Kitsap County has released its updated draft Comprehensive Plan for public comment.

The plan contains updates in everything from accommodating growth to redevelopment, environmental concerns and even climate change mitigation. The last major overhaul was done in 2016.

“The primary focus is on providing adequate affordable housing,” said Eric Baker, Kitsap’s deputy county administrator. “And there’s a balance we have to strike between that, private property rights, environmental concerns and building concerns.”

The Comp Plan primarily focuses on the regional centers of Kingston, Silverdale, McWilliams north of Riddell Road in Bremerton and the Bethel corridor south of the Fred Meyer store in Port Orchard. “A lot of efforts are on multi-family housing like condominiums, apartments, duplexes and such,” Baker said. “Housing prices have gone up and demand is high, so we’re trying to encourage redevelopment of townhouses, as well as building vertically rather than building out.”

Baker said that the county is growing so more people are looking at fewer houses. “We’re looking at redevelopment of older retailer service areas where there are so many parking lots, for example, and asking if instead of a parking lot, which isn’t being used anywhere near maximum capacity, can it be a multi-family development?”

Baker said that in Silverdale, for example, many of the retail and industrial spaces built up to 40 years ago are no longer needed for that purpose, and the Comp Plan includes redevelopment of those places.

Randall King, executive officer for the Kitsap County Builders Association, said: “We’re very involved in the county Comp Plan, as so many groups are, and our goal is to meet the demand of what needs to be built in Kitsap County. Right now, the county’s goal is 720 homes per year. They haven’t reached that goal yet. We’re trying to help them get there.”

Beverly Parsons, co-chair of the Kitsap County Environmental Coalition Steering Committee, added: “We see the Comp Plan as a very important beginning, but it’s not an end. One of the things we’re finding is that people are talking as if saving the environment would mean losing affordable housing. But that’s not necessarily the case. It doesn’t really mean that.”

Parsons said the coalition is supportive of vibrant, sustainable communities that have good transportation networks, tree canopies and an infrastructure that supports the cultural things that people want. She said the coalition is also pushing using tree canopies in high-density housing, as well as single-family dwellings. “You need the canopies, you need life around you, and a deeper understanding of things like wildlife corridors and open space.”

Both Parsons and King said they are pleased with the interactions they’ve had with the county and with other stakeholders from the local tribes to business owners and area residents.

“Growth is coming, and we know that. We’ve seen it already,” Baker said. “We’re trying to create more walkable communities that are more centrally focused inside rather than expanding urban areas into rural areas. We’re also taking into account climate change and how we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Baker also said that providing appropriate transportation in the form of better bus routes is being considered. “Can we solve every problem? No. But the county is considering its role in what has to be done as well as its responsibility.”

Between now and Dec. 2, the public will have input first through the Planning Commission’s public hearings and then through the county commissioners’ public hearings.

“It’s a collegial conversation,” Baker said. “We’re all going with the same goal in mind, to make Kitsap County a little more livable.”