BREMERTON — The Kitsap Countywide Planning Policy (CPP) is currently being updated.

The policy is a requirement of the Growth Management Act and is the framework for growth management in Kitsap County, implemented through the county’s and the cities’ Comprehensive Plans.

Updates to the Kitsap Countywide Planning Policy occur through multi-jurisdictional collaboration sponsored by the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council (KRCC) among: Kitsap County, the cities of Bremerton, Bainbridge Island, Port Orchard, and Poulsbo, the Suquamish and Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribes, Naval Base Kitsap and the Port of Bremerton.

A public hearing to receive community comment regarding the policy update and to provide opportunity for KRCC Executive Board discussion and public questions is scheduled 10:30 to 11 a.m. on April 7, in the Main Meeting Chambers, Norm Dicks Government Center, 345 6th St.

The Kitsap Countywide Planning Policy was originally adopted in 1992, with subsequent revisions made in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2011 and 2013. The current update is focused on two policy areas:

• Appendix B-1: Countywide Population Distribution to 2035 (Required as per the State Growth Management Act)

• Appendix B-2: Countywide Employment Targets through 2035 (As per KRCC Board Resolution 2013-01)

Appendix B-1

Jurisdictions planning under the WA State Growth Management Act are required to plan for population growth within the WA State Office of Financial Management projected growth range. The adopted growth targets for Kitsap are embodied in the Kitsap Countywide Planning Policy. At the time of the 2013 CPP update, the countywide 2035 population projection was not substantially changed from the 2025 projection, recognizing the effects of the widespread economic swing had not yet settled out. (All four counties within the Puget Sound Regional Council area took a similar approach.)

The proposed update to the Countywide Population Distribution is relatively minimal: it corrects a scriveners error in the underlying 2010 Census data, and it shifts 1000 persons from the Central Kitsap to the Silverdale Urban Growth Area.  Kitsap jurisdictions are using these targets in their 2015-2016 cycle of Comprehensive Plan updates, for the 2035 planning horizon.

Appendix B-2

The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) requested its member counties to develop employment targets so regional transportation system gaps and impacts can be effectively mapped. Kitsap County contracted in 2013-14 with public finance analysts Berk & Associates to review growth and employment trends; the results were the basis for countywide employment targets developed during 2014. The targets were reviewed by each member jurisdiction and adopted by the KRCC Executive Board in the summer of 2014. At that time, a commitment was made to PSRC to adopt the Employment Targets into the CPP’s within five years, or when the CPP’s were next opened, whichever comes first.

Visit the KRCC web page for further details at www.KitsapRegionalCouncil.org.

The Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council has developed a schedule for adoption of these updates to the CPP by the end of summer 2015. After the public hearing, the Executive Board of the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council is scheduled to take action to recommend Kitsap County adopt and the Cities and Tribes ratify the agreement.

Written comment received on or before April 1, will be provided to the KRCC Executive Board for their review and consideration prior to their April 7 meeting.

Send written comments to: Pamela Browning at: Pamela@KitsapRegionalCouncil.org or KRCC, P.O. Box 1934, Kingston WA  98346