Poulsbo planning commission reviews annual report, sets timeline for comprehensive plan and critical areas update

The City of Poulsbo Planning Commission received its annual transaction and expenditure report and a summary of planning department highlights for the past year, and staff outlined a 2025 work plan that includes adoption of development regulations, downtown parking improvements and a continued review of critical areas rules.

Staff told commissioners the annual report is required by the city’s municipal code and is scheduled to go to the Poulsbo City Council on Feb. 5. The department reported total planning-related expenses for the year were “just under $600,” which covered advertising for code amendments and optional mailed packets.

The department said it handled 75 land-use permits last year, including one accessory dwelling unit (down from three the previous year), three annexation requests tied to utility extension agreements, two design reviews (including a Town and Country central-market update and a Taco Time project), five site-plan reviews and 17 pre-application meetings. Staff also noted several project reviews that led to recommendations upheld by the hearing examiner, including multiple planned residential developments and preliminary plats such as Audrey Estates; the commission was told a decision on the Westry unit-lot project had been received the previous afternoon and the annual report will be updated to reflect that decision.

Staff summarized the commission’s 2024 legislative work: eight ordinances progressed through the legislative process (the presenter said one ordinance was packaged as two ordinances and that one unit-lot ordinance went straight to council as an emergency measure). The department also reported completing the city’s first annual housing report and posting interactive zoning and permit-mapping tools online.

On the comprehensive plan, staff said the environmental impact statement (EIS) has been released for a 30-day public comment period that closes Feb. 18. Assuming the department does not receive an abundance of comments, staff said it plans a joint Planning Commission–City Council meeting on March 11, release of the final comprehensive plan documents on April 11 and a council adoption target in June. Functional plans that analyze stormwater, sewer, traffic and solid waste were described as about 75% complete and were cited as a prerequisite to the EIS release.

Commissioners also discussed the city’s critical areas ordinance update. Staff said the state granted an extension on the required update and the department is monitoring a separate appeal of Kitsap County’s critical-areas changes, which staff said involves new “best available science” from Fish and Wildlife that would impose variable stream buffers based on soil type and potential tree heights (described in the meeting as a so-called “strike zone”). Staff said the appeal, reported to involve a S'Klallam entity, led Poulsbo to consider delaying its own adoption and is currently leaning toward targeting the work for the third quarter of the year unless guidance from Fish and Wildlife or case outcomes come sooner.

Other items on the 2025 work plan included permanently adopting the unit-lot ordinance into land development regulations, advancing downtown parking recommendations with the city engineer (Josh Raines), and, if capacity allows, updating the sign code. Staff also reported a fee-schedule update that adds a technology fee to support the SmartGov permitting database and said the first set of four preapproved ADU plans is expected by the end of the month.

Staff briefed the commission on mobile-home-park concerns raised at recent council meetings, noting the council has met with park owners about ways the city can help and that the state legislature is considering additional land-use changes and potential rent-cap proposals. Staff also said the city has a new city administrator who started recently and that IT upgrades to the council chambers audio-visual system are on the department work plan.

No new regulations were adopted at the meeting; the commission reviewed the report and discussed timing and outreach for the coming year.