A hearing has been set for 10 a.m. Aug. 22 to hear an appeal by a developer whose plans to build nine homes near Tracyton were denied.
Developer Jeff Reed’s short plat for nine new homes on 1.65 acres near Tracyton Boulevard and Kint Drive was denied by Kitsap County earlier this spring.
Reed’s representative William Lynn filed an appeal with Kitsap County on May 16.
In the appeal, Lynn, an attorney with Gordon Thomas Honeywell in Tacoma, stated that the county acted inconsistently when it denied the short plat based on the claim of stormwater and drainage requirements.
Lynn said the decision was the first that the applicant had heard of these concerns and hence, that was improper procedure. At best, Lynn said, the applicant should be given the opportunity to modify its design to meet county requirements.
“The county’s decision to deny the short plat rather than providing the normal opportunity to make corrections constitutes a denial of the appellant’s vested rights,” the appeal states.
The applicant also stated that officials of the Kitsap County Department of Community Development, the Department of Ecology and the US Army Corps of Engineers had met on site and were aware of the fill (dirt) that lawfully was placed on the property.
Neighbors took their concerns to the Central Kitsap Community Council citing the area already had significant water problems.
They informed the county that native soils had been removed and fill dirt had been placed on the property years ago, which apparently had a negative affect on the already high level water table.
After those concerns were aired, county officials told neighbors that they would continue the process of checking the application to determine whether it met the necessary county regulations regarding stormwater runoff.
Following several weeks of study, the county Department of Community Development denied the application on May 3.
The appeal hearing will be in the Kitsap County Commissioners Chamber, Administration Building, 619 Division St., in Port Orchard.
