Two public meetings are scheduled at the end of the month to discuss existing trend data and preliminary alternatives to Kitsap County’s Urban Growth Areas. The first workshop will be on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at the Eagle’s Nest at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds. The second one will be Thursday, Jan. 26  in the Commissioners Chambers at the Kitsap County Administration Building in Port Orchard. Both meetings are scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The workshops will include an opening presentation, followed by individual discussion groups for each of the UGAs and then an open house for people to speak one-on-one with county staff.

The county has until August to make changes to the UGA which include Silverdale, Central Kitsap, East Bremerton, West Bremerton, Gorst, Kingston, McCormick Woods, and Port Orchard/South Kitsap. The reason the county is addressing current UGA boundaries and possible changes is because the Central Growth Management Hearing Board ruled that the county must re-examine UGAs that were expanded during the 2006 Comprehensive Plan update.

Since December 2011, the county has been working on collecting developmental trend information to determine local circumstances of the zones and how it would factor into a land capacity analysis, according to Angie Silva, senior planner with the county special projects department. The alternative boundaries that will be presented at the two meetings are in its preliminary stages, which will allow for open discussion from the community.