| Kitsap County will have to revisit several parts of its newly adopted 10-Year update of its Comprehensive Plan, particularly its “rural wooded incentive program,” and its plan to provide enough sewers for its Urban Growth Areas (UGAs). The Central Puget Sound Growth Management Board made its ruling in mid-September to appeals brought against the comprehensive plan by several challengers — including perennial appellant, Kitsap Citizens for Responsible Planning (KCRP).
“For the most part, we were in compliance (with the Growth Management Act),” said Kitsap County Commissioner Jan Angel. She said the fact that the board approved six out of the nine parts that were challenged is “very good for a project this massive.”
The Hearings Board endorsed the basic idea behind the rural wooded incentive program that allows homes to be clustered together in rural areas, but did not like a future provision that will allow development on some open spaces in exchange. It also supported the proposed “transfer of development rights” program that would allow increased densities in areas near UGAs, but it overturned a provision to restore development rights after 40 years in the so-called “sending” areas.
Angel, who didn’t support either of those two provisions, said the county’s attorney is trying to get some guidance from the Hearings Board on how it would like to see those problems addressed, but that the board usually doesn’t give much direction. It will be up to the commissioners to look at the overturned provisions.
The capital facilities issue may be the most challenging one to address. The county has to show how it plans to provide, and finance, sewers for the next two decades. If the county can’t come up with a good plan, the UGAs — in Silverdale, West Bremerton, Port Orchard and Gorst — may have to be scaled down. The county could also reduce population growth estimates or increase urban densities to satisfy the Hearings Board. However, both measures fail to actually address the real world problem the county will face — population growth that exceeds the estimates used for no other reason than to appease the Hearings Board.
The Hearings Board reaffirmed its prior decision that four units per acre constitutes urban density for Kitsap County, by upholding the county’s move to four units from five per acre in urban areas — an issue that has been contentious with many opponents of growth. The Hearings Board The board also found no major problems with the county’s existing land capacity analysis, environmental analysis changes, among other things.
The county has until Feb. 11 to remedy the problems legislatively. | 
