PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend City Council has reviewed a draft introduction for the city’s comprehensive plan update.
The introduction, also referred to as a vision statement, was written by a subcommittee of the Planning Commission.
The comp plan intro hasn’t been updated in almost 30 years, since the state’s Growth Management Act (GMA) required the first 20-year comprehensive plan.
“At this time, we wanted to double check that it was still serving the community,” long-range planner Adrian Smith said at Monday’s meeting.
To that end, staff reviewed it and brought it to the public at engagement events, Smith said. The consensus reflection was that, while the vision statement had served the community well, some of it lacked clarity or could be read in conflicting ways, they added.
In addition to clarifying the statement, the planning commission endeavored to make the statement more inclusive than the previous statement.
The previous statement’s history began in the Victorian era, ignoring the prior history of tribal presence in the area, Smith said.
The introduction includes two main sections, “The Planning Process” and “Profile of Port Townsend,” each with four sub-sections.
Subsections for “The Planning Process” are “Why Plan?”, “What is the Comprehensive Plan?”, “Creating the Plan” and “Implementing the Plan.”
“Why Plan?” explains that cities, like individuals, create plans to guide growth, manage resources, meet GMA requirements, meet updated state requirements and reflect community values.
“What is the Comprehensive Plan?” provides a brief overview of the plan’s mandated schedule and areas to be included in the purview of the plan, including land use, housing and climate policy.
“Creating the Plan” states the importance of public outreach in developing a comprehensive plan and lists of about 25 outreach events starting in April 2024, aimed at gathering data and community perspectives to drive policy.
“Implementing the Plan” explains that the plan would come to affect municipal zoning code and guide the development of specific plans like the stormwater functional plan and the transportation functional plan.
Subsections for “Profile of Port Townsend” are “Port Townsend Past,” “Port Townsend Present,” “Port Townsend Future” and “To Achieve this Vision, Port Townsend Will _____.”
“Port Townsend Past” contextualizes the city geographically as an entrance to the Puget Sound with panoramic views of the mountains and the sea.
It provides a historical snapshot of the Quimper Peninsula as a traditional homeland of the Coastal Salish people, specifically the S’Klallam and Chimacum people.
It summarizes early European settlement, initial then thwarted ambitions for the area, the beginning of the paper and maritime industries, and the strategic military importance of Forts Worden, Casey and Flagler. The section asserts that the beauty and intimacy of the setting attracted artists, which, along with the Victorian-era architecture and many festivals, has drawn tourism to the area.
“Port Townsend Present” describes the city as a well-educated community with a high number of retirees and significant housing challenges.
Forty-one percent of the city’s 10,600 residents are 65 or older, notably more than twice the state average of 17.1 percent. The average household size is only 1.83 persons. Many come to Port Townsend to retire having previously worked in higher-paying economies.
Median household income was $60,015 in 2023, well below the then-state average of $94,952. More than 14 percent of residents live on incomes below the federal poverty line; the state average is 10.3 percent.
The Port Townsend School district maintained consistent enrollment numbers of around 1,200 students over the last decade. Voters consistently support levies for school infrastructural needs.
“Port Townsend Future” lays out the city’s aspirations for 2045: Using the comp-plan as a guide to create a healthy, affordable and caring community, which maintains its valued assets while expanding its accessibility for varying generations.
“To Achieve this Vision, Port Townsend Will______” summarizes priority areas including land use, housing, transportation, economy, governance, community care and climate action, each with a brief values-driven description of the city’s goals.
City council member Owen Rowe said he appreciated the attention to detail. He said the phrase “small-town character” had been used by some as a xenophobic dog whistle.
Deputy Mayor Amy Howard said she’s pleased with the way the draft is shaping up.
“This feels like building something,” Howard said. “This feels like caring for something, instead of maintaining something. I really like that. You can’t legislate a small-town feel, that’s something that you do by caring for your neighbors and knowing their names and building that for yourself in a community. This on paper here is what that looks like on the ground, that care and attention.”
To read the draft introduction visit https://tinyurl.com/2mwnwpyp.
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Reporter Elijah Sussman can be reached by email at elijah.sussman@sequimgazette.com.
