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01 - 20241113 Chapter 1 - IntroductionChapter 1.1 Introduction Introduction Port Orchard is a small but growing city in the Puget Sound region of Washington State. It is near major urban and employment centers and enjoys an outstanding natural setting. Port Orchard's residents have a strong community spirit and value the area's important maritime history. These aspects contribute to a high quality of life that influences people's choice to live and work in Port Orchard. Like most cities in the Puget Sound region, rapid population growth in the last decade has contributed to increasing demands for goods, services, housing, and infrastructure. These demands on the local community represent some of the biggest challenges facing the City since it last undertook updating its Comprehensive Plan in 2016. Downtown Port Orchard has continued to be a focal point with its waterfront location and access to transit, including passenger ferry service with connections to downtown Seattle. How Port Orchard manages its growth in the years to come is crucial to the City's businesses and residents. Bolstered by its rich history, active community participants, and scenic location, Port Orchard has the opportunity to build on its many assets to create a more connected and vibrant city. There are great opportunities to continue revitalizing the downtown area, draw more attractions to the city, and encourage appreciation for Port Orchard's natural resources and friendly, close-knit community. The City will take strategic steps to identify and strengthen the relationship between the built environment, natural environment, community members, and government to further the goals of a cohesive community based on a deep understanding of the need to balance development with the preservation of unique and critical environmental resources. 1.1.1 Statement of Purpose and Intent The Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan establishes a framework for addressing the challenges of today and the future. The Plan integrates the desires of the community and best practices in contemporary city planning, making the government more responsive to the needs of the community and more connected with residents. Used properly, this document will guide decision -making and development in Port Orchard by ensuring that ordinances, regulations, programs, and projects are developed in accordance with community values and goals. The goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan specify measurable, achievable actions that most effectively utilize resources, retain the small- town character of Port Orchard, and build a stronger community. Developed with significant public input and City leaders' review, this document will guide Port Orchard's development and growth patterns for the next 20 years through 2044. This document will update the existing Comprehensive Plan, which was last fully updated in 2016. Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan DRAFT: November 2024 1.2 2044 Targeted Outcomes With continued hard work that is focused and coordinated in accordance with the goals and policies in this comprehensive plan, Port Orchard will remain one of the best small cities in Washington State. By careful planning, Port Orchard's increasing number of residents will enjoy a sustained high quality of life that is founded upon its supportive community, healthy economy, and pristine environment. Using the community's vision for the future, by the year 2044 the City will have built upon these positive attributes and will have achieved the following: • Port Orchard has retained its small-town character and strong community spirit. • The historic downtown is attractive and vibrant. • Efficient patterns of development have reduced real per capita infrastructure costs. • Housing has remained available to all members of the community, and the diversity of housing types has expanded. • Housing has remained available and affordable to all members of the community, and the diversity of housing types and densities has expanded. • Walking, biking, driving, and transit infrastructure make it easy to get around the city. • Port Orchard's waterfront and open space resources are highly enjoyable by the community. • Community organizations are better empowered to coordinate events and activities. • Residents continue to enjoy a comfortable and productive relationship with City government. • Residents have access to well -paying jobs, have short commutes, and choose to shop locally. • Local businesses are supported by the community and government policies that promote economic development. • Residents are better informed and connected to the planning process. • Port Orchard's critical areas, shorelines, and other natural resources are appropriately protected with no net loss to critical areas and their functions, and where feasible critical areas and shorelines are restored or enhanced. • Native American cultural and historic resources (archeological sites) will be protected through conditions on development approvals that require identification and preservation of designated sites, along with notification to the State and the Suquamish Tribe. • Impacts to natural systems are minimized while population and job growth targets are met. • Provide equitable service and access to opportunities for people of color, people with low incomes, and historically underserved communities. Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan DRAFT: November 2024 1.3 Visioning: Connections Port Orchard is defined by its physical and social environments and the ways in which they are connected. This Comprehensive Plan lays out a vision for Port Orchard that is founded on connectivity and the idea that stronger connections will ultimately lead to a stronger community. In addition to meeting state laws, addressing local and regional planning goals, and serving as a record of community input, this Comprehensive Plan seeks to bridge the specific goals and policies of the different elements to the needs and desires of the community through the established connections framework. It is important to think of Port Orchard not just as its parts, but as a cohesive whole. The City aims to improve the connections between land uses, housing, businesses, transportation, and the natural environment. As well as promote a higher level of interaction between the City government and community members. There are some key ways in which this can be achieved. Primary Connections: • Connect individual neighborhoods to the greater city • Connect people to the waterfront • Connect people to downtown • Connect downtown and the waterfront • Connect people via land use choices that encourage meaningful interactions (i.e. housing within walking distance to shops and restaurants that allows people to interact with each other on the street) • Connect separate areas of the city with a variety of transportation options • Connect people to the history of the city through the built environment • Connect neighborhoods to the regional trail network • Connect parks to housing and other parks • Connect residents and government officials • Connect business and government through a high level of partnership and cooperation • Connect identified wildlife habitat areas and corridors with greenbelts and other open space areas. • Connect the community to the natural environment through education and voluntary stewardship. Elements of Connection Within the comprehensive planning process, physical, social, and governmental influences must be considered in how Port Orchard is connected. Physical element: The infrastructure, housing, transportation, parks, natural amenities, topography, critical areas, restaurants, shops, businesses, schools, and all other built and natural aspects that make up the city. Social element: The residents, the groups, and the interests they represent. Government element: The professional, public services, and regulatory side of the City that must work to maintain and foster a relationship with residents that is healthy and responsive to community needs and desires. Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan DRAFT: November 2024 1.4 Centers Building concentrations of activity in Port Orchard will help create a more vibrant city. Within countywide centers, a mix of land uses will lead to higher levels of local connectivity. Centers can connect housing, businesses, and services in a more focused way, allowing for more efficient land uses and allocation of public resources for infrastructure. See Section 2 (Land Use) for more information on Centers. 1.5 Port Orchard History The Port Orchard area was historically occupied by the Suquamish people, whose ancestors have lived in the Central Puget Sound area for approximately 10,000 years. Ethnographic and archeological evidence shows that the Suquamish people have lived, gathered food stuffs, produced ceremonial and spiritual items, and hunted and fished for thousands of years in the area now known as Port Orchard. Sidney M. Stevens first purchased 88.5 acres of land in 1885 with the intention of starting the town that would become Port Orchard. His son, Frederick Stevens, platted the land in 1886 and named the new location Sidney, after his father. Early businesses focused on lumber and a handful of saloons. Other industries included sawmills, shingle mills, and a pottery and terra cotta plant. The town was incorporated on September 15, 1890, and became the first town in Kitsap County to be both platted and incorporated. Sidney became the county seat in the general election of 1892. Shortly after, the U.S. Navy sought a suitable location for another west coast base and found it in the Sinclair Inlet with the assistance of Sidney's residents. This location would later become the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. The original industries began to fade with the addition of the naval shipyard, and subsequently many of the employees of the timber industry moved to the shipyard for work. In December of 1892, the residents of Sidney petitioned both the state legislature and the Post Office Department to rename the City to "Port Orchard." After much confusion with the local post office, Sidney was finally renamed "Port Orchard" in 1903. The first school in Sidney opened in 1889 and later the South Kitsap Union High School opened in 1922. In 2000 the City's land area was 3.96 square miles, but after several annexations, increased to 9.63 square miles in 2012. These annexations have also increased the population of Port Orchard, growing from 11,144 to 15,587 people between 2010 and 2020. The Washington Office of Financial Management (OFM) estimates that Port Orchard's population as of June 28, 2024 had risen to 18,300 people. Figure 1-1. Port Orchard Population Growth 2016-2024 OFM Estimates 20,000 18,000 16,000 14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 OFM Population Estimate Annual Growth Rate 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2°% 1% 0% 2023 2024 Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan DRAFT: November 2024 1.6 The Context of Planning in Port Orchard 1.6.1 What is a Comprehensive Plan? A comprehensive plan is a tool that allows a City to anticipate and guide changes in a manner that is consistent with the desires of the community. Based on extensive public input that has occurred over the last periodic updates, this document serves as the record of the City's long-range vision, priorities, and concerns. It translates the community's vision into goals and policies for the City to use in evaluating and making future physical, economic, and community development decisions. When implemented, the comprehensive plan acts as a tool for managing growth, coordinating programs and regulations and protecting the community's quality of life and critical resources. In the face of constant and inevitable change, it ensures that community goals are predictably, consistently, and effectively promoted and implemented. In Washington State, comprehensive plans cover a 20-year planning horizon and are required to be updated every 10 years' with a 5-year mid -cycle review. These plans serve as long-range policy guides for managing growth and development within a jurisdiction, considering both the natural environment and available resources. In addition to being required under the Growth Management Act (GMA) to include a 20-year outlook, this timeframe also provides enough time to accommodate and guide population and employment growth effectively, while also providing a realistic outlook for demographic changes, economic shifts, and workforce dynamics. This longer time frame also allows jurisdictions to make decisions related to land use and infrastructure that can withstand short-term fluctuations, ensure investments align with projected growth, and maintain a coherent vision for the community. 1.6.2 Population and Employment Allocations and Capacities As population and employment continue to grow in the city, Port Orchard has been allocated a certain amount of the region's growth and must plan to accommodate that growth through its zoning and infrastructure capacity. In conjunction, Kitsap County has calculated how much zoned land capacity Port Orchard has. Port Orchard must plan for an additional 10,500 residents above its 2020 population by 2044, according to the most recent Kitsap County Countywide Planning Policies which utilize the City's 2020 population from the US Census2. The 2021 Kitsap County Buildable Lands Report calculates that the City has an additional population capacity of 16,250 residents3. This is greater than the City's growth target (10,500 additional residents) as found in the Countywide Planning Policies and means that the City has surplus capacity for an additional 5,750 residents. To achieve its population growth target, Port Orchard would need to sustain a 3 percent annual growth rate until 2044. However, Port Orchard has seen a growth rate exceeding 3 percent per year since 2020. While this accelerated growth rate is not expected to continue, it is anticipated that Port Orchard will reach its growth target prior to 2044 if current trends continue. Similarly, Port Orchard must plan for an additional 5,400 jobs above its 2020 employment by 2044 in 1 http://app.lee.wa.eov/RCW/default.asl)x?cite=36.70A.130 2 https://www.kitsap.eov/dcd/PEP%20Documents/ KRCC%20Apprroved%2OGrowth%2OTargets October%202022.pdf 3 https://www.kitsap.gov/dcd/PEP%20Documents/ FINAL%20Buildable%20Lands%20Report November%202021.pdf Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan DRAFT: November 2024 accordance with the most recent Kitsap County Countywide Planning Policies'. The 2021 Kitsap County Buildable Lands Report identifies that Port Orchard has an additional employment capacity of 5,243 jobs, resulting in a small employment deficit of 157 jobs by the year 2044'. This deficit has been eliminated through minor changes proposed to the land use map in Appendix A and through the adoption of the Bethel -Lund and Sedgwick-Bethel subarea plans as discussed in the Land Use Element. These population and employment growth allocations are used throughout the Comprehensive Plan for internal consistency. Whether Port Orchard adds over 10,500 residents and 5,400 jobs by 2044 depends on several factors. These include the completion of infrastructure projects in support of growth as outlined in Chapters 7-9, the health of the local economy, and the quality of public services such as schools. These factors influence how many people move to Port Orchard and how many jobs are created. The main goal of this Comprehensive Plan is to ensure that this growth aligns with the City's vision, which has been shaped by community involvement and input. This will be achieved through the implementation of the goals and policies contained within this Comprehensive Plan to facilitate coordinated and sustainable growth. 1.6.3 Port Orchard Urban Growth Area (UGA) The Urban Growth Area (UGA) in unincorporated Kitsap County affiliated with Port Orchard is an area designated for eventual annexation into Port Orchard. According to the Kitsap Countywide Planning Policies, the UGA population in 2020 was 15,370, and the County has allocated it an increase of 3,552 people by 2044. The Buildable Lands Report shows the UGA has a capacity of 3,552 people based on existing zoning. This means that the land capacity of the Port Orchard affiliated UGA is exactly large enough to accommodate its population growth target. If the City were to annex all its UGA by 2044, it would need to provide infrastructure and services to these new residents. This has significant implications for Port Orchard's Comprehensive Plan goals and policies and its provision of public services. Even if the City doesn't annex these areas, many of the residents living in the UGA work, shop, recreate, and travel in Port Orchard. As such, the City must consider the proximity of these areas and impacts to the City from this population when making decisions. 1.6.4 Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA) The Washington State GMA was passed by the state legislature in 1990 to protect Washington's quality of life, economy, and environment from the threat of uncoordinated and unplanned growth. It requires state and local governments to identify and protect critical areas and natural resource lands, designate urban growth areas, adopt and regularly update comprehensive plans, and implement them through capital investments and development regulations. Cities and counties planning under the GMA are required to adopt development regulations that are consistent with, and implement, their comprehensive plans. The GMA also promotes coordination and consistency between cities, counties, and the state, in part by requiring that all comprehensive plans address certain goals. The 15 goals of the GMA' are: 4https://www.kitsap.eov/dcd/PEP%20Documents/ KRCC%20Apprroved%2OGrowth%2OTargets October%202022.pdf 5https://www.kitsap.eov/dcd/PEP%20Documents/ FINAL%20Buildable%20Lands%20Report November%202021.pdf s https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=36.70A.020 Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan DRAFT: November 2024 • Urban growth. Encourage development in urban areas where adequate public facilities and services exist or can be provided in an efficient manner. • Reduce sprawl. Reduce the inappropriate conversion of undeveloped land into sprawling, low -density development. • Transportation. Encourage efficient multimodal transportation systems that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and per capita vehicle miles traveled and are based on regional priorities and coordinated with county and city comprehensive plans. • Housing. Plan for and accommodate affordable housing to all economic segments of the population of this state, promote a variety of residential densities and housing types, and encourage preservation of existing housing stock. • Economic development. Encourage economic development throughout the state that is consistent with adopted comprehensive plans, promote economic opportunity for all citizens of this state, especially for unemployed and for disadvantaged persons, promote the retention and expansion of existing businesses and recruitment of new businesses, recognize regional differences impacting economic development opportunities, and encourage growth in areas experiencing insufficient economic growth, all within the capacities of the state's natural resources, public services, and public facilities. • Property rights. Private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation having been made. The property rights of landowners shall be protected from arbitrary and discriminatory actions. • Permits. Applications for both state and local government permits should be processed in a timely and fair manner to ensure predictability. • Natural resource industries. Maintain and enhance natural resource -based industries, including productive timber, agricultural, and fisheries industries. Encourage the conservation of productive forest lands and productive agricultural lands and discourage incompatible uses. • Open space and recreation. Retain open space, enhance recreational opportunities, enhance fish and wildlife habitat, increase access to natural resource lands and water, and develop parks and recreation facilities. • Environment. Protect and enhance the environment and enhance the state's high quality of life, including air and water quality, and the availability of water. • Citizen participation and coordination. Encourage the involvement of citizens in the planning process, including the participation of vulnerable populations and overburdened communities, and ensure coordination between communities and jurisdictions to reconcile conflicts. Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan DRAFT: November 2024 Public facilities and services. Ensure that those public facilities and services necessary to support development shall be adequate to serve the development at the time the development is available for occupancy and use without decreasing current service levels below locally established minimum standards. • Historic preservation. Identify and encourage the preservation of lands, sites, and structures that have historical or archaeological significance. Climate change and resiliency. Ensure that comprehensive plans, development regulations, and regional policies, plans, and strategies under RCW 36.70A.210 and chapter 47.80 RCW adapt to and mitigate the effects of a changing climate; support reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and per capita vehicle miles traveled; prepare for climate impact scenarios; foster resiliency to climate impacts and natural hazards; protect and enhance environmental, economic, and human health and safety; and advance environmental justice. • Shorelines of the state. For shorelines of the state, the goals and policies of the Shoreline Management Act as set forth in RCW 90.58.020 shall be considered an element of the county's or city's comprehensive plan. The GMA is codified as Revised Code of Washington (RCW) chapter 36.70A. It can be accessed online at the following link: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=36.70A 1.6.5 Puget Sound Regional Council's VISION 2050 VISION 2050 is a regional strategy for accommodating the 5.8 million people expected to live in the central Puget Sound region by 2050. It is administered by the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC), a regional planning agency with a mission to enhance the quality of life in the region. The region is defined as Kitsap, King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. The PSRC develops policies and coordinates decisions about regional growth, transportation, and economic development planning. It is also responsible for selecting local projects to receive federal transportation funding. VISION 2050 is an integrated, long-range vision for maintaining a healthy region. It promotes the well- being of people and communities, economic vitality, and a healthy environment. VISION 2050 has been refined from the previous VISION 2040 framework with the following primary tenets to support comprehensive regional growth strategies: • Retains the same core emphasis on a strong economy, healthy environment, preserving farms and forests, and supporting growth within the urban growth area and centers • Retains the same plan structure as VISION 2040, with a numeric Regional Growth Strategy, multicounty planning policies, and actions • Identifies new regional outcomes and a vision statement for the region • Addresses equity and health in policies and actions throughout the plan • Supports implementation of recent plans and initiatives, like the Regional Transportation Plan, the Regional Economic Strategy, the Regional Open Space Conservation Plan, the Regional Centers Framework, and Growing Transit Communities The concept of people, prosperity, and planet provides a central theme for VISION 2050. This concept signals that our regional leaders use an approach that considers social, cultural, economic, and Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan DRAFT: November 2024 environmental benefits when making decisions. Port Orchard's Comprehensive Plan proposes a sustainable approach to growth and future development. The Plan commits to maintaining and restoring ecosystems, through steps to conserve and enhance key fish wildlife habitats and other critical areas, to promote restoration of degraded shorelines, to improve water quality, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This Comprehensive Plan has been updated based on residential and employment targets that align with VISION 2050. Through the targeting process we have identified the number of housing units in the City that currently exist and that are anticipated to be developed within the planning period and have identified needs for affordable housing. Residential and employment targets for the City's designated local centers of importance will be identified and expanded in future subarea planning for these centers. This Plan addresses each of the policy areas in VISION 2050. The elements of the Plan include goals and policies that address habitat protection, water conservation, air quality, and climate change. Environmentally friendly development techniques, such as low -impact landscaping and stormwater runoff management, are encouraged. The Plan calls for more compact urban development and addresses mixed -use and transit -oriented development. There are directives to prioritize funding and infrastructure investments to our centers of local importance. The Housing element commits to expanding housing production at all income levels to meet the diverse needs of both current and future residents. The Economic Development element supports creating jobs, creating sustainable and livable communities, and improving connections between housing, employment, and transportation. The Transportation element advances cleaner and more sustainable mobility, with provisions for complete streets, context -sensitive design, and alternatives to driving alone. The City's transportation planning is coordinated with Kitsap County, including level of service standards and concurrency provisions. The City also commits to conservation methods in the provision of public services. The Implementation section of the Plan addresses local implementation actions addressed in VISION 2050, including identification of underused lands and housing targets. VISION 2050 can be accessed online at the following link: www.psrc.org/planning-2050/vision-2050 1.6.6 Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council and Countywide Planning Policies The Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council (KRCC) is an inter -local forum for local jurisdictions and the voice on countywide transportation planning and policy issues. Its members include Kitsap County, Port Orchard, Bremerton, Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo, and the Port of Bremerton. Kitsap Transit and the Suquamish & Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribes are Associate Members, and Naval Base Kitsap is an Ex Officio member. The Council coordinates the review and monitoring of the Kitsap Countywide Planning Policies and related population forecasting and distribution. The Council's Executive Board is responsible for the distribution of federal grant funds for federal transportation funding via the PSRC. The Kitsap Countywide Planning Policies tailor the PSRC's regional growth management guidelines to Kitsap County and is the policy framework for the County's and the Cities' comprehensive plans. The Countywide Planning Policies address 15 separate elements, ranging from urban growth areas to affordable housing. The Countywide Planning Policies are required by the GMA and were originally established in 1992. The Kitsap County Planning Policies can be accessed online at the following link: www.kitsapgov.com/dcd/Pages/Kitsap-Countywide-Planning-Policies.aspx Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan DRAFT: November 2024 1.7 Community Involvement in the 2044 Update The Plan is ultimately written for the residents of Port Orchard and to implement their visions of the community's future. The GMA requires actively involving the public during the development and update of the Plan. This process began with the creation of a Public Participation Program that outlines opportunities for community involvement, how the public can submit comments, and how the public is notified of open meetings. The City began soliciting public input in early 2023 at a public Kickoff and Visioning meeting held in January. At this meeting, the City outlined the scope of this 2024 Periodic Update to the Comprehensive Plan and solicited feedback on the City's progress toward implementing the 2036 Targeted Outcomes contained in the City's previously adopted Comprehensive Plan (2016). This feedback was used as a baseline to review community priorities for this Periodic Update and identify new opportunities and challenges since the City's last Comprehensive Plan update. A Policy Workshop held in February of 2024 provided an opportunity to review, give feedback, and revise policy language in the City's Comprehensive Plan. This meeting identified items that must be included in the Plan for consistency with the Washington State Growth Management Act, Puget Sound Regional Council Vision 2050, and the Kitsap County Countywide Planning Policies. The intent of this Workshop was to give the public an opportunity to provide input on policy updates the community felt are needed, given the growth and change throughout the City since the last major Comprehensive Plan Update in 2016. A Land Use Strategies Workshop in May of 2024 summarized updates to the City's Zoning Map, Future Land Use Map, and introduced proposed zoning code revisions. The public was encouraged to attend this meeting to review and provide feedback on the City's anticipated approach to meeting the state, regional, and county regulatory requirements of the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update process related to land use, zoning, housing, and overall growth that the City will be experiencing over the next 20 years. In association with the subarea planning efforts conducted with this Comprehensive Plan update, the City hosted a public workshop at the Kitsap Regional Library in Port Orchard in July 2024. The workshop presented detailed information related to the specific planning efforts related to the Sedgwick-Bethel and Bethel -Lund subarea plans with the intention of achieving Countywide Center designations for those areas. The workshop prepared interactive maps and questionnaire boards detailing proposed changes to these specific areas of Figure 1-2. Kickoff and Visioning Meeting Figure 1-3. Port Orchard Farmers Market Booth Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan DRAFT: November 2024 the City to collect input on community desires for the future of these areas that have adequate infrastructure, transit service, and developable land to focus growth. More detailed information for these subareas is provided in the Land Use Element. The subarea plans are included as Appendix F and Appendix G of this Comprehensive Plan. 1.8 Organization of the Plan The Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan is designed to align with the community's vision and values. It is built upon the concept of "connections" outlined in Section 1.3, emphasizing that the interlinking of the physical and social environment as discussed in the elements contained within this Plan lead to a stronger community. This leads to the centers strategy, which not only implements the Regional Growth Strategy found in VISION 2050 but is integrated into the Land Use element. The Land Use goals, in turn, then influence all of the other Plan elements, creating a cohesive and interconnected framework. This comprehensive strategy ensures that every aspect of the Plan ties back to the community's vision and overall goals, fostering a well -integrated and sustainable approach to development. BASELINE INFORMATION emu!__ CENTERS STRATEGY HOUSING CL 4V _io PARKS LAND USE ELEMENT FN.Q 0i W v _ UTILI IES ��z� r . �t x CAPITAL FACILITIES PLAN ELEMENTS Rt �0 0 RECONOMIC 0 00 0 DEVELOPMENT CLIMATE � ., NATURAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS Figure 1-4. Organization of the Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan DRAFT: November 2024