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Port Orchard hearing reviews rezoning to allow apartments and self‑storage on Sydney Road
Summary
City staff told the hearing examiner they recommend approval of a site-specific rezoning for 4385 Sydney Road SW that would change roughly 6.9 acres from Commercial Corridor to Commercial Mixed Use, allowing apartment buildings and self-storage; no public comments were received and staff said a DNS was not appealed.
The Port Orchard hearing examiner on Tuesday heard staff and applicant testimony on a site-specific rezoning request for 4385 Sydney Road Southwest that would change about 6.9 acres from Commercial Corridor (CC) to Commercial Mixed Use (CMU) to permit apartment buildings and self-storage.
Connor Alquist, Associate Planner for the City of Port Orchard, told the examiner the application (LU25-reszone-02) was reviewed for consistency with the city’s comprehensive plan and municipal code and that staff “finds the application consistent with the criteria of POMC 2042030 and recommends approval of the site specific reszone without conditions.” He said the site is within the city’s self-storage overlay district and that the applicant’s proposal does not alter the overlay boundaries. Staff recorded that notices of application and a determination of non‑significance (DNS) were published and that no public comments or appeals were received during the applicable comment periods.
The hearing examiner questioned whether recent changes to the city’s development code (Title 20) or vesting under a new code would materially affect future permitting for the site. Alquist and Principal Planner Fisk both said the primary effect of the change is to add an apartment building type under CMU; Alquist said the overall capacity and allowed uses under the commercial land use designation remain comparable. Fisk summarized the recent amendment by saying, “we recently amended our zoning code to allow co‑living housing,” and added that the change would not significantly alter the applicant’s options in subsequent permitting.
Applicant architect Alan Kaimig testified in person, describing the proposal as a way to develop a triangular parcel with “self‑storage” and apartments that he said would be “a benefit to the city” and useful to residents and the landowner. Kaimig said a prior critical‑areas study found no wetlands in the build area and that any conditional use permit and construction permits would undergo separate, detailed review.
A representative, Neil Eugenio, said he works with the applicant’s firm and offered to answer technical questions. The hearing examiner closed oral testimony, said she could not make a council recommendation from the bench but saw no red flags in the record, and indicated staff will forward its recommendation to the city council.
What happens next: The record and staff recommendation will go to the Port Orchard City Council for final action on the site‑specific rezoning; any future conditional‑use permits, building permits or environmental reviews will be processed under applicable code requirements.
