This monthly update is published by the City of Poulsbo Planning and Economic Development (PED) Department to highlight news and trends in planning and development. For details on these topics and the department, visit our website.

The Director's Chair

Celebrating Community Planning Month in Poulsbo

October is Community Planning Month, a time to reflect on how thoughtful planning helps shape the places we live, work, and play. In Poulsbo, planning isn’t just about maps and zoning codes — it’s about people, teamwork, and a shared vision for the future.

This year has been one of both transition and innovation for Poulsbo’s Planning Department. Our Tiffany Simmons is now providing remote support as her husband accepted a position on Whidbey Island. With that transition, we are providing innovative ways to connect including a new text us option where people can get questions answered over text messages. We believe this will help us be more accessible for those unable to come to city hall.

We also celebrated the return of Ashley Weller from maternity leave. We are excited for her to return with her enthusiasm for the profession and quality work, as well as pictures of her newest family addition.

While we are sad to see Karla Boughton move on to lead planning efforts in Sequim, we are grateful for her almost 30 years of service and leadership in Poulsbo. Her legacy will continue to guide our work as we move forward and will be spread to the Olympic Peninsula.

Beyond the people, our department has been hard at work making planning more accessible and impactful for the community:

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs): This summer, Poulsbo joined with Kitsap County, Bremerton, Port Orchard, and Bainbridge Island to release four pre-approved ADU plan sets. We followed up with an ADU Open House in September, connecting nearly 100 community members with builders, lenders, and professionals to make ADUs a reality.

• Planning for the Future: Work continues on the implementaiton of the Comprehensive Plan, including conversations about housing, transportation, and how Poulsbo will grow responsibly in the years ahead.

Community Planning Month is a reminder that planning touches all of us, from the homes we live in to the streets we travel on to the public spaces we share. And behind every plan are people — planners, engineers, partners, and residents — working together to ensure Poulsbo remains a vibrant, welcoming, and resilient community.

New Way to Communicate with the PED Department!

Critical Areas Ordinance Update - Phase I

Planning Commission Public Hearing

The Growth Management Act (GMA) requires Washington cities to protect sensitive natural areas like wetlands, fish and wildlife habitat, aquifer recharge zones, floodplains, and geologically hazardous areas. Cities must also use Best Available Science (BAS) when writing these protections and update their rules on a regular cycle.

Poulsbo’s Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO), found in Chapter 16.20 of the Municipal Code, was last updated in 2017. The CAO guides how development is reviewed and ensures protection of these important resources.

To balance state requirements with local priorities, Poulsbo is updating its CAO in two phases:

• Phase I (2025): Required Updates. Brings the CAO into compliance with state law and BAS. Key changes include revised stream buffers, updated definitions, and consistency edits.

• Phase II (2026): Local Improvements. Focuses on discretionary changes to improve usability and reflect Poulsbo’s planning goals. Possible topics include buffer averaging, low-impact development, streamlined permitting, and adaptive management strategies. Work is expected to begin in winter 2026.

The Planning Commission Public Hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at 6:00 pm or soon thereafter. The Planning Commission will make a recommendation to the City Council. Meeting procedures are available from the PED Department and City Clerk’s office and are conducted based on Roberts’ Rules of Order. Public Hearings are being held as a hybrid virtual/in-person at the web address and call-in number noted below and at City Hall Council Chambers, 200 NE Moe Street. This call-in number: 1 253 215 8782 and meeting id: 813 4761 3119 are provided for virtual attendance, in addition to this webinar link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81347613119. Check out the project website here.

2026 Comprehensive Plan Amendments

The City of Poulsbo Planning and Economic Development Department is now accepting applications for amendments to the City’s Comprehensive Plan to be considered during the 2026 annual amendment cycle. The amendment requests can consist of changes to text or maps contained in the City’s Comprehensive Plan, including site specific re-designation requests. Application forms and additional information are available on the City of Poulsbo’s website here. The deadline for submitting applications is 4:30 pm on Monday, November 17, 2025. For more information contact Nikole Coleman, Planning Manager, at ncoleman@cityofpoulsbo.com. 

Pre-Production

A Pre-Application Conference is a meeting between a project team and staff conducted prior to the submission of a detailed application. Nearly all projects change after the pre-application conference and prior to application submittal. Typically, projects at this stage are very preliminary. The following pre-app conferences are scheduled for October:

• Jensen Way Residences. 2 buildings with 114 dwelling units, up to 10,000 SF of tenant commercial space, and associated structured parking.
• Parkview at Hostmark. Proposal to divide 3 acres into 13 lots.

Above: Preliminary Jensen Way Residences Proposal.

Above: Proposed Noll Pointe Planned Residential Development.

In Development

The following projects are currently under construction:

Projects under construction for site work (grading, stormwater vaults, installation of sewer lines, etc.) are managed by the Engineering Department. Please contact them for questions or concerns.

Projects under construction for buildings (vertical construction) are managed by the Building Department. Please contact them for questions or concerns.

The Many Roles of PED Staff

Did you know? On top of the larger land use applications, the PED Department staff also responds to public records requests, business license applications, sign permits, tenant improvements, deck permits, grading permits, and code enforcement requests.

For the month of September PED staff reviewed/responded to:

• 28 Business Licenses
• 4 Public Record Requests
• 1 Tenant Improvement
• 1 New Single Family Residences
• 1 Deck
• 2 Signs
• 1 Certificate of Occupancy

Planning Commission Calendar

See below for agenda items for Planning Commission meetings. Please note that agenda items are subject to change. Check the website for the official agenda.

October 7 - Special Meeting - Critical Areas Ordinance Update Phase I Public Hearing

October 28 - Cancelled

PED Department Out and About

Heather Wright, PED Director, and Nikole Coleman, Planning Manager, attended the 2025 Washington Planning Directors Conference in Chelan in early September. The conference was a great opportunity to connect with other planning leaders across the state and dive into timely topics such as development agreements and generational communication styles.