What do you think, Silverdale?

Ron Ross is one tough cookie to impress when it comes to planning for Central Kitsap’s future. Ross, a long-time developer in the county, is actually pleased with the latest go-’round of planning for Silverdale’s future, he said after a two-day planning session at Island Lake Community Center.

“I think this is the best I have seen,” Ross said. “I think this is the best the county has performed in the last 50 years.”

Ross said he was particularly impressed with Ron Kasprisin of Kasprisin Pettiari Design, who headed up the charrette.

“This guy is sensible,” Ross said of Kasprisin.

The idea behind the charrette was for Kasprisin to get input from Silverdale residents about what, exactly, they would like to see the city look like 20 years from now. In past planning, an idea has emerged that would see Silverdale moving toward the national trend of mixed-use hubs that see both residential and business developments side by side. Whatever the ultimate plan turns out to look like, the changeover will be a gradual one. The charrette is designed to plan out the next 20 years for Silverdale.

Kasprisin will take the information from this meeting and will incorporate it into the Silverdale sub-area plan. The sub-area plan is taking a look at the major growth issues in the area, such as transportation, land use, natural environment and land capacity and how each of those issues is dependent upon each other to affect Silverdale’s future. A citizen’s advisory committee of 39 Central Kitsap residents representing civic organizations, businesses, property rights activists and environmental groups, is overseeing the process.

All the planning committees and community volunteers working on the process are all united in one goal: Creating a definite identity for Silverdale that creates one unified feel. This is not without its challenges.

“Silverdale has always been shopping,” said Kathy James, who serves on the citizen’s advisory committee. “It’s a shopping hub in a rural community.”

For planning purposes, the city is split into several different zones: Old Town, West Hill view district, the retail center that encompasses Kitsap Mall, the waterfront district, the northeast business district and the Clear Creek corridor.

In an attempt to create a more family friendly environment, a community center has been incorporated into the plan for downtown. That community center will likely include a library, a community pool, a performing arts center and some open space for children to play in, Kasprisin said.

There were some architectural renderings taped to the community center’s walls during the charrette which were to be considered as possibilities of what a downtown Silverdale could look like. There have been no definite plans made yet.

Kasprisin also said it would work to Silverdale’s advantage if the city could play up its strengths, like the prime waterfront property.

“Silverdale, you know what you have,

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