Kitsap staff outline broad Title 21 reorganization and procedural changes; public comment opens Oct. 5

Cecilia Olson, assistant director for long-range planning and development services, presented a work study on comprehensive updates to Kitsap County Code Title 21, a procedural land-use code. "This is procedural only," Olson said, noting there are no proposed changes to zoning or density and the changes are SEPA-exempt.

Olson described reorganizing Title 21 into clearer chapters (general provisions, application procedures, review procedures, public notice, decisions, enforcement) and adding or clarifying items including right-of-entry language, completeness checklists, application expiration rules and limited director authority for extensions. She said the county proposes reducing application response windows from the current effective maximum (two 90-day extensions) to an initial 60 days with one 60-day extension.

On decisions, Olson said the county will align code timelines with the Local Project Review Act changes (noting SB 5290): 65 days for permits not requiring notice, 100 days for permits requiring notice but not a hearing, and 170 days for permits that require both notice and a hearing. She also described a proposed policy direction to the Board to remove administrative appeals to the hearing examiner for Type 1 and Type 2 (non-shoreline) administrative decisions, pending Board guidance due to funding constraints for administrative appeals.

Olson said the draft code will be published for public comment on Oct. 5, with a Board public hearing Oct. 26 and adoption planned Nov. 9; the administrative effective date is targeted for Jan. 1.