Year of the Rural

New Draft Documents

New! 2025 Draft Rural and Resource Lands Chapter
New! 2025 Draft Reclassification Staff Report
New! 2025 Agriculture Draft Code
New! 2025 Child Care Draft Code
New! 2025 Horse Facilities Draft Code
New! 2025 Draft YOTR Staff Report

Provide Your Feedback - Deliverables Comment Form

Kitsap County is seeking public input on the draft Rural Resource Lands Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan, proposed updates to rural development codes, and site-specific reclassification requests. Your comments are an important part of the review process! The information you provide will help guide the County in refining policies, regulations, and map changes to better reflect community priorities.

Please use this form to share your perspectives, concerns, or suggestions regarding these proposals.

Comment period: September 2 - November 10, 2025

Comments through September 23 will be shared with the Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners; comments after September 23 will be shared with the Board of County Commissioners.

Deliverables Comment form

Common Questions We’re Hearing

Is the code retroactive?
No. New code is not retroactive unless the Board determines that a public health or safety concern exists that requires immediate action.

What if I expand my property or change its use?
Expansions or changes in use type (e.g., boarding stable → equestrian facility) may require review through existing permit processes (ACUP/CUP).

What if I sell my property?
A change in ownership alone does not trigger new requirements.

Meeting Dates and Materials
Date & Time	Purpose	Location	Related Materials	Video
Tues. February 18, 5:30 pm Planning Commission	Briefing	Kitsap County Administrative Building	Presentation	Link
Tues. March 4, 5:30 pm-7:00 pm	Public Kick-off Presentation & Meeting	Village Green Community Center, 26159 Dulay Rd NE, Kingston	Presentation	Link
Tues., May 6, 5:30 pm Planning Commission	Briefing	Kitsap County Administrative Building	Executive Summary, Presentation	Link
Tuesday, June 3, 5:30 pm Planning Commission	Briefing	Kitsap County Administrative Building	Presentation	Link
Mon., June 9, 2:00 pm BOCC Work Study Meeting	Briefing, Revised Docket Decision	Kitsap County Administrative Building	Presentation, Staff Memo, Recommendations Matrix, Staff Report	NA
Mon., June 23, 10:00 am BOCC Regular Meeting	Resolution - Revised Docket Decision	Kitsap County Administrative Building	6/2/25-6/20/25 Comments Combined, Comments Table, Agenda, Resolution	Link
Tues., June 24, 5:30 pm-7:30 pm	Presentation & Workshop	Kitsap County Administrative Building	Presentation, Workshops Notes Summary	NA
Wed., June 25, 5:30 pm-7:30 pm	Presentation & Workshop	Eagle's Nest Community Room		NA
Thurs., June 26, 5:30 pm-7:30 pm	Presentation & Workshop	Village Green Community Center		NA
Tues., July 15, 5:30 pm Planning Commission	Briefing - Public Participation Process	Kitsap County Administrative Building	Executive Summary, Presentation	Link
Tuesday, Aug 5, 5:30 pm Planning Commission	Briefing	Kitsap County Administrative Building	Presentation	Link
Thursday, Sept 11, 5:00pm	Presentation & Open House	Kitsap County Administrative Building	Presentation	Link

Outreach

Timeline

Feb/March

Compile and review public comments from 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update
Survey to assess rural vision, character, and concerns
Public project kick-off meeting -virutal and in-person
Working group meetings and interviews

June/July

Initial draft of Rural and Resource Lands Chapter
Workshops hosted in all three districts presenting initial draft and facilitated discussions on specific topics

September

Draft Rural and Resource Lands Chapter
Present draft in all three districts and promote opportunity to submit public comments and testify at public hearings before the Planning Commission and Board of county Commisioners September - November

Working Groups

Agriculture Working Group Steering Committee

Jess Sappington, WSU Kitsap Extension
Diane Fish, Kitsap Conservation District
Joy Garitone, Kitsap Conservation District
Brian Stahl, Kitsap Conservation District
Bob Geballe, Kitsap Community & Agriculture Alliance
Jeremy Anunson, Mason-Kitsap Farm Bureau
Stacy Marshall, Kitsap Farmland Preservation Coalition

Forest Management

Forestry Advisory Council recommendation in progress

Kitsap County Internal Review Team

Scott Diener, Planning & Environmental Programs
Jim Rogers, Long Range Planning
Darren Gurnee (or representative), Current Planning
Kirvie Mesebeluu-Yobech, Environmental Programs
Jade Jarvis, Noxious Weeds Program
David Lynam (or representative), Building, Fire, and Safety
Rose Schaffer, Public Works
Michelle Perdue, Public Works
Carmen Smith, Parks
Brian Nielson, Emergency Management
Rudy Baum, Public Health
Eric Evans, Public Health

Equestrian Facility Code Working Group

In progress

Scope of Work

Rural Vision and Character
Community Engagement
Data Analysis, Review, and Research

-Rural and Resource Inventory, Review, and/or Analysis
-Rural Lands, Resource Lands, Rural Population Forecast, Rural Economies, Rural Public Facilities and Services, Rural Areas and Planning by Watershed
-Rural Land Use

Mineral Resources; Agriculture Policy and Code Review – Barriers and Policy Improvements; Energy Siting Assessment – Demand and Zoning; Boundary Line Adjustment Stakeholders Discussion; Open Space Law – Utilization and Barriers 
Rural Economy

-Childcare Assessment – In-home, Barriers and Opportunities; Agriculture Rural Events and Businesses – Code Improvements

Rural Housing
Mobile and Manufactured Home Parks Review
Update Goals, Policies, and Strategies
Draft Rural and Resource Lands Chapter; Prepare Ordinance and Implementation Plan

Project Timeline

Key milestones for the Rural and Resource Lands Chapter Update include:

February/March 2025: community engagement
June 2025: 30% project update
September 2025: 60% draft review and public comment
October 2025: 60% draft public hearing
November 2025: 90% draft and final public hearing

The Year of the Rural initial phase will focus on three deliverables:

Rural and Resource Lands Chapter update
Rural Land Use Reclassification
Rural code updates

Rural and Resource Lands Chapter update

The Rural and Resource Lands Chapter guides land use patterns and directs land use decisions for the unincorporated portions of Kitsap County outside of urban growth areas. Together, the Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan and this chapter form the basis for all future land use patterns and decisions.

The policies in this chapter will work in tandem with the Kitsap County Comprehensive Plan and Land Use Map.

The Rural and Resource Lands Chapter aims to define and provide policy direction to preserve and enhance the rural character of Kitsap County. This chapter designates areas in Kitsap County as appropriate for rural and resource activities, both residential and non-residential. The Plan intends to preserve and protect rural character by defining rural character in Kitsap County and establishing measures to preserve it.

Rural Land Use Reclassification

A site-specific amendment can change land uses allowed on a parcel (e.g., residential, commercial, industrial, recreational, and institutional). Requests were submitted during the 2024 Comprehensive Plan update, and rural reclassifications (outside of the preferred alternative and urban growth area boundary) were deferred to 2025.

BOCC Workstudy Documents

Staff Memo
Staff Review Matrix
Initial Review Summary Staff Report

Resolution - Final Docket Decision

Rural residential applications removed from the docket
One Rural Commercial and Two Rurla Industrail request will continue for further review
ResNo 117-2025. Final Docket

View the deferred site-specific interactive map application

Rural code updates

As priorities change and evolve, codes such as zoning also need to change and evolve. Zones classify, designate, and regulate land development for agriculture, forest, mineral resource extractions, residential, commercial, industrial, and public land uses. The Year of the Rural will focus on several key areas and review code for opportunities for updates.