The Director's Chair

Development Interest Surging: Understanding Consultations vs. Pre-Application Meetings

Tiffany Simmons, our Planning Technician and GIS Coordinator, manages requests for informational meetings with planning staff. Over the past month, both our planning and engineering departments have been busy responding to a noticeable uptick in development inquiries. For the first time in my 3½-year tenure, not only were all three pre-application meeting slots filled early for May, but the June spots were quickly reserved as well. We also held two consultations in addition to the scheduled pre-applications.

With all this activity, it’s a good time to clarify the difference between a consultation and a pre-application conference:

• Consultation: This is a more informal opportunity to meet with a planner and engineer. No site plans or renderings are required in advance. It’s a chance to ask questions and receive general guidance to help determine the appropriate path forward for your project.

• Pre-Application Conference: This is a more formal meeting that includes a planner, an engineer, and other relevant departments such as building and/or the fire department. Site plans are required, and renderings are helpful. Staff reviews the materials beforehand, and after the meeting, we provide a detailed letter outlining key code sections, required documents (like geotechnical reports or traffic studies), and next steps.

In short, if you’re in the exploratory phase and want to understand general requirements, a consultation is the right starting point. If you’re further along and ready to move forward with a formal land use application, a pre-application conference is the way to go.

To learn about the pre-application meetings held, check out the Pre-Production section below and look out next month for the three coming in June. 

Find information on how to schedule a consultation here and a pre-application conference here.

Comprehensive Plan Update:

Planning Commission Public Hearing - May 13

The Comprehensive Plan is central to land use and infrastructure planning under the Growth Management Act (GMA). The Plan expresses a vision for the City in its goals and policies and serves as a guide for future development. It identifies those characteristics the community desires to retain, reinforce, and achieve as the City grows; it establishes the policies to realize the goals; and it identifies the resources necessary to provide services to the residents and businesses now and in the future.

GMA requires that cities and counties update their Comprehensive Plans on a periodic schedule. The next update of the City’s Comprehensive Plan was due December of 2024. A 6-month delay for adoption was necessary to allow the completion of the functional plans for sewer, water, stormwater, and transportation. The 2024 Update will plan for the next 20 years of population, employment, and housing unit growth. Poulsbo is required to plan for 5,646 new residents, 4,000 new jobs, and 1,977 new housing units between now and 2044. 

The Planning Commission Public Hearing is scheduled for Tuesday May 13, 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. 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.

Project documents can be viewed here.

Spring 2025 Code Amendments:

Planning Commission Public Hearing - May 13

The proposed amendments to the Poulsbo Municipal Code are part of the Planning and Economic Development (PED) Departments on-going effort to make land use regulations more usable for residents, developers, and City staff by correcting errors, eliminating text ambiguities, codifying internal policies, and reflecting changes in state law. In addition, many of the proposed amendments are in response to updated comprehensive plan policies. The proposed amendments are presented in 3 categories – Comprehensive Plan, Clean-Up, and Legislative.

• Comprehensive Plan. Amendments directly in response to the Draft Comprehensive Plan policies. Per the Growth Management Act (RCW 36.70A.040), development regulations must be updated in alignment with the Comprehensive Plan. Failure to update regulations can lead to legal challenges or loss of state funding for infrastructure projects

• Clean-Up. Amendments are part of the PED Departments on-going effort to make land use regulations more usable by correcting errors, eliminating text ambiguities, and codifying internal policies.

• Legislative. Amendments reflecting changes in state law.

The Planning Commission Public Hearing is scheduled for Tuesday May 13, 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

Project documents can be viewed here.

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 May:

• Dauntless Townhomes. 16 fee simple townhomes.
• Red Apple Gas Station. 4 pump 1000 SF canopy gas station.
• Viking Commercial Center. 4 new commercial buildings.

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 April PED staff reviewed/responded to:

• 28 Business Licenses
• 4 Public Record Requests
• 7 New Single Family Residences
• 1 Sign
• 1 Tenant Improvement
• 1 Tree Cutting and Clearing Exemption
• 1 Shoreline Exemption

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.

May 13

• Public Hearing: Development Regulations Amendments
• Public Hearing: Comprehensive Plan Update

May 27

• Public Meeting: Sandstone Ridge PRD and Pre-Plat

Planning Commission meetings are held as a hybrid - virtually via zoom webinars and in-person at the City Hall Council Chambers. Please check the agenda for meeting information.

Above: PED Department takes on Girls Night Out on May 7, 2025.