Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Accessory Dwelling Unit topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Kitsap hearing examiner to issue approval for Port Orchard ADU after brief March 13 hearing
Summary
Hearing Examiner Phil Albrecht indicated he will issue approval within 10 business days for a conditional use permit to convert a single-family home to an accessory dwelling unit at 1041 Southeast Wilford Lane after a staff presentation and no public comment.
Hearing Examiner Phil Albrecht said he expects to issue approval within 10 business days for a conditional use permit to convert an existing single-family home into an accessory dwelling unit at 1041 Southeast Wilford Lane in Port Orchard, following a March 13, 2025, hearing.
The request (file no. 23-05924) would convert the existing residence into a 652-square-foot ADU and construct a new 2,342-square-foot primary single-family home on a 7.92-acre parcel in South Kitsap (Commissioner District 2). Keith Hoffner, a planner with the Kitsap County Department of Community Development, presented the staff overview and said the Department issued a SEPA determination of non-significance (DNS) on Jan. 17, 2025, and that the SEPA appeal period closed Jan. 31 with no appeals filed.
Why it matters: ADUs are a common local tool to add housing units on existing lots. The parcel is zoned rural residential; staff said the proposal meets Kitsap County standards for ADUs, parking and setbacks and will be conditioned for applicable stormwater controls.
Hoffner told the examiner the parcel (Kitsap County Assessor parcel reported in the record) is irregularly shaped and heavily treed, with a central ravine containing wetlands and a non-fish-bearing stream. Hoffner said no new development is proposed in the ravine under this permit. The site plan submitted with the application shows shared driveway access from Southeast Wilford Lane, four parking spaces to meet county parking standards for both dwellings, and an eight-foot separation between the proposed ADU and the new residence.
Under county rules cited by staff, the maximum ADU size would be 900 square feet; Hoffner said the proposed ADU is 652 square feet. Hoffner also said the proposed primary residence is 2,342 square feet, and that health approvals for water and sewer have been met.
During the hearing no members of the public appeared to comment. The applicant appeared in the hearing but did not wish to testify. The examiner admitted the exhibits identified in the staff report into the record after noting staff had no objection: "so I'll go ahead and admit those," Albrecht said. After the presentation and the lack of public comment, Albrecht closed the hearing and said he "should be able to get that approval out within the next 10 business days."
The staff recommendation, as stated in the record, is for approval conditioned to comply with Kitsap County Code Title 17.415B (special use criteria for ADUs), applicable portions of Title 12 (stormwater), and standard permit conditions. The record shows that no SEPA appeals were filed and the DNS is final.
A written decision from the hearing examiner will complete the record and state any specific conditions of approval. The transcript and exhibits admitted at the hearing will be part of that record.
