2024 Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update

The City of Port Orchard is commencing its required 2024 periodic update to the City's Comprehensive Plan. The City is envisioning a light refresh to its existing plan addressing new Growth Management Act (GMA) requirements, Vision 2050, and updated Countywide Planning Policies. Much of the work to update the Comprehensive Plan will focus on new planning requirements including but not limited to climate, equity, and housing affordability.

The City of Port Orchard proposes to prepare its 2024 periodic update to the Comprehensive Plan, subarea plans, an update to the critical areas code for best available science, and updates to development regulations to implement these plans.

Every ten years, as required by the GMA, cities are required to update their Comprehensive Plan. Port Orchard’s last major update was conducted in 2016. The process of this update is expected to take about two years to complete.

All work on the Comprehensive Plan periodic update will be done ensuring thorough and continuous public participation and outreach. The Public Participation Plan identifies mechanisms to capture the community’s input and outlines the anticipated timeline for Comprehensive Plan development. A timeline has been included in the documents liked below for reference. Updates will be posted periodically on this webpage and on the City’s Facebook.

As the City of Port Orchard advances with the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update, we are pleased to share our progress and upcoming milestones. After significant public outreach during 2023, we have created to a schedule to provide drafts of the following Elements for public comment:

Achievements and Milestones:

Public Participation Plan: Formulation of a robust plan to engage the community in the decision-making process.

Public Outreach: Utilization of Social Pinpoint and an Update Kickoff and Visioning Workshop to gather valuable input from the public. The findings of the outreach efforts are provided in the Public Engagement Summary .

Existing Conditions Report: Final comprehensive report of existing conditions which serves as the foundational baseline data for the development of Comprehensive Plan Elements.

Draft Comprehensive Plan Elements Delivery Timeline:

All Comprehensive Plan Elements are scheduled for completion in draft form and will be submitted to the Washington Department of Commerce by mid-June 2024. To ensure transparency and community involvement, we will provide the draft Elements on this page for public comment, and plan to bring individual Elements to the Planning Commission for review and feedback according to the following schedule:

Public Engagement Workshops

Upcoming Workshops

Draft Comprehensive Plan Elements Workshop: June 4, 2024

Policy Workshop: February 28, 2024

Land Use Strategies Workshop: May 9, 2024. Social Pinpoint

Draft Subarea Plan Development:

Sedgwick Bethel Subarea: May 2024

Bethel Lund: May 2024

Draft Comprehensive Plan Update Elements:

Introduction: May 2024

Land Use: May 2024

Housing: May 2024

Parks and Recreation: May 2024

Natural Systems: May 2024

Economic Development: May 2024

Utilities: May 2024

Transportation: May 2024

Capital Facilities: May 2024

Climate: May 2024

Appendices: May 2024

This schedule ensures adherence to the established deadlines and allows for comprehensive review and feedback from both the Planning Commission and the community. We appreciate your continued engagement and look forward to shaping the future of Port Orchard collaboratively. Members of the public may submit comments via e-mail directly to destination2044@portorchardwa.gov

Get Involved!

The City’s approach to public outreach has evolved to maximize community engagement. In addition to in-person events, our approach to community involvement attempts to make the process convenient for residents through a more accessible online platform, Social Pinpoint. This tool has proven effective in gathering feedback. Check back here periodically for additional opportunities to comment through Social Pinpoint as we continue the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update.

The City of Port Orchard is planning the future of two central neighborhoods: Bethel-Lund and Sedgwick-Bethel (located at near those street intersections). Join us for an interactive workshop focused on the future development of these neighborhoods. At this workshop, you will have the opportunity to:

Learn about previous recommendations and plans that influence these neighborhoods;
Work together to identify planning priorities, issues, and opportunities;
Build consensus on the long-term vision of the neighborhood; and
Identify projects and improvements that will be desirable in the future

This workshop is an opportunity to engage with your neighbors and the local business community to establish a vision for the Bethel-Lund and Sedgwick-Bethel neighborhoods for the next 15-20 years. Let's work together to shape a bright future for our communities!

Event details:

Day: Wednesday, July 24, 2024

Time: 6:00pm - 8:00 pm

Location: Port Orchard, Kitsap Regional Library

87 Sidney Ave, Port Orchard, WA 98366

More information related to the subarea plans can be reviewed at https://portorchardwa.gov/bethel-subarea-plans/.

Additional information and context for the existing Goal and Policy language below can be found by reviewing the current Comprehensive Plan, which can be accessed at https://portorchardwa.gov/city-comprehensive-plan/

Feedback collected from the May 9, 2024, Land Use Workshop was extended through May 24, 2024 to inform the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update. You may have future opportunities to provide your input online by going to https://engage.ahbl.com/PortOrchard2044 .

WHAT IS THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN?

The Comprehensive Plan is the 20-year framework for local policy, planning, and capital facility investment through the year 2044. This plan is used as a guide for the City by establishing vision statements, goals, objectives, policies, and implementing actions. This framework is intended to guide the day-to-day decisions of elected officials and City staff.

Washington State’s Growth Management Act (GMA) requires that Cities update their Comprehensive Plan every 10 years. The Comprehensive Plan is also revised on an annual basis.

WHY DO WE NEED A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN?

Every community needs a vision. Historically, growth in Washington State has led to issues of urban sprawl, loss of farmland, natural resource degradation, and uncoordinated capital facilities. In 1990, the Growth Management Act was passed, which required us to plan for the future. The Plan will guide where housing and business growth should occur, how that growth is served by transportation and other infrastructure, and how we can enhance the natural environment and community character.

WHO DECIDES WHAT THE PLAN SAYS?

With guidance from the Growth Management Act (GMA), Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC), Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council (KRCC), and the Department of Commerce, the Plan is required to meet a variety of different requirements. City Staff will engage the community to develop a vision based on community goals and state and regional requirements. A draft plan will be developed, and public meetings will be held to collect public comments. The Planning Commission will review and recommend to staff, who will forward a recommendation to City Council, who approves the final plan.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN?

A Comprehensive Plan is broken up into different elements. Each element has its own goals and policies. The entire Comprehensive Plan will be reviewed and updated with review to include the following elements or chapters:

Land Use
Housing
Parks
Natural Systems
Climate
Economic Development
Utilities
Transportation
Capital Facilities

In addition, Port Orchard will have various Subarea Plans within the Comprehensive Plan, which focus in more detail on areas across the City.

HOW WILL THIS AFFECT LAND USE?

The Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan assigns land use and zoning designations for every parcel within the City. Land Use designations provide guidance on the use of land, whether for residential, commercial, industrial, recreational, or institutional purposes.

The City must maintain a certain amount of residential and commercial growth capacity in certain areas of the City. The County-Wide Planning Policies (CPP’s) provide growth targets for different areas of the County. The Comprehensive Plan must be consistent with these goals.

IS THIS THE SAME AS A ZONING CODE?

No. The Comprehensive Plan is a framework for what land uses are allowed where. A zoning code regulates development, such as rules about height and setbacks. Per State Law, a zoning code must be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. The zoning code and other development regulations will be updated as a part of the process in order to implement the Comprehensive Plan. Other development codes will be updated for consistency such as the Critical Areas Regulations (POMC 20.162), and the Shoreline Master Program (POMC 20.164).

2024 Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update

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