Poulsbo council adopts 2024 comprehensive plan update required by state Growth Management Act

The Poulsbo City Council on June 18 adopted the 2024 comprehensive plan periodic update, a multi‑year project staff said began in 2019 and required by the Washington State Growth Management Act.

Planning Manager Nicole Coleman presented a condensed summary at the public hearing and outlined the state and regional process that shaped the plan. Coleman said the city must plan for a state‑allocated population increase and buildable lands capacity; she told the council the plan shows Poulsbo is required to accommodate roughly 5,646 new residents, roughly 4,000 new jobs and about 1,900 new housing units by 2044 as part of the regional allocation process managed by the Puget Sound Regional Council and the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council.

Coleman said the update includes the comprehensive plan vision statement and the six required functional plans (water, sewer, stormwater, transportation, parks and capital facilities) and noted the city will next update its critical areas ordinance—required by the state—by December 2025. She also thanked staff and acknowledged extensive public engagement (multiple workshops, planning commission sessions and outreach events) during a process stretching back to 2019.

Several members of the public spoke during the hearing. Edie Lau described a transportation alignment change that adjusted the mapping of a planned future street away from existing houses; Lau thanked staff and said correspondence with the fire department reassured her that emergency access met the fire department’s needs. Councilmembers and staff discussed the state allocation process and local implementation. Planning staff and consultants explained the relationship among state targets, regional allocations and local buildable lands analyses.

Councilmember Gary McVay moved to approve Ordinance 2025‑09 adopting the comprehensive plan update; the motion was seconded and passed on a recorded roll call. The ordinance cites the Washington State Growth Management Act, chapter 36.70A RCW. Coleman said follow‑on work will include a fall amendment package (smaller regulation changes), an update to impact fee code and a climate change element due in 2029. The council approved the ordinance during the meeting and directed staff to continue working on the associated implementation items and required regulatory updates.

No litigation or legal challenges were announced during the meeting. Staff said some plan elements—such as the critical areas ordinance and impact fee updates—remain on a regulatory timeline required by state law and will return to council for deliberation and adoption in coming months.