Kingston Citizens Advisory Council notes

The following notes are culled from minutes of the KCAC April 5 meeting.

The Kingston Community Advisory Council met April 5. Scott Diener from Kitsap County Department of Community Development introduced Philip Fletcher as the newest member of the DCD Long-Range Planning staff. Fletcher comes from Arizona and will be working on Kingston projects. He brings strengths in economic development to the staff, and will also be working with the Kitsap County Economic Development Committee.

Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan presentation

Mark Mauren, Facilities and Parks Director of Kitsap County Parks and Recreation Department who has since resigned from that position, provided a presentation on the 2006 Parks, Recreation and Open Space project. The project is in its final stages, and spearheaded by Rick Fackler. The current draft plan can be viewed by the public on the Kitsap County Web site www.kitsap.gov.

Mauren reported that a project questionnaire mailer was sent out to over 2,000 North Kitsap households with over 25 percent returned. High priority needs include maintenance of existing facilities, land acquisition, funding for community centers, and do this without increasing taxes. Public input was garnered from six workshops, 18 focus workgroups, stewardship committees and two public hearings.

From the workshop sessions, six separate plans will be knitted together for the final draft which will reflect input from needs assessments gathered from the public process.

Seven themes for Kitsap County’s role in the Open Space Plan emerged: provide regional facilities for open space, special events; focus on accomplishment of this role through partnerships to stretch tax dollars; focus on conservation easements in property acquisition; manage 5,600 acres of park property with partnerships; the need for a stable funding source (a stand-alone parks districts?); use volunteerism to spread funding further; civic engagements and partnership opportunities should include information sharing between cities, Olympic College and other groups.

The final plan will be incorporated into the 10-Year Comprehensive Plan, which is currently being updated for approval in late 2006.

Village Green update: The final property cost was $1.75 million. Ownership will transfer at the end of May. American Eagle Property Management (the Navy’s representative) required a three-year parks-only moratorium on the property. Representative Jay Inslee earmarked $150,000 for the property purchase. County parks will seek an additional $500,000 from IAC grants. The remainder will come from Kitsap County parks funds.

Gordon Elementary School trail project: Dan Price gave a report on the progress of the trail and a revised plan. The current alignment proposal will direct student pedestrians directly across the existing crosswalk at the Tuckerman-Barber Cutoff intersection, onto a boardwalk through a small wetland, and onto a sidewalk to be constructed on the east side of the Gordon driveway. This alignment will provide a safe crossing for students.

County report

Diener gave a report on county projects. Contact him at (360) 337-4966.

Items discussed include the Rite Aid Conditional-Use Permit. There was a public hearing on the proposal April 13 before the Hearing Examiner. The Hearing Examiner will issue the decision two weeks following the hearing and the decision will have a two-week appeal period. Project changes include plan revisions to the entrance/exit driveway on Highway 104 and Miller Bay Road. Contact Jeff Smith for project details, (360) 337-7022.

Several community members expressed concern about a pre-proposal for a nine-lot Laurelview subdivision on a forestland parcel located at the end of Rash Road. County staff contact is Rick McNicholas. Diener will provide an update on this proposal at the May KCAC meeting.

New business

Village Green/Community Center Task Force: Diener announced that Kitsap County Commissioner Chris Endresen requested that a new KCAC sub-committee be formed to address planning for the soon-to-be-acquired Village Green property. Recommended representatives to this sub-committee include: Kingston Friends of the Library, Kingston Chamber of Commerce, Parks Trails and Open Space Committee, and the Kingston Community Center Foundation. KCAC unanimously concurred, and a general invitation was given to the following community members: Bobbie Moore (Community Center Foundation), Jack Minert (Project neighbor/Parks, Trails and Open Space Committee), Dave Hildebrand (Kingston Chamber), Nancy Martin (Kingston Garden Club), Marylin Olds (Friends of the Library), Alex Thomsen (Kiwanis), and Chuck Atcheson (North Kitsap Rotary).

2006 Work Plan: At the request of the Board of County Commissioners, all advisory groups are required to submit an annual work plan to the BCC.

KCAC co-chairs Betsy Cooper, Steve Heacock and Diener created the following draft document of KCAC 2005 accomplishments:

• 10 two-hour regular monthly meetings, each with a special presentation

• A special facilitated meeting to “visualize” downtown Kingston

• A Town Meeting hosted by the KCAC and Commissioner Endresen with 48 exhibitors, and over 300 participants.

• Monthly trails and open space subcommittee meetings which produced a Kingston Parks and Trails plan

• Revision of by-laws and proposal for increase in membership from 13 to 17 to embrace more of the local service organizations and the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, which was subsequently completed in early 2006

Work plan for 2006:

• Continue to hold monthly meetings with the newly increased council of diverse members and provide presentations of interest to all Kingston residents.

• Plan and present a Kingston Town Meeting (already held in February) to provide an informal evening where all in the community can come and learn about what is happening in and around Kingston (the 2007 session should be called a Kingston Open House, to better reflect the event).

• Initiate a dialog with other emerging voices in the area (Suquamish Community Council, Hansville Council, Indianola groups) to offer a forum for communication amongst North Kitsap citizens and the county on issues of mutual concern.

• Review and discuss the Kingston design standards, to become more familiar with their features and identify any changes made in the recent revision.

• Actively participate in the planning and implementation of the Heritage Park and development of KCAC Web site for community planning connections and public outreach of KCAC and Kingston activities.

• Develop a neighborhood preparedness strategy by working with North Kitsap Fire and Rescue and the Kitsap Department of Emergency Management (added after public comment recommendation).

The group recommended this pass to the KCBCC for adoption.

During the open comment period of the meeting, resident Karl Compton recommended the addition of a KCAC 2006 work plan item, to include the creation of a neighborhood preparedness strategy. A discussion by the group unanimously recommended this inclusion.

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