Planning and Economic Development Spotlight March 2022

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.

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The Director's Chair

The daffodils have started to bloom and so has the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update! On Wednesday February 23, 2022, the Mayor, City Council, Planning Commission, Staff and interested members of the public kicked off the 2024 Comprehensive Plan update with a 1.5 hour workshop (watch the workshop here). The Comprehensive Plan describes the 20-year vision for Poulsbo and how that vision will be achieved. The City is mandated by the state to update the 20 year plan every eight years and the next update is due June 2024. During the 1.5 hour presentation, the Mayor, Council and Commission were asked to respond to two questions; one of which was an icebreaker and the second was to frame their thinking as they plan for the next 20 years of growth. The icebreaker question was: what are your favorite things to do when guests come to town? The most popular responses are probably very familiar: downtown, boardwalk, fish park, liberty bay and a visit to Sluys.

The second question was to frame their thinking as they plan for the next 20 years of growth and was in response to a question the Mayor originally raised at the end of State of the City address to the City Council: “What do you think Poulsbo is Missing?” You can see below that there was a variety of responses ranging from middle-aged kid and senior activities, way finding sings and better medical facilities to the more popular responses of North Kitsap Schools, historic preservation, affordable housing and tree retention.

This night was just the beginning of hearing from our community. See the monthly section below that will be dedicated to the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update and the many public engagement activities we will have planned for the next two years, including surveys, booths at the farmers market, and open houses. To also stay abreast of upcoming events over the next two years, please visit our website or subscribe to the listserve.

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 were held in March: Food Truck City. Food truck court with seating on Viking Way. Eliason Building Remodel. Renovation of the existing structure and adding a second partial story above the existing portion of the south building. Nordic Cottages. An affordable housing development consisting of three, two story cottages on city owned property in cooperation with Housing Kitsap located on Lincoln Road.

Above: Conceptual Building Design for Eliason Building Remodel

In the Queue

The following projects are currently under review with the PED Department: MOD/Chipotle SPR: Application submitted 3/2. Noll Terrace Critical Area: Staff prepping staff report. Viking Fuel Tank Install ACUP: Waiting for resubmittal. Westry Village SPR: Waiting for resubmittal. Lincoln Cottages PRD: NOA comment period closed 3/2. 4th Avenue Apartments SPR: Waiting for resubmittal. Musick Multifamily SPR: Waiting for resubmittal. Blackmore Multifamily SPR: Waiting for resubmittal. Winslow Ridge PRD/Plat: Waiting for resubmittal. Oslo Bay SPR: Staff prepping SEPA documents and staff report. Swanson/Sorenson BLA: Staff prepping Notice of Decision. Noll Terrace Final Plat: Engineering Dept. processing application. Blue Heron Final Plat: Engineering Dept. processing application. Keep up to date with active land use projects by visiting our website.

Above: Conceptual Landscaping Plan for Lincoln Cottages Planned Residential Development.

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 February PED staff reviewed/responded to: 5 Commercial Signs 1 Single-Family New 1 Single-Family Addition 28 Business Licenses 2 Public Record Requests 1 Code Enforcement Request

Get to Know the Poulsbo Municipal Code Animal Keeping for Hobby or Personal Use

Did you know that you can keep Livestock and/or Poultry in areas of Poulsbo zoned as Residential Low? However, there are restrictions in place to keep the city up to code. Livestock, as mentioned here, means any horse, beef or dairy cattle, sheep, goat, llama, alpaca, mule, jack, jenny, burro, emu, ostrich, poultry or similar animal. The livestock restrictions are typically based on lot size and animal size (Large, Small and Miniature). For example, Small Livestock can only be kept under the following rules. The keeping of livestock that will weigh 100-500 lbs at maturity will require a minimum lot size of one-half acre for the first animal. For each additional such animal, an additional contiguous 10,000 square feet must be available. The minimum one-half-acre (21,780 sq ft) lot may include a normally permitted residence; provided, that at least one-quarter acre is available for livestock use. Poultry and Rabbits follow similar regulations, amount of animal and size of lot. For example, Chickens or rabbits can be kept in an amount of up to six on a lot of 10,891 sq ft to one acre, however, no turkey’s, peacocks or roosters are permitted in city limits and shelters must meet setback requirements. You can even keep Bee’s! One hive may be kept on lots 20,000 square feet or larger and cannot be located within 25 feet of any lot line.

In addition to the quantity limits you must follow additional regulations on keeping the animals. Barns and shelters used to house livestock shall be in the rear yard and set back at least 50 feet from the property line(s). Doorways and other openings shall be oriented away from neighboring properties. All livestock and poultry shall be kept and maintained in a manner that confines their movement and activity to the premises of the owner/tenant. Noise and waste must also be handled properly to maintain health and safety standards. There are even limits on pets. Household pets are defined as domesticated animals or fish kept for pleasure rather than utility. Pets include animals such as dogs, cats, hamsters, reptiles, insects, non-venomous snakes, fish, and birds. No more than 5 dogs or cats or any combination thereof may be kept on any single-family residential property in the city. To stay informed or find out more information please see the link for our handout.

2022 Comprehensive Plan Amendments

On February 22, the Planning Commission recommended approval of the 2022 Annual Comprehensive Plan Amendments to City Council. Chapter 36.70A RCW provides that comprehensive plan amendments can occur no more than once a year with limited exceptions. Any interested person, property owner, citizen and city staff may submit a comprehensive plan map, policy or text amendment. The City received three applications for the 2022 amendment cycle: Application P-11-15-21-01 | Site Specific. This application includes a site-specific amendment to the City’s Land Use (Figure LU-1) and City’s Zoning Map. The request is to re-designate and rezone parcel 102601-4-022-2009 (21195 Viking Ave NW) from Residential Medium (RM) to Residential High (RH).    Application P-11-12-21-01 | Text Amendment. Replace Appendix B-5, and associated sections of the Comprehensive Plan (Chapters 8 and 12), to reflect the updated 2021 Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) Plan.  Application P-11-12-21-02 | Text Amendment. This application includes a text amendment to Chapter 12, the Capital Facilities Plan, to update Table CFP-4 to reflect the proposed projects listed in the 2021- 2027 Capital Improvement Projects.  The City Council will be reviewing the applications at a public hearing on March 16. Check out the Comprehensive Plan Amendment website for more info.

Special Feature 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update

The City Council and Commission plan to gather again on Tuesday, March 22 to discuss growth population and employment targets for the 2024 Comprehensive Plan. Poulsbo is one of four communities designated as a high-capacity transit (HCT) by the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC). The other communities include Bainbridge Island, Port Orchard and Kingston. PSRC forecasts these communities will grow by 34,000 and employment growth will be 18,000 between 2017 and 2050. As part of the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update, Poulsbo will work with the other HCT’s to determine how much growth and employment it anticipates will occur in Poulsbo between 2020 and 2044.

Poulsbo in the Press Get Caught up with What's Going on in Poulsbo

'We'll miss you!': Poulsbo's Elmer's Restaurant, a family favorite, closing in March Kitsap Sun The Elmer’s Restaurant location in the Poulsbo Village Shopping Center has announced that it will close in the coming weeks. Read More… Poulsbo Council, Planning Commission discuss 2024 Comprehensive Plan Kitsap Daily News The Poulsbo City Council and Planning Commission held a joint meeting last week to discuss the 2024 Comprehensive Plan. Read More… Former Poulsbo Police Station Demolished, Making way for Downtown Apartments Kitsap Sun (paywall) The city's former police station building on Front Street has been demolished, making way for a three-story apartment building. Read More... Developers Plan New Apartment Complex in the Woods off Poulsbo's 4th Ave Kitsap Sun (paywall) Developers are zeroing in on plans for a 72-unit apartment complex built on a wooded site off 4th Ave. Read More...

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Planning & Economic Development 200 NE Moe Street | Poulsbo, WA 98370-7347 (360) 394-9748 | fax (360) 697-8269 www.cityofpoulsbo.com | plan&econ@cityofpoulsbo.com