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Poulsbo staff recommend releasing decades‑old concomitant agreement for North Fourth Avenue parcel; public hearing set
Summary
Planning staff recommended releasing a recorded concomitant agreement and an amendment that apply to three North Fourth Avenue parcels, a step intended to clear title and allow a boundary line adjustment; the council set a public hearing for Oct. 15 to consider the release and heard that the area could become a passive park if the city later acqui
Planning staff told the council on Oct. 8 that a recorded concomitant agreement and its 1981 amendment affecting three properties at the north end of Fourth Avenue should be released to clear title and allow a boundary line adjustment requested by the property owner.
Edie Berghoff of the Planning and Economic Development Department described the 4.1‑acre parcel under discussion and said Housing Kitsap currently owns the parcel the city is reviewing. Staff said the larger parcel is wetland‑encumbered and has been discussed as a potential piece of a connected network of green space that some councilmembers described as “Poulsbo Central Park.”
Berghoff summarized the legal and historic record: an earlier developer sought a 172‑unit multifamily project in the 1970s; ordinances and a concomitant agreement followed, and the site subsequently was built in part as condominiums (now Viking Crest). Staff said 120 of the original 172 units were constructed; 52 units remained unbuilt. Foundations for additional buildings remain in the woods. Berghoff said the condominium documents list the clubhouse and pool but do not reference ownership of a second tennis court, which staff recommended should belong to the vacant, Housing Kitsap‑owned parcel as part of the proposed release.
Staff described three decision criteria in municipal code for releasing a concomitant agreement and reported findings consistent with those criteria; staff recommended release and recommended that council confirm in the release that the tennis court belong with the vacant parcel rather than Viking Crest. Planning staff said a public hearing on the release has been scheduled for Oct. 15.
Councilmembers asked clarifying questions about ownership, what has already been built, the difficulty of building on the steep, slide‑prone ground, and the property’s marketing history. A planning staff member said Housing Kitsap has listed portions of the parcel for sale on and off since 2007 and had at times explored development options but ultimately found the site challenging and expensive to develop.
City and Housing Kitsap representatives described a likely near‑term approach: a boundary line adjustment to transfer the small piece that Viking Crest needs (parking lot, utility access) to the condominium association, while the city or another buyer could later acquire the remainder for open space or passive park use. Staff noted that other connected parcels — including Mitigation land linked to an earlier WSDOT project — could be combined in future to create contiguous trails and habitat.
No council vote occurred Oct. 8; staff will return with the record of the public hearing on Oct. 15 and a formal ordinance or resolution if the council chooses to release the recorded concomitant agreement.
