Port Orchard staff explain preapproved ADU plan and timeline tied to regional KRCC designs
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Summary
Staff described a regional preapproved ADU program hosted by Kitsap jurisdictions and noted Port Orchard plans to link to designs on the city website, with the first four plan options expected in early March and additional designs later in the summer.
City staff told the planning commission on Jan. 13 that Port Orchard is participating in a regional preapproved accessory dwelling unit (ADU) program and expects a first set of four preapproved plans to be available in early March.
"The preapproved ADU program is, we have hired an architect to design preapproved ADUs," said Nick Bond, community development director. Bond explained the cityis linking to the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council (KRCC) program and that homeowners across participating jurisdictions can purchase and permit preapproved plan sets to speed approvals.
Details disclosed at the meeting: - Initial plans: the regional architect provided four inexpensive, adaptable designs (examples used previously in Thurston County) that the city expects to post as basic plan sets; staff said these should be usable for straightforward backyard sites with limited slope or critical-area constraints. - Additional options: the city has contracted for two additional designs including a carriage-house option (unit above a garage) and a 1,000-square-foot rectangular option; those larger or carriage-house plans are expected later in the summer. - Process and fees: property owners will still need to prepare a site plan; the city intends to offer a reduced plan-review pathway for repeated use of an approved plan set (one-time plan-review fee plus reduced permit fees for subsequent identical permits). City staff said the program aims to make permitting faster and less expensive for typical homeowners.
Outreach and availability: staff said the city web page links to KRCC materials, and the city will do public outreach (for example, farmers-market tabling and social media) when plans are available.
Ending: staff said they will announce availability and produce public information materials; commissioners and staff agreed to include outreach in upcoming public events.
