Predicting Silverdale's next 50 years

The latest look into Central Kitsap’s crystal ball has produced “Visioning 2052,” a study just released by consultants and the county’s Department of Community Development (DCD) to the local Council.

The all-volunteer CK Community Council will review the broad plan and send it along to county commissioners for fine tuning and possible adoption. The plan was presented to CKCC committee heads during a recent study session.

“This vision plan is our ‘blueprint’ for the future growth and development of Silverdale,” said consultant Eric Toews, a principal with Cascadia Community Planning Services of Port Townsend. County planner, Laura Ditmer, was also on hand. She has served as liaison to consultants and the CKCC for months.

Early phases of the vision were to be implemented by county commissioners next year. But a recent confrontation between business owners in Old Town (the area of the proposed Community Campus, a redeveloped town center) have convinced the CKCC that visioning needs more public exposure and involvement, said Carl Johnson, president of the CKCC.

“What we have to decide is how best to get this to the public,” he said. “Shall we just copy it and distribute it?”

Council member Tex Lewis suggested “We should take it to major service groups and organizations, as well as to builders and Realtors — those who’ll supply (or build) the product.” After a bit of rumination, he added that the plan should be presented to banks and a forum should be planned on affordable housing.

Council member Gary Lindsey added that “Commercial brokers need to be included in this.”

A member of the local chapter of the Realtors Association sitting in the audience commented that his organization discovered housing in Kitsap County went up 29 percent in price over the past year.

The “demand is astronomical,” he said. There’s a lack of rentals and a lack of houses. He said such considerations should be included in the plan, and offered to have the Realtors Association come to the Council’s next meeting and make a presentation.

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