Developers and residents spar over Kidder Way landscaping, buffers and lot splits as housing proposals advance

Bill Singer, a representative of Environmental Works, presented proposed landscaping changes for the Kidder Way (Kiraway) site, telling the East Sound Planning Review Committee that a portion of the required south landscape buffer would be placed into a neighboring property easement and several side buffers could be reduced from 8 feet to 5 feet after a code review. Singer said the easement portion would have a 15‑foot buffer and would meet the planting requirements in the sub‑area plan.

Residents and committee members pressed the applicant and staff on whether the proposed buffer and screening plan would comply with sub‑area landscaping rules, noting an email record and prior permit drawings that showed different configurations. Darcy Miller, a resident, asked that the plan meet the sub‑area standard (including any specific section citations such as the sub‑area code referenced during discussion) and requested staff check the exact code citation; the transcript records a reference to section "183670" during the conversation.

The developer explained a portion of the site will use a fence where a planting strip is constrained by a pedestrian path and parking layout; he said the project had already installed a fence consistent with permit drawings and that the remaining sides would receive landscaping. Committee members raised safety concerns about plantings blocking vehicle sight lines when drivers exit parking areas; staff said public works reviews development proposals for visibility and did not raise concerns on this project, but members asked staff to confirm that screening standards would not obscure drivers’ views.

Separately, the committee reviewed a plat application for 480 Sunset Avenue (a small park‑model/tiny‑home site outside the UGA) and a large lot‑split proposal from a private developer that prompted an extended conversation about achievable density, parking, infrastructure costs and housing affordability. The developer described prior proposals (including a rejected tiny‑home village) and said incremental lot creation or partnerships with nonprofits could be ways to produce more affordable housing. Committee members noted state rules allowing two accessory dwelling units on residential lots in UGAs, the high per‑square‑foot island construction costs and the practical constraints of meeting a new 12‑units‑per‑acre minimum on some parcels.

Why it matters: the landscaping and buffer decisions affect how projects screen parking and integrate with neighboring uses, and the lot‑split and housing discussion highlights the persistent tension between local affordability goals and island construction, parking and infrastructure realities.

Next steps: staff will collect committee comments and follow up with the applicant on landscaping details, safety/visibility checks with public works, and the county will publish the final adopted documents after the comp‑plan and code processes complete. The committee will include public comments on the Sundset/plat item in its report.