FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July
22, 2016
Contact: Darren
Gurnee, Community Development
360.337.5777 or dgurnee@co.kitsap.wa.us
Kitsap County Reviews Potential "Reasonable Measures" for Land Use Decisions
County focuses on incentives to encourage growth in urban areas
(Port Orchard, WA) – The Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA), chapter 36.70A, requires some cities and counties, including Kitsap County, to prepare a Buildable Lands Report (BLR) to determine the actual growth, that has occurred in the past years and whether that growth is consistent with the planning assumptions and policies made in the current comprehensive plan. As of 2015, Kitsap County had completed three BLRs that measured the growth in Kitsap County.
The first Kitsap County BLR was published in 2002, the second in 2007 and the third in 2015. If a BLR shows any inconsistencies between actual growth and what has been planned, GMA requires the adoption and monitoring of "Reasonable Measures." Reasonable Measures are policies or regulations intended to address and reduce the inconsistencies. The County is required to annually monitor the effectiveness of the Reasonable Measures and may revise or rescind them as needed.
While the County's BLRs have shown increasing consistency with the GMA and the County's plans, goals and policies, there are still areas where improvements could be made concerning certain inconsistencies such as not meeting minimum urban densities. Therefore Kitsap County is considering adoption of additional 14 Reasonable Measures targeted at increasing development and densities in the urban areas and meeting rural development standards.
The Reasonable Measures include incentives for increased density, such as smaller lot sizes, in the UGAs, incentives for increased height in the UGAs, encouraging infill development in UGA with adoption of a dry sewer policy, lot size averaging in UGA, removal of minimum lot widths in UGAs, transfer of development rights (TDRs), tax incentives for infill/redevelopment and measures to decrease residential densities in rural areas.
Important Dates The Kitsap Board of County Commissioners will be holding Work Study Sessions on Reasonable Measures at the County Administration Building in Port Orchard:
- July 25, 2016 from 2:00 to 3:00 pm in the Port Blakely Room and
- August 3, 2016 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon in the Port Blakely Room
- August 8, 2016 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon in the Port Blakely Room
The Public Hearing on Reasonable Measures will be held:
August 8, 2016 at 5:30 p.m. in the Commissioner's Chambers at the County Administration Building in Port Orchard.
The public is welcome these events as well as an open house hosted by County staff on August 8, 2016 beginning at 3:30 p.m. in the Administration Building.
For more information, contact help@kitsap1.com, visit http://compplan.kitsapgov.com or phone the Department of Community Development at 360.337.5777.
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