Kitsap planners begin yearlong Silverdale Center update as market study, PSRC recertification loom

Kitsap County Planning Commission members on March 4 heard a briefing on a yearlong update to the Silverdale Regional Growth Center plan and its design guidelines, including a market study due in May that county staff say is needed to support Silverdale’s recertification with the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC).

The briefing, led by Jim Rogers, long‑range planner with the Kitsap County Department of Community Development (DCD), emphasized that the county must show progress toward regional center criteria to retain PSRC benefits and federal transportation funds. "We want to ensure that we maintain our center status with PSRC," Rogers said, adding that losing that status could put roughly $2,500,000 a year in PSRC transportation funding at risk for Kitsap County projects.

The presentation laid out key metrics and next steps. County staff said Silverdale’s designated center covers approximately 717 acres — above the commonly cited PSRC guideline of about 640 acres — and currently records about 15.8 "activity units" per acre (a PSRC measure that counts jobs and residents combined). Rogers said PSRC expects at least 18 activity units per acre and that the county’s long‑term planned density is roughly 45 activity units per acre. To support recertification, the county commissioned a market study (being prepared by Eco Northwest) and expects to submit material to PSRC in May; PSRC will not make a recertification decision until later in the year.

Rogers described the project scope as an update to the Silverdale vision, a market study, revised design guidelines (last updated in 2008), and an implementation strategy with specific action items and mapping of multimodal improvements. The county selected Burke (with urban designer Seth Harry) as lead consultant; Parametrix will assist on transportation implementation. Rogers said the county plans a community visioning process, outreach to subpopulations and stakeholders, and delivery of a final draft before the end of the year so adoption can follow in early 2026.

Commissioners and the public pressed planners on walkability, tree canopy, stormwater, parking, housing affordability, and how the center’s boundaries were drawn. Commissioner Aaron Murphy and others urged reduction of large surface parking areas and stronger multimodal connections; Commissioner Adrian Hampton suggested outreach to Silverdale Community Church and involving students in field‑based visioning exercises. Jim Rogers said the county will examine underutilized and publicly owned parcels, block frontage standards, and options that could reduce parking requirements to make multifamily housing "pencil out." He also said the county is pursuing incentives for affordable housing and monitoring possible state legislative changes affecting tax incentives.

Public commenters reiterated concerns about redevelopment costs and affordability. "I am commenting on the Silverdale center plan. I have two basic comments," said Mr. Palmer (identified in the record as a resident), who urged an independent cost analysis of building up versus dispersed development and warned that surface‑parking‑heavy development raises housing costs. David Rose, a Bremerton resident, noted Silverdale has a very low walkability score and estimated that much of the center area is currently paved as surface parking.

Rogers and county staff said draft market‑study findings will be presented to the commission on April 15, and that Burke should be under contract within weeks. Staff described the update as an effort to align design guidelines and code tools with the community vision so that the plan results in implementable projects rather than a document that "collects dust."