Kitsap County is nearing completion of its 10-year comprehensive plan with approval expected at the county commissioners’ Dec. 11 meeting.

The plan was originally on the Dec. 4 agenda but has been delayed to coincide with approval of the Transportation Improvement Plan and Environmental Impact Statement.

The plan, which usually takes several years to complete, was finished in 10 months due to “extraordinary support and allocation of resources by the county commissioners,” said special projects manager Eric Baker.

Baker said the use of consultants and “massive staff overtime” made the abbreviated schedule possible. He added the county commissioners allocated $1 million in extra funds so the project would be complete by the Dec. 31 deadline.

Since spring, the county’s Department of Community Development has held a series of public meetings in different regions to specifically discuss the disposition of individual areas. The purpose is to determine which areas will become urban over the next several years. In many cases, such as the Illahee area, residents were able to convince the county to maintain a rural classification.

“The average citizen should care about this plan because it indicates what areas are scheduled to become urban over the next 20 years,” Baker said. “So it will tell them exactly what their neighborhood is going to look like.”

Throughout the process, the county set up a Web page (www.mykitsap.org) to track the latest changes and gather comments from residents who were unable to attend the meetings.

The latest version of the plan is now online at that location. For those without an active Internet connection, the plan is also available in paper and CD-ROM formats.

While the comp plan has not received the same vocal criticism as last year’s critical area ordinance, it has drawn some dissenting views. Vivian Henderson, executive director of the Kitsap Alliance for Property Owners (KAPO), said the plan is too complicated and voluminous for many people to understand.

“All three of you will go down in history as the administration that created the greatest infraction between the citizens of Kitsap County and their government,” Henderson wrote to the county commissioners. “You have not only allowed, but aided and abetted DCD staff in creating a Comprehensive Plan that defies your understanding and, most certainly, the understanding of citizens whose lives it will impact beyond what we can possibly understand at this time.”

Baker, however, feels the final draft reflects the desires of the community.

“The document speaks to a number of constituencies,” he said. “It tries to strike a balance between disparate views and provide the opportunity for all citizens to get what they are looking for. It will help us to maintain a balance that is attractive to all current residents.”