Meadowview will add Camp Court frontage improvements and on-site bus stops; pedestrian connections along Island Lake Road remain contested

The Meadowview project team told the Kitsap County hearing that primary vehicle and pedestrian access will be via Camp Court, where the applicant will construct two-way road improvements and a five-foot sidewalk to the intersection with Island Lake Road. The developer also plans at least one public transit stop inside the subdivision to provide a safe waiting area for public and school buses.

Why this matters: Appellants and several community members asked the county to require a longer off-site sidewalk along Island Lake Road to the north. Project engineers said site geometry, topography and existing right-of-way limits make a continuous sidewalk infeasible and that internal bus stops and frontage improvements on Camp Court provide safer, practical alternatives for residents and students.

Key points from testimony

- Frontage and sidewalks: Project civil engineer Miss Heffern said Camp Court will be improved to two-way vehicle standards and will include a 5-foot pedestrian sidewalk extending to the Camp Court/Island Lake Road intersection. Because Island Lake Road “meanders” through its right-of-way and slopes and mature trees limit where a sidewalk could be placed without major grading or easement acquisition, the team did not propose extending a continuous off-site sidewalk north on Island Lake Road.

- On-site transit and school access: Heffern said the project will provide at least one public bus stop inside the development and will support school transport to avoid routing children along narrow or unsidewalked segments of Island Lake Road. She described the internal stop as available for public use, not limited to Meadowview residents.

- Utilities: The project will underground overhead power lines on Camp Court as part of a developer-funded utility upgrade; internal distribution will be underground within the plat, the team said. That work will be coordinated with Puget Sound Energy and will remove a local overhead pole on Camp Court.

Opposition and outstanding questions

Appellants asked whether the developer explored acquiring easements or other off-site work to provide a continuous sidewalk. The applicant said it evaluated off-site connection options and found multiple constraints; further easement acquisition was not in the project scope. Appellants also raised safety concerns for pedestrians who currently walk along Island Lake Road; the county reviewer said proposed frontage improvements plus the internal bus stop were the applicant’s mitigation measures.

Ending: The hearing record will include public comments on off-site pedestrian needs. Final engineering and coordination with PSE and Kitsap Transit will determine construction timing for the sidewalk, bus stop and undergrounding work.