The Director's Chair

Each October, we celebrate National Community Planning Month to honor the dedication and vision that our planners bring to making Poulsbo a great place to live. Their work ensures that we continue building a community that thrives now and in the future. From updating the Comprehensive Plan to fostering affordable housing initiatives like ADU preapproved plans and code amendments to simplify the review process and enable missing middle housing, Poulsbo's planners help navigate the challenges of today while preparing for tomorrow. Our planners work diligently to shape Poulsbo into the beautiful, thriving community it is with long-term strategies that address housing, design, and environmental sustainability.



This month we are celebrating by hosting Lunch and Learns with our new development review engineers, David Ward and Samuel Snook. Our team will also be attending the annual state American Planning Association Conference in Bellevue themed Renewing the Plans: Embracing Innovation & Resiliency, October 16 (Wednesday)-18 (Friday). The conference provides an opportunity to share and network with professional planning colleagues from around the state (and beyond). Please note that due to staff attendance, planners will not be available for assistance at the front counter, email or phone on Thursday, October 17.

Finally, some of our staff will be joining community members and fellow planners at the Kitsap Mall Community Room to have a virtual Q & A with Harry Grabar, author of “Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World” on Thursday, October 22 from 4:30 to 5:30 pm. This event is being hosted by Kitsap County and following the Q & A the County will have a brief presentation about development patterns over time in Silverdale, current and past parking regulations and legacy parking regulation impacts.  

Not pictured below, Senior Planner, Edie Berghoff.

Nikole Coleman, Senior Planner

Ashley Weller, Assistant Planner

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:

• Smaaladen-Roof Planned Residential Development. Subdivide ~3.8 acres of vacant land into single-family lots.

New - “Proposed Development Project” Sign

The City Council approved a code amendment on 9/18/24 to require a large (4.5′ X 4′) sign to be erected on the site of properties proposed for development (for Type II and III permits only). Note, this requirement is for development review projects submitted after 9/18/24.

Proposed amendments can be viewed here. A new handout can be viewed here. See example below. 

Comprehensive Plan Update

The City of Poulsbo is undertaking a periodic review and update of its comprehensive plan, as required by the Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA), RCW 36.70A.130(5). This is an opportunity to revise population and employment growth forecasts with the most up to date data, review existing policies to ensure they make sense for the community, write new policies that reflect the priorities of the community, and confirm that all federal, state, and local requirements are met.

DRAFT Comprehensive Plan Policy Document Available!

Critical Areas Ordinance Update

The Growth Management Act (GMA) requires all cities and counties in Washington to adopt regulations protecting “critical areas” in order to preserve the natural environment, wildlife habitats, and sources of fresh drinking water. Critical areas regulation also encourage public safety by limiting development in areas prone to natural hazards like floods and landslides.

RCW 36.70A.030(6) defines five types of critical areas:



• Wetlands (click for an info card with more information)
• Areas with a critical recharging effect on aquifers used for potable water
• Fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas
• Frequently flooded areas
• Geologically hazardous areas

Counties and cities are required to develop policies and development regulations to protect the functions and values of critical areas using the best available science (RCW 36.70A.172).

Critical Areas Ordinances must be evaluated and, if needed, revised every 10 years per the schedule provided in RCW 36.70A.130. The CAO update is due by June 2025.

Check out the project website here.

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 August PED staff reviewed/responded to:

• 23 Business Licenses
• 6 Public Record Requests
• 4 New Single Family Homes
• 2 Tenant Improvements
• 4 Signs
• 1 Final Plat
• 1 Grading

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 8

• Cancelled

October 22

• Cancelled

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.