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DRAFT Chapter 1 - Introduction REDLINEChapter I Introduction 1.1 Introduction Port Orchard is a small but growing city in the Puget Sound region of Washington State. It is ler-ated iRis in close proximity to 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. PA_0 ^rehaFd faces a ehall eR es Recent an RexatiORS and Similar to most cities in the Puget Sound region, rapid population growth have in the last decade has contributed to increasing demands for goods, services, housing, and infrastructure. These ehal -,demands on the local community represent some of the biggest challenges facing the City since itaFe likely to be present for the fA-reseeable—future asPert 9rehaFel last undertook updating its Comprehensive Plan in 20196.traRSitions away frorn the small town that it was for the fiFSt 125 years of its existe Downtown Port Orchard has gFOWR SleWly nt , s theugh it n escontinued to be a focal point with its —eat n„+ ntial due to its waterfront location and access to transit, including passenger ferry service with connections to downtown Seattle. How Port Orchard manages its growth and growing pains in the years to come is highly crucial to the City's existing businesses and residents. Bolstered by its rich history, s g-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 rn•, a continue revitalizing the downtown area, draw more attractions to the city, and encourage appreciation for the city's natural resources and friendly, close- knit community. Port Orchard will take strategic steps to identify and strengthen its tiers hptl.yeeR 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 ids ,.,,,,text and a clear vision of Ots f„tt 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 taking -enaddressing 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 the City by ensuring that ordinances, regulations, programs, and projects are developed in accordance with community values and goals. The goals and policies of the Plan specify measurable, achievable actions that most effectively utilize limited resources, retain the small-town character of Port Orchard, and build aR eveR stronger community. Developed with significant public input and city leaders' review, this document will guide Port Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan DRAFT Update: January 2024 Orchard's development and growth patterns for the next 20 years through 20362044. 4--This document will updates the existing Comprehensive Plan, which was last fully updated in 200820196. 1.2 2036 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 fer the f + " ^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 2036 2044 the City will have built upon these positive attributes and will have achieved the following: • The city has retained its small --town character and strong community spirit. • The historic downtown is ewe attractive and vibrant. • More eEfficient 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. • Walking, biking, driving, and transit infrastructure make it easy to get around the city. • The city's waterfront and open space resources are highly eejeyecpenioyable by the community. • Community organizations are better empowered to coordinate events and activities. • Citizens enjoy a comfortable and productive relationship with city government. • Citizens Residents have access to well p jobs, have short commutes, and choose to shop locally. • Local businesses are supported by the community and government policies that promote economic development. • Citizens are better informed and connected to the planning process. • The city'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) shall be protected w##through conditions on development approvals that require identification and preservation of such designated sites, along with apd-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. • Establish a robust housing stock that provides affordable options for all incomes at a variety of housing densities. 1.3 Visioning: Connections The city is defined by its physical and social environments and the ways in which they are connected. Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan DRAFT Update: January 2024 This comprehensive plan seeks to lay 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 Plan seeks to bridge the specific goals and policies of the different elements to the needs and desires of the community through t4is-the established connections framework. It is important to think of Port Orchard not just as its parts, but as a cohesive whole. Port Orchard aims to improve the connections between land uses, housing, businesses, transportation, and the natural environment. and te As well as, promote a higher level of interaction between the city government and cotozenscommunity members. There are some key ways in which this can be achieved. Connect Parks to Hausing and to he, Parks Conned Business and Government Through a Hlgh Level of Partnership and Cooperation Connect Ne igh horhoods to Connections the Regional Trail Network Connect Individual Neighhorhoodsta Greate r City Connect People to the History of the City Through the Built En,irc nai Connect people to Downtown, People to Waterfront. and Downtown to Wate rfrc nt Connect citizen s Connect People and Government Officials via La ad Ilse Ch.— Connect Separate that Encourage Areas of the City with Meaningful aVariety of Interactions Transportation Options Figure 1 - Conceptual diagram of the connections theme 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 encounter an 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 Mother parks • Connect cotozenrsresidents 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 Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan DRAFT Update: January 2024 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 the city is connected. • Physical element: The infrastructure, housing, transportation, parks, natural amenities, restaurants, shops, businesses, schools, and all e#t#eother built and natural aspects that make up the city. • Social element: The eitizensresidents, the groups, and the interests that -they represent. • Government element: The professional, public services, and regulatory side of the city that must work to maintain and foster a relationship with citizens residents that is healthy and responsive to community needs and desires. 1.4 Local Centers Building concentrations of activity in Port Orchard will help create a more vibrant city. Within countywide ,Pp' centers, a mix of land uses will lead to higher levels of local connectivity. 'Ar-A' Cc -enters 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 LocakCenters. 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. Inventor 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 industryindustries 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 Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan DRAFT Update: January 2024 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. [Graphic to be added; summarizing basic population and demographic information] Figure 2 - Basic information about Port Orchard In 2000 the city's land area was 3.96 square miles, but after extensive annexations, increased to 9.63 square miles a&-Gfin 2012. These annexations have also increased the population of Port Orchard, growing from �311,144 to 11,14415,587 people between 20002010 and 20102020. The Washington Office of Financial Management (OFM) estimates that the City's population as of April 1, 20152023 had risen to 33,51017,480 people. 20,000 15,000 c 0 D 10,000 0 a 5,000 0 f, Population Average Annual Growth Rate 110 1 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Source: Washington Once of Financial Management U.S. Census Bureau, LCG �.— SF •91LE.-ILL DR 0 a 2020 Bltemerton P,,[Y RO Legend Q Port Orchard City Limits Port Orchard UGA Roads State Highway Collector / Arterial Local Road Water Bodies Li J J - 5 OLD i SE SALMONRERRY RD SWRERRYLAKEkD 9 \\ Bethel SW LID€R RD O I rv+ se LIDER 0 0.5 1 mi n oa�ao I I sb sTl Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan 6% 5% 1% 0 2023 ILL DR Source' Kitsap County, City of Pon Orchard, LCG DRAFT Update: January 2024 Figure 3 - City beundaFy ^hanger due t^ ;mRexatienCity Limits and UGA 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, the 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-a„-direst+ps growth, guiding and coordinating programs and Fegulat;onT a-Rdregulations 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. Population and Employment Allocations and Capacities both eases they aFe expected to , „tiRue t„ iRcreasse r the next 20 years. -As sucahpgpulation and employment continue to Prow 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 8,235O 10,500 residents above the 20102023 population by 22044, according to the most recent Kitsap County Countywide Planning Policies. Kitsap County calculated the city has an additional population capacity as of 2020 of12,18416,250 residents. This is greater than the City's planning 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. resulting in a net 2036 population SLIFPILIS ef 3,94-9. Qype.r the past der=ade, the GityPert Orchard has /I52 r si dents slightly higheF tl:an the rate implied by the Ge Rt.,W* d #afg-e�ln order to meet its population growth target, Port Orchard would need to grow at XX3 percent annually until 2044. However, Port Orchard has been growing at higher growth rates since 2020 and therefore only needs to grow at XX3 percent annually from 2024-2044 to meet its growth target. If current trends continue, Port Orchard would reach its growth target too soon. ;h,.ref�i, a development tFen ds centon ue Port Orchard could s a population of 26,972, slightly e plaRRedeRg±fff-g�. T-eehnieally, this suFplus means the City iS Ret bound te implement any SigRifieaRt changes to its land use and zoning regulations to accommodate its alleeated growth. But ilf grewtll C_-A_At4R1_1P_r5 at the same Fate witheut ehaRges in eapaeity, the City Fnay have a sheFtageef residle-Mial land during the next planning peried. it is prudent to begin planning ROW SE) that the City gFEMS FespE)RSibly and uses its develepable land e_ffieie_R#y-. Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan DRAFT Update: January 2024 Similarly, Port Orchard must plan for an additional 3,' 3�2-45,400 jobs above the 2023 allocation by 20362044. Kitsap County has calculated Port Orchard has an additional employment capacity of �9, resulting in a net employment surplus of,,437. These numbers are used throughout the Comprehensive Plan for internal consistency. However, the allocations are not projections. Whether Port Orchard actually adds over 9,200 9,6A810,500 residents and 3,3995,400 jobs by 20362044 depends on a number of factors, including whether the city completes infrastructure proiects in support of erowth as outlined in Chapters 7-9 and other factors Port Orchard annexes additional land 49m its urban growth area, the eity's pepulatien will inerease hilt* •••""+s ,.-,pacit•, other facters like the health of the local economy and the quality of public services such as schools and roads will affect how many people move to Port Orchard and how many jobs are created here._ Another consideration is the population of the Urban Growth Area (UGA) in unincorporated Kitsap County affiliated with Port Orchard, the land around the City that has been designated for eventual annexation into Port Orchard. The Kitsap Countywide Planning Policies show the UGA population in 92020 was 15-844, and the County has allocated it an increase of 3,5525 people byE2044. The Buildable Lands Report shows the UGA has a capacity of 3,552 &,,'W people +hFa gh the planning perFedbased on existing zoning. This means that the land capacity of the Port Orchard affiliated UGA is exactly large enough to accommodate the population growth target. UGA's allocation. If the City were to annex all of its UGA by 2&3f2044, it would need to provide infrastructure and services for over 40,000 residents, triple the size of Port at sn. 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. 1.6.2 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 4315 goals of the GMA are: • 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. Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan DRAFT Update: January 2024 • Transportation. Encourage efficient multimodal transportation systems that are based on regional prierities and coordinated with county andcity eempreheRSive plaRs.will reduce greenhouse Pas emissions and per capita vehicle miles traveled, and are based on regional priorities and coordinated with county and city comprehensive plans. • Housing. Encourage the .,vailabili+„ ^f 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, conserve 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. • 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 Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan DRAFT Update: January 2024 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 safetv: and advance environmental iustice. • 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 1.6.3 Puget Sound Regional Council's VISION 20402050 VISION 20402050 is a regional strategy for accommodating the 5.8 million people expected to live in the central Puget Sound region by 20402050. 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 29402050 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. it contains an .VISION 2050 has been refined from the previous VISION 2040 framework with the followine Drimary 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 20402050. This concept signals that our regional leaders use an approach that takes into account social, cultural, economic, and 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 key fish and enhance wildlife habitats and other critical areas, to promote restoration of degraded shorelines, to improve water Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan DRAFT Update: January 2024 quality, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Plan has been updated based on residential and employment targets that align with VISION 20402050. 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. The Plan addresses each of the policy areas in VISION 20402050. 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 liveablelivable 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 Plap plan addresses local implementation actions addressed in VISION 20402050, including identification of underused lands and housing targets. VISION 20402050 can be accessed online at the following link: /WWWg/gFE)Wth/-Vu` uOR20^ https://www.psrc.org/planning-2050/vision-2050 1.6.4 Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council and Kitsap 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 are: Kitsap County, Port Orchard,—, 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. Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan DRAFT Update: January 2024 The Kitsap County Planning Policies can be accessed online at the following link: https://www.kitsapgov.com/dcd/Pages/Kitsap-Countywide-Planning-Policies.aspx 1.7 Community Involvement in the 20162044 Update The Plan is ultimately written for the cis 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 University of Washington's it W) Department of Urban on the Plan update. The City began soliciting public input in early 20142023 at a public Kickoff and Visioning meeting held in %January. At this meeting, its the City outlined the scope of this 2024 Periodic Update to the Comprehensive plan and solicited discussed the challenges and „ „FWRit, s they believe R t QFG-ia -ems iA the—ReaF fUtWe. feedback on the City's progress towards implementing the 2036 Targeted Outcomes contained in the City's existing Comprehensive Plan. A#e-r PFOGThis 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. transportation, community involvement, town centers, and the waterfront. These two meetings public outreach efforts provided the information needed to begin preparation of the 2016 update to ., ■ M. Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan DRAFT Update: January 2024 ._ 1.8 Organization of This Document The Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan is formed by the vision statement and the concept of "connections" that are defined in the Introduction. This leads into the centers strategy, which is integrated into the Land Use element. Land Use goals then influence all of the other Plan elements. Everything connects back to the community's vision and overall strategies. Figure 6 - Organization of the Comprehensive Plan Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan DRAFT Update: January 2024