Neighbors press for sidewalks, safer crossings on Island Lake Road near Meadowview site

Neighbors and appellants told the Kitsap County hearing on Jan. 13 that Camp Court NW and the adjacent stretch of Island Lake Road are hazardous for pedestrians and school bus users, and they pressed for the frontage improvements recommended by county staff.

Speakers who live around Island Lake described narrow or non‑existent shoulders, no street lighting, steep ditches and a school bus stop that forces children and parents to wait on a tight verge. John Center and Don Fenton, residents who testified in support of Friends of Island Lake, said the uphill segment of Island Lake Road between Camp Court NW and Lake Ridge Circle lacks continuous sidewalks and can be effectively pitch‑black at night because mature trees form an overhead canopy; residents walk dogs, push strollers and use the park and dock at the north end of the lake. Center testified the proposed Meadowview work includes sidewalks on Camp Court NW and some frontage work, but urged payment or extension of sidewalks along Island Lake Road between Camp Court and Lake Ridge Court so school‑bus waiting areas will be safer. County staff’s recommended permit conditions list frontage improvements that would provide sidewalks and safe waiting areas; neighbors said that condition is necessary and urged the county to make it binding.

Fenton described the history of water‑level problems on Island Lake when asked about flooding and low‑lake events, and both neighbors said those environmental issues are distinct from, but add to, the community’s sensitivity about additional development.

Why it matters: The Meadowview project proposes a new access and added trip generation at Camp Court NW, bringing more pedestrian and vehicle movements to a part of Island Lake Road that residents say lacks safe pedestrian infrastructure and already hosts a school bus stop. The staff report explicitly identifies the frontage improvements (paving and sidewalk) along Island Lake Road from the Camp Court junction to Lake Ridge Court as a project requirement to “provide safe waiting areas on sidewalks for school bus stops.” Appellants said the condition should be enforced and verified in the final permits.

Ending: The hearing examiner and parties scheduled follow‑up sessions and asked counsel to confirm scheduling; sidewalk and frontage conditions remain on the staff report and will be enforced through the county’s permit review if the decision stands.