Port Orchard council affirms hearing examiner, clears Sydney Road rezone

After a closed-record quasi‑judicial deliberation, the Port Orchard City Council voted to affirm the hearing examiner’s recommendation to approve a site‑specific rezone for the Sydney Road property (LU25 rezone 02). The rezone changes the zoning designation from Commercial Corridor to Commercial Mixed‑Use, a change that allows standalone apartment buildings rather than retail-with-housing configurations.

City planning staff summarized the application and the hearing examiner’s findings, noting the record from the hearing examiner (January 28, 2026) and that no members of the public had testified at that hearing. Director Nick Bond told the council the property sits within the city’s self‑storage overlay and that the proposed project would include co‑located self‑storage and an adjacent apartment building; staff and the examiner found the proposal met the criteria in the Port Orchard Municipal Code.

Several councilmembers asked whether the application’s eligibility relied on recent changes addressing “middle housing” and how that statutory or ordinance change related to multifamily versus middle‑housing definitions. Staff said project specifics (for example, final site plans and unit counts) were not part of the closed‑record rezone proceeding; the application document reported approximately 63 units.

Following a closed deliberation, a councilmember moved to affirm the hearing examiner’s recommendation and to direct staff to prepare an ordinance consistent with the decision. The council announced the motion passed, 6–1. Council instructed staff to draft an ordinance implementing the rezone for consideration at a future meeting.

The action is limited to the zoning designation; any future building proposals, site plans and associated permits would be reviewed separately under applicable codes and permitting processes.