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Kitsap County staff recommend approval of rural ADU; hearing record closed, decision pending
Summary
Kitsap County planners recommended approval of a conditional use permit for a 792-square-foot accessory dwelling unit on a 2.12-acre Port Orchard property; the hearing examiner closed the record and said a written decision will follow within business days.
Emily Terrell, the hearing examiner for Kitsap County, opened a public hearing Jan. 23, 2025, on a conditional use permit application to place a detached accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on a 2.12-acre rural residential parcel at 24 Southwest Terrace Lane in Port Orchard.
Kate Millward, planner with the Kitsap County Department of Community Development, told the hearing that the application (project no. 24-02526) was deemed complete June 21, 2024, that the county used the optional WAC 197-11-355 SEPA process and issued a determination of non-significance on Oct. 9, 2024, and that no appeals or public comments were received to the department. Millward described the proposal as a manufactured-home ADU of 792 square feet served by the subject property’s existing driveway and a shared driveway access across the north property line from Southwest Terrace Lane.
Millward said the primary residence on the parcel is 1,620 square feet, which under county rules makes the maximum allowed ADU size 810 square feet; the proposed ADU of 792 square feet therefore falls under that threshold. She also reported that the site is mapped with moderate erosion hazards and that Sound Geotechnical’s May 25, 2022, geologic assessment found development feasible provided the project follows the report’s recommendations. Millward stated, "Staff finds the proposal meets the special use criteria of KCC 17.415.015b and recommends approval as conditioned." The presentation noted stormwater controls will be required under KCC Title 12 and that building permit application 24-02725 for placement of the manufactured ADU is under review pending the land-use decision.
Planning supervisor Darren Gurney confirmed the county is not updating rural ADU regulations at this time and that any broader changes would follow state direction or future policy actions. No members of the applicant team or public appeared in the hearing room to present or testify on the ADU item.
Hearing examiner Terrell closed the record for the ADU hearing and said she will issue a written decision within the time she described as about 10 business days (she also referenced an approximate 14-day calendar window). No final written decision was announced at the hearing.
Why it matters: ADUs affect housing supply and lot-level development options; the examiner’s forthcoming written decision will determine whether the applicant may proceed with the submitted building-permit plan for the manufactured ADU.
What happens next: The examiner’s written decision will be uploaded to the county’s record for project no. 24-02526; if approved, the applicant may proceed with final building-permit approvals and must meet the geotechnical and stormwater conditions listed in the staff report.
