recipe and introducing the greatest ingredients to level up your cake. Our groups have been working on gathering and preparing these ingredients.

To help guide you, we will define some of the terms that make up the ingredients of our improved recipe:

1. Parcel Reports – You may be familiar with our Parcel Search feature on the Community Development website; a parcel report uses similar GIS technology. The parcel report in PREP will provide information about the critical areas, if any, located on your property. For example, suppose critical areas such as wetlands or geologic hazards are on your property. In that case, the parcel report would indicate that and provide a link to gather more information. The report can also be used when meeting with the Community Development team to help organize your questions and provide efficient collaboration.
2. Intake Checklists – The intake checklist will help you understand what may be required for your project to provide a complete application. In the parcel report example above, you may be required to submit a wetland report along with your application or a geotechnical assessment. The specifics of your project and your parcel will ultimately determine what is needed for a complete application, therefore it is always best to reach out to Community Development staff early in your project.
3. Permit Types – You may see permits as various types from 1-4. Here is a quick breakdown:
   • Type 1 – These permits do not require public notice.
   • Type 2 – These permits require public notice but not a public hearing.
   • Types 3 & 4 – These permits require a public notice and a public hearing.
   • You can view a table of permits indicating their type in Kitsap County Code Title 21.04.100.
4. 2x6 - 2 review cycles, 6 weeks each.

These definitions will help you understand some terms in our documents as we work to improve predictability and collaboration, ultimately leading to shorter permit issuance timelines. For the latest information, visit the PREP website.

Resource:

PREP webpage

Kitsap County Code Review Authority Table

Noxious Weed Control - Program Update

Free Noxious Weed Disposal Ongoing

Fall is a great time to remove noxious weeds and install native plants! Kitsap County’s Noxious Weed Control Program continues to offer free noxious weed disposal at the four Kitsap County solid waste facilities and Bainbridge Disposal. Download a free copy of Garden Wise for a guide to common noxious weeds found in Western Washington and native plant alternatives.

Long Lake Aquatic Invasive Weed Control

Kitsap County contracted with the aquatic plant management firm AquaTechnex this summer to survey and conduct treatment on several aquatic invasive plant species in Long Lake. Treatment has been completed for the 2024 season and will resume in Spring 2025. For further information, please visit the Noxious Weed Control Program website at kcowa.us/noxiousweeds.

Free Community Workshop - Let's Talk Asphalt

October 22, 2024
Location: Kitsap Mall - Community Room

4:30 - 5:30 pm Virtual Q&A with author.

5:30 - 6:30 pm Facilitated discussion and workshop about the book’s themes and planning. Book available for purchase at local bookstores, or lending at the Kitsap Regional Library.

REGISTRATION REQUIRED: kcowa.us/pavedparadise

Final Stretch on the Comp Plan Update & Looking Into 2025

Reading Time: Approximately 4 minutes

The 2024-2044 Comprehensive Plan is in final deliberations as we move towards December adoption.

This two-year effort is coming to a close with a public hearing scheduled with the Board of County Commissioners on Monday, October 28, 2024, and approval expected later this year.

What is the Comprehensive Plan?

Kitsap County's Comprehensive Plan includes a 20-year blueprint for local policies, planning and capital facility investment. Washington State's Growth Management Act (GMA) must be updated periodically. To learn more about the GMA, see the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) article “Growth Management Act Basics.”

Kitsap County’s 2024-2044 Comprehensive Plan includes the following elements/chapters, subarea, and neighborhood plans:

The appendices provide valuable technical information that support the Comprehensive Plan:

• Appendix A. Housing Element Technical Analysis
• Appendix B. Housing Availability and Affordability Analysis
• Appendix C. Racially Disparate Impacts Analysis
• Appendix D. Silverdale Transportation Implementation Strategy

Additional Updates

In addition to the Comprehensive Plan, the following Kitsap County Code updates and Plans are proposed for adoption:

• Title 16 – Land Division
• Title 17 – Zoning (changes include greater densities and heights in urban areas, and new proposed Tree Canopy Preservation requirements)
• Title 18 – New Draft C-PACER Ordinance
• Environmental Impact Statement
• Capital Facilities Plan

All documents are available for review on Kitsap County’s Comprehensive Plan Update Webpage.

Public Participation

Written Comments will be accepted through the date of the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) October 28 Public Hearing and may be submitted in the following formats:

• By email: compplan@kitsap.gov
• By Mail:
  Kitsap County Community Development
  614 Division Street MS-36
  Port Orchard, WA 98366

• Dropped off:
  Department of Community Development
  619 Division Street
  Port Orchard, WA 98366

The BOCC hybrid public hearing is Monday, October 28, at 5:30pm. The in-person option will be held in the Kitsap County Administration Building, 619 Division Street, Port Orchard. See the Comprehensive Plan Update Webpage for the Zoom link.

To provide oral testimony in the BOCC public hearing:

• In-person - Sign-up when you arrive, your name will be called to speak.
• Virtual via Zoom – When they open the floor for public testimony, people online will raise their hand in Zoom, and you will be added to the list of speakers.

Each person will have 3 minutes to speak, which is timed. You do not need to talk for 3 minutes, but you will be alerted when your time is up to keep from going over. Instructions will also be provided at the meeting.

What’s Next

In 2025, Kitsap County Community Development will implement the Comprehensive Plan and other updates. A monitoring program will be established to track population, housing, and employment along with other more specific measurables that lead to the pillars of growth management.

Long Range Planners will shift to Silverdale Regional Center Subarea Planning efforts, and Rural Planning will commence.

For more information on Long Range Planning Projects, please contact Colin Poff at cpoff@kitsap.gov

Give Us 5 Minutes - Sea Level Rise Survey

Are you concerned about the impacts of sea level rise in Kitsap County?

We value your input - please take a moment to share your thoughts through our survey below.

Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (kitsap.gov)

October is National Community Planning Month

Kitsap County recognizes planners' value and influence on our daily lives and our community's well-being.  Community planners work collaboratively with the community to create environments that enhance the quality of life. Effective planning is crucial to building resilient and equitable communities for all. Planners specialize in housing, urban development, public spaces, historical preservation, environmental, and transportation, to name a few disciplines. To celebrate with us, we ask that you please take time to participate in surveys, educate yourself, share your thoughts at workshops and open houses, and participate in advisory councils. You are an essential stakeholder in the conversation about your community.

Subscribe to Community Development News.

Kitsap County Department of Community Development
614 Division Street - MS36
Port Orchard, WA 98366

Media Contact: Alicia Adler

KITSAP COUNTY
Kitsap County government exists to protect and promote the safety, health and welfare of our citizens in an efficient, accessible and effective manner.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
The mission of the Department of Community Development is to foster the development of quality, affordable, structurally safe and environmentally sound communities.