HANSVILLE —  One might think that a 190-page document in a white binder titled the “Greater Hansville Area Futures Project” is a product of Kitsap County Department of Community Development.

However, it’s not — instead, it’s the result of eight months of research by a group of volunteers who care very much about the northern most tip of North Kitsap — from Little Boston and Eglon to the end of Foulweather Bluff.

This document, considered a comprehensive community profile, was made public Oct. 6 and was presented to the 24-person planning committee that will glean information from the report to determine what the future holds for Hansville.

Based on research done in the past year by volunteers, each chapter spells out the facts about the area’s demographics, arts and culture, economy, education, government, housing, human services, land use, parks and recreation, public safety, telecommunications, transportation and utilities. Under each heading are key facts, trends, background information and present-day issues related to each particular topic.

The planning committee consists of residents who each represent various groups and neighborhoods within the GHA. During the next two months, this committee will go through each chapter and make comments on what the area’s “likely future” will be, based on trends found during the research.

The committee then will review the results of a community-wide survey taken last year, which states the strengths and weaknesses of the area, and create a “preferred future.” The committee will then identify the major differences between the two “futures” and create and implement action plan to steer the community in the direction it desires.

While the group could go to the county for this type of project, steering committee member Steve Bauer told the group that really isn’t necessary.

“I think it’s stronger by being our plan,” Bauer said.

If the community depended on the county for land use planning, such as creating a sub-area plan, there would be a lot of paperwork and processes involved, Bauer explained. But because the county has worked so closely with the Hansville residents and they have been successful in their collaborations, Bauer believes the county will take their document seriously for future land planning.

This binder is the result of a project that started several years ago under the title “Hansville 2020,” when the community members decided to sit down and discuss what they wanted Hansville to look like by the year 2020.

The result was a four-step process, of which the group is now starting step two with the planning committee and community profile. The first step was completing the values survey. The results were made public in August and are available at the Little Boston Library or at www.hansville.org.

Members of the planning committee, who were meeting for the first time Oct. 6, were extremely impressed with the work and research put into the community profile.

“I think it’s an excellent process,” said Gary Paulson, representing the Thursday Breakfast Group.

Because of the new developments taking place in the area, such as Hansville Homestead, the potentially new Point Casino in Little Boston and the development of new parks in the area, he said it’s a definitely needed plan.

“Something has to be done to pull it all together,” Paulson said.

Kellie Loyd, a senior at North Kitsap High School and representing the younger residents of the area, hopes to be able to bring the information she’s learning back to her peers.

“I think it’s great to get young people involved,” Loyd said. “We’re the future of Hansville.”