Sherman Avenue Stormwater Park Public Participation PlanSHERMAN AVENUE STORMWATER PARK
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PLAN
STEERING COMMITTEE
Rob Putaansuu - City of Port Orchard, Mayor
rputaansuu@portorchardwa.gov
Denis Ryan - City of Port Orchard, Public Works Director
dryan@portorchardwa.gov
Nick Bond, AICP - City of Port Orchard, Development Director
nbond@portorchardwa.gov
Jim Fisk, AICP - City of Port Orchard - Principal Planner
ifisk@portorchardwa.gov
Shaun Raja - City of Port Orchard, Associate Planner
sraia@portorchardwa.gov
Connor Dahlquist - City of Port Orchard, Assistant Planner
cdahlquist@portorchardwa.gov
I. INTRODUCTION
In 2022, the City of Port Orchard purchased a 30-acre property located at the south end of
Sherman Avenue near Blackjack Creek (see the property outlined in green in the map on the
following page). The property was purchased to provide a regional stormwater facility that would
facilitate the development of sidewalks and road improvements in the surrounding neighborhood
and to provide a neighborhood park. The City's Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan identifies
the property in Chapter 5 as a resource conservancy and neighborhood parks in the Flower
Meadows/Ruby Creek area. The City is initiating a public outreach process to determine
neighborhood preferences for how the property should be developed and to develop a park master
plan for the property.
The purpose of this document is to identify the public participation objectives, approach, audiences,
schedule, and opportunities for public participation. This document may be updated over time to
reflect the needs of the project.
II.OBJECTIVES
The Public Participation Objectives include:
• Obtain public input regarding site programming and design
• Provide opportunities for public participation to review and offer feedback on the overall
project.
• Provide regular updates to the public so they understand the issues at hand, solutions in
design and the progress of this publicly funded work.
• Use a variety of communication methods to offer residents a multitude of ways to
participate safely and comfortably.
• Make the public outreach and participation inclusive to people of all ages, races, cultures,
and genders while providing special attention to the neighboring residents.
• Coordinate with stakeholders in environmental habitat recovery including the West Sound
LIO and the Suquamish Tribe to ensure project sustainability.
• Creating a plan that can be used in support of grant funding applications.
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III. APPROACH
The Department of Community Development will take the lead in the public outreach process. We
will coordinate the creation, organization, and monitoring, and gathering of public input and provide
a summary report on all public outreach efforts. Public notification of any upcoming public outreach
events will be handled collectively by this group to maximize the extents of outreach to a large and
meaningful audience.
IV. AUDIENCES
There are several audiences - individuals and agencies - that we will contact to participate in this
public outreach sessions and to whom we will provide regular communication on project updates:
Neighborhood Residents: The surrounding public within a 15-minute walk from the park
location. (North of Highway 16, West of Blackjack Creek, and South of Tremont St. W.) The
neighborhood is characterized by physical barriers including Blackjack Creek to the east, SR-
16 to the west, and is bounded by a major arterial Tremont Street to the North. While some
park users may come from other areas, it is expected that the park will mostly serve
residents within the area outlined in the map below.
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• General Public: Port Orchard residents, property owners, and business owners.
• Elected and Appointed Officials: City Councilmembers, Planning Commissioners
• Non -City Service Providers: Fire District, Kitsap Transit, etc.
• State, Regional, and Other Local Government Organizations: The Department of
Commerce, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Department of Ecology, the Port of
Bremerton, The West Sound Local Integrating Organization, the Department of Natural
Resources, and the Washington State Department of Transportation.
Tribes: The Suquamish Tribe and Squaxin Island Tribe will be consulted in the planning
process.
• Other underrepresented groups. We will continue to update this audience list as we
progress.
V. ROLE OF DECISION MAKERS
City Council: The City Council will provide policy guidance and is the final decision maker for the
approval of the master plan. Council members will be notified of public outreach sessions and are
invited to participate in the planning process. All public outreach sessions will be noticed
appropriately so that all Council members are able to fully participate in these events. The Council
will receive periodic updates and will review the steering committee recommendations for the
project
Steering Committee: The Steering Committee will review public input, feasibility studies, concept
plans, and provide direction to the planners assigned to the project. The committee members are
listed at the beginning of this document.
Planning Commission: The Planning Commission may participate in the park planning process and
may be asked to make a recommendation on the master plan prior to City Council action.
Commissioners will be notified of public outreach sessions and are invited to participate in the
planning process. All public outreach sessions will be noticed appropriately so that all
Commissioners are able to fully participate in these events.
VI. ROLE OF THE PUBLIC
The role of the public is to provide input throughout the park master planning process. Initial input
will help shape the creation of various alternatives concepts for park development. Once
alternatives have been prepared, the public will provide input on the pros and cons of each
alternative to result in the selection of a preferred alternative or to the development of a new
hybrid preferred alternative. The planning process and preferences will be documented in a draft
plan that will be made available for public review. Once public review is complete, the public may
provide testimony to the City Council and Planning Commission concerning the adoption of a final
park master plan.
The Washington State Department of Commerce lists benefits of including citizens in the process:
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• Enhances the quality of planning by incorporating a wide variety of information and
perspectives.
• Allows communities to make decisions based on shared values.
• Engage citizens in the ownership of local land use challenges and solutions.
• Educates and empowers citizens.
• Supports swift and efficient project implementation.
• Ensures that good plans remain relevant over time.
• Fosters a sense of community and trust in government.
VII. METHODS
City staff will leverage technology in conjunction with traditional outreach techniques to reach as
many individuals in the surrounding area, and to encourage involvement from as wide an audience
as possible.
The methods would include:
• Direct mail.
• Door to door outreach.
• The creation of a project website including an email list sign up option and regular updates.
to share draft documents and project materials.
• Email notifications.
• Social Media Posts.
• Online Surveys.
• Legal Notices.
• Open Houses/Workshops.
• Direct communication or meetings with stakeholder groups such as tribes, agencies, or
community groups.
IX. SCHEDULE (TENTATIVE)
Summer 2024
1. Hybrid outreach utilizing direct mailing and door to door engagement methods for
project kickoff.
2. Creation of website for outreach and project updates.
3. Online Survey for the Development of Alternatives.
Fall 2024
1. Project Workshop
2. Survey to determine priorities and themes for alternatives.
3. Draft Alternatives Development
Winter 2025
1. Finalize alternatives and solicit input.
2. Project workshop.
3. File application to amend comprehensive plan to adopt park master plan by reference.
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Spring 2025
1. Review input on alternatives and develop preferred alternative.
2. Review preferred alternative with the Land Use Committee
3. Present preferred alternative to the Planning Commission.
4. Adopt preferred alternative by reference as part of the 2025 Comprehensive Plan
Amendments.
IX. CONCLUSION
This Public Participation Program is being presented to City Council for approval and
implementation based on the outlined schedule. This program may be updated as conditions
change or additional resources to support outreach activities become available. A copy of the
program shall be made available for viewing at the front counter of the Department of Community
Development and on the city's website.
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