Kitsap County and the City of Poulsbo have received Gov. Chris Gregoire’s Smart Vision Award in Comprehensive Planning.
Kitsap County was honored for its “Kitsap County Year of the Rural” program. Poulsbo was honored for its 2009 Comprehensive Plan.
Poulsbo was only one of three honored for Comprehensive Planning; others were honored for Implementation of a Comprehensive Plan or Development Project to Implement a Plan, or received Judges Merit awards. All were honored for “innovative and wise land use, resource management, enhanced rural preservation, water utility planning and transportation planning.”
The awards recognize communities that incorporate community gathering places, downtown revitalization, public safety and transportation as key components of their community growth plans.
“Washington state needs to create and maintain vibrant communities if we want to continue to attract a strong workforce and growing businesses,” Gregoire said in a press release. “I’m proud of the remarkable work that’s going on across our state to balance economic growth with sustainable development.”
Awards will be presented to city winners on June 23 at the Association of Washington Cities conference in Spokane. County winners will receive awards at the Washington State Association of Counties annual meeting on Nov. 16 in Bellevue.
Poulsbo has a population of 9,200, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. It is projected to have a population of 14,808 in 2030. The city has annexed about 14 areas since 2003 to accommodate future growth.
Poulsbo and other local governments adopt Comprehensive Plans to help guide how the community develops, and contains policies related to housing, land use, recreation, transportation and utilities. Comprehensive plans typically encompass a broad range of topics and cover a long-term time horizon.
Gregoire has recognized outstanding local planning efforts through the Smart Communities Awards since 2006. The Smart Communities Awards are administered by the Growth Management Program at the Washington state Department of Commerce.
For more information on the Governor’s Smart Communities Awards or the Growth Management Act, visit www.commerce.wa.gov/growth.
