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Neighbors raise development-impact concerns as Port Orchard considers rezoning near Old Clifton Road
Summary
Port Orchard staff described a proposed land-use amendment to rezone about a dozen parcels owned or optioned by Mike Diaz from employment/industrial to residential; neighbors testified about development impacts on the private Durfee Lane access during the planning commission hearing.
Port Orchard staff briefed the Land Use Committee on a proposed land-use amendment for properties near Old Clifton Road that would change about a dozen parcels from employment/industrial to residential; neighbors have testified about likely impacts to the private Durfee Lane access.
Nick Bond, community development director, said applicant Mike Diaz owns parcels on both sides of a creek and has requested a designation change for the 12 parcels on the west side of the creek that currently are zoned employment industrial. “He's seeking to change these 12 properties on the West Side of the creek from employment industrial over to residential,” Bond said. He added the site is sloped and would present development constraints: “If they're gonna have any kind of industrial development... they'd have to do a lot of retaining walls.”
Why it matters: the rezone would change the long-term designation of the parcels and could enable residential subdivision. Neighbors who testified at the planning commission hearing focused on impacts of development on their private road rather than on the land-use designation itself. Bond told the committee the planning commission left the record open to allow additional written testimony and said the commission may recommend an R-2 zoning (less intense) rather than R-3.
Committee members discussed access and mitigation. Council member Eric Wharton suggested a compromise: if the landowner invested to bring the private lane to county or city standards and the city were to adopt it, that could mitigate traffic impacts. Bond and others clarified that Durfee Lane is a county road providing access to urban property and that an option for industrial access would be building a new road through the industrial park, a costly alternative.
No formal rezoning decision was made by the Land Use Committee; the planning commission’s record remains open and the commission will issue a recommendation to City Council.
