But this piece of what some residents call their paradise has become busier in the last few years, with developments and new homes popping up in big numbers. With property prices much lower on the Key Peninsula than in neighboring Gig Harbor, an abundance of undeveloped land, and with Gig Harbor North bringing retail services closer to Key Peninsula's door, the area is becoming more enticing. Nearly 20,000 people are going to call it home by year 2020, based on population projections.

Trying to stay ahead of the game, and help the community make sense of its growth, Pierce County has started a community planning process last year that will come up with a 20-year growth plan for the peninsula, which is part of unincorporated Pierce County. Using a committee of 15 local residents who represent interests ranging from environmental to economic development, the process will result with a community development plan that will shape how, and where, growth should happen.

Pierce County Councilman Terry Lee, who represents the area, has proposed the plan, which costs the county about $300,000 to implement. He believes with the building of the second Tacoma Narrows Bridge and the widening of State Route 16, the traffic will come right to the Key Peninsula's door. He said creating the plan is a chance for residents, who often call the Key Peninsula the county's “stepchild,” to shape their own future. “They can either decide what's going to happen in their community, or the county is going to do it for them,” he has said.

The county is using community-driven plans as part of the mandate by the Growth Management Act that requires jurisdictions to fight sprawl and plan for their future. Following the GMA's direction for community involvement, the county decided to implement grass-roots plans, even if they are more expensive and take longer to write.

Key Peninsula's neighbor, Gig Harbor, implemented its own community plan long before the GMA mandated planning. Gig Harbor is often held up as the poster child of good development, thanks to the planning policies that directed growth of Gig Harbor's unincorporated areas to certain spots, while maintaining the character and quality of life.

The 15 members of the Key Peninsula Community Planning Board are hoping to do the same, but some of the wishes that have come before them contradict each other. For example, the local business association says the community has a severe imbalance between jobs and housing. Business leaders have proposed creating a “new fully contained community” where future office buildings and light manufacturing facilities could bring in more jobs. Many residents, on the other hand, say they would rather commute for those jobs or services and keep the area as is.

“Why do you want to bring the city here?” one resident told the planning board during a meeting last year. “Nine out of 10 Washingtonians don't know where the Key Peninsula is and we like it that way,” said another. Other residents have been skeptical of the process altogether, saying that so many properties have been grandfathered in under old regulations before GMA came in effect that sprawl will happen regardless of the plan.

According to Pierce County estimates, about 387 businesses are located on the Key Peninsula, providing about 1,270 jobs. The majority of the working population — more than 70 percent - commutes at least 30 minutes to work. The majority also travels outside the area for their shopping and services. The numbers seem to confirm that the need for more development is there. In addition, as the population grows and commercial development does not, the local fire and school districts see an increased pressure of providing more services without a lot of additional funding.

“Homes bring patients and costs, and commercial (use) brings money,” said Jim Bosch, a fire commissioner with the Key Peninsula's fire district and a member of the planning board.

Still, many residents are not convinced they want to give up what brought them to the community in the first place - the rural setting and the slow pace. The task of the community planning board is to maintain those features while answering the question of growth.

“People who think they can stop growth are kidding themselves,” Lee said.

The community plan will include policies related to environmental, land use, economic development, transportation, open space, and public services issues. A draft policy is expected to be complete by the middle of this year, and forwarded to the county Planning Commission. The county council will have the final approval on the plan.

The county currently has planning efforts in process in several other communities, and a number of plans have already been implemented in the last several years around the county.