HomeMy WebLinkAboutOutreach Summary through December 7, 2016 Report
Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan Update
Summary of Public Comments and Feedback
June –November 2016
This word cloud shows the most popular words and terms citizens used to describe, “what they liked
about Jefferson County.” The larger a word appears, the more frequently it was used in responses.
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Contents
Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 2
Methods .................................................................................................................................................... 3
General Survey: ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Open House Public Comments and Informal Contacts (Listening Logs) ............................................... 3
Speak Up ............................................................................................................................................... 3
Stakeholder groups and Meeting in a Binder ....................................................................................... 4
Element Surveys .................................................................................................................................... 4
Compiling the Comments: Errors/Issues .............................................................................................. 4
General Suggestions/Comments by Comprehensive Plan Element ............................................................. 4
Major Themes/Issues: .............................................................................................................................. 5
Area Specific Themes/Issues generated during open house public comment period: ......................... 6
Specific Goal-Related Comments by Comprehensive Plan Element ............................................................ 7
Selected Miscellaneous Observations, Anecdotes, Comments, and Testimonial ........................................ 7
Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................... 9
Appendices .................................................................................................................................................. 10
Executive Summary
This document summarizes public comments on the Jefferson County 2018 Comprehensive Plan (CP)
Periodic Update. To date, public meetings, online activities and other methods were used to solicit
public feedback on general topics related to the Plan update. Over 603 ideas/suggestions/comments
from six open houses, 43 SpeakUp (online) discussion responses, 7 SpeakUp (online) “Question of the
Week” responses, 66 element surveys, 71 general surveys and 4 comment letters/emails were received.
A local “meeting in a binder” event was held in Cape George by a resident planning commissioner.
Additionally, 28 general surveys were submitted in 2014 and these comments are reflected in Appendix
A and B. Public input will be continuously sought throughout the Plan update. Some of the most
common of all comments received are:
The need for innovation and flexibility in addressing affordable housing (e.g. tiny homes), water
supply, and residential wastewater treatment.
Access to family-wage jobs and small business opportunities
Support local agriculture and ensure food security
The request for greater pedestrian and bike trails without sacrificing rural character.
The complete list of reoccurring issues and themes and other reporting at public comment events
follows.
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Methods
General Survey:
DCD currently provides a survey to citizens at the DCD office, open house meetings, via DCD
website and SpeakUp link, and through the Meeting in a Binder activity. The survey asks
quantitative questions regarding neighborhood location, familiarity with the Comprehensive
Plan, and asks users to rank various land use issues by level of importance. The survey also
asks qualitative questions. Staff compiled qualitative responses separately in the public
comment database. The quantitative response collection and analysis is in Appendix A. A
collection of 28 general surveys from 2014 outreach efforts by the planning commission was
included in the qualitative count.
Open House Public Comments and Informal Contacts (Listening Logs)
DCD collected public comments during the public outreach period coinciding with the
summer/early fall 2016 Planning Commission open house meetings held June through
November in Port Ludlow, Clearwater, Quilcene, Tri-Areas, Gardiner, and Brinnon.
The first hour was devoted to staff and Planning Commissioners greeting the public,
discussing CP elements, themes and process, with the element goals posted around the
room. Staff recorded notes in “listening logs” documenting informal contact comments.
Additionally, a survey for each Comprehensive Plan element was available for citizens to
complete as well as the general survey. The second half of the meeting included a sit down
with the Planning Commission taking formal comments from the public on their concerns,
comments, and ideas. One planner took notes during the public comment period of each
meeting. Staff reconciled any notes with this planner’s notes. Staff consolidated listening
logs and staff notes into a “Public Comment” database. This database, available in
Appendix B, also synthesizes the qualitative data generated from the general survey,
element surveys and SpeakUp comments. The element code table or key is in Appendix H.
Speak Up
Attending public meetings is not always an option for many people who work during the day
and take care of families at night. An on-line way for citizens to review proposals, provide
input, comments and allow polling of proposals is the best alternative for these people.
SpeakUpJeffco.com, available http://speakupjeffco.com is an online portal used to offer
citizens the chance to send in comments. All CP update information including meeting
advertisements, Comprehensive Plan link, DCD website, Meeting in a Binder and survey
files, and online forum access through “discussions” is available under the Comprehensive
Plan “project”. Within the “project” webpage, each Comprehensive Plan Element is
represented by a “discussion” webpage, which states the element’s purpose and goals. Each
element “discussion” webpage contains a series of “Topic” questions that reflect those in
the Element Surveys. The online forum begins here where users responded to the topic
questions and each other. Additionally, staff asked, “Questions of the Week,” accessible on
the SpeakUp homepage. The questions included “What is your favorite thing about living in
Jefferson county?”, “What is your favorite Jefferson county Park” (received no responses),
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and “What is one transportation/ road improvement that you feel would significantly
improve your community or Jefferson County in general?” Responses to the questions of the
week are named “ideas.” Users voted on ideas and topic question responses. SpeakUp
output is available in Appendix G.
Stakeholder groups and Meeting in a Binder
The Cape George community convened a meeting in a binder and generated eleven
comments. The Food Policy Council held a stakeholder meeting attended by planner, Joel
Peterson, to discuss their proposed changes to the element goals and policies within the
Comprehensive Plan. The participants downloaded element surveys on SpeakUp to
collaboratively evaluate and present their proposed changes using the Meeting in a Binder
format. Their goal and policy-specific “line in/line out” suggestions are available in Appendix
C. The Local 2020 Climate Action and Transportation (T-lab) group also submitted a set of
proposed changes to Comprehensive Plan element goals, policies, and strategies elements
to address climate change impacts on the area, see Appendix I. The submission also
suggests climate change-related planning objectives and describes how plan elements relate
to climate change issues.
Element Surveys
The element surveys asked open-ended questions, “What is most important to you, or what
stands out about this element?” in order to solicit feedback about the element’s general
significance. The second part of the survey listed the element’s goals and asked which goals
stood out or were important, what would the respondent change, and how to accomplish
change. The latter portion of the survey provided feedback to inform the county’s CP goal
and policy analysis as detailed in the “Specific Goal-Related Comments by Comprehensive
Element” section below.
Compiling the Comments: Errors/Issues
Some participants attended multiple meetings and spoke during the public comment
periods. Therefore, some ideas and themes are overrepresented. Nonetheless, none of
these people introduced new ideas or themes that did not already have strong support such
as broadband internet, improving flexible sanitation and/or tiny homes regulations, and the
furthering of a healthy and sustainable farming community.
Speak Up provided the same ability to gather goal specific feedback; however many
SpeakUp comments described general issues relating to elements. The online format gave
respondents the ability to “do their homework” by providing facts, statistics, and more
narrative-based anecdotes. While SpeakUp is an invaluable tool, it is unfortunately less
accessible than hoped. This is because outreach revealed many rural areas in the county
such as Brinnon and Gardiner lack access to broadband or high speed internet.
General Suggestions/Comments by Comprehensive Plan Element
The “public comment” database, Appendix B, contains all comments collected. Comments were sorted
and classified according to positive (P) comments (used to generate the word cloud) with those that
contained specific suggestions or ideas (S). Comments were also categorized by element (see table
summary in Appendix D). Some comments related to multiple CP elements. Staff evaluators identified
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these instances and highlighted secondary relevant elements. Staff also restricted two relevant
elements plus an “other” classification. The “other” class included suggestions for food system
development and health; however, many comments fell into this class due to septic/sewer/and water
suggestions that, though relevant to the utilities element, are subject to state law outside the purview of
the Comprehensive Plan.
Staff identified reoccurring or major themes generated by the element surveys, general surveys,
comment letters and open house comments below. Approximate number of repetitions is also shown.
Major Themes/Issues:
Comments relating to need for high speed internet
access (15)
Innovation and flexibility to improve housing and
sanitation (community septics, sewer/septic,
graywater, humanure, composting and wells) (32)
water resource/right sharing, lack of water rights(7)
Need to find ways to connect to Dosewallips State
Park sewer system (3)
ease regulations for permitting new/existing
businesses (21)
anti-retail/big box stores (2)
need more major retailers (5)
Anti-Brinnon MPR (9)
recreational/tourism based economy (7)
need more small businesses/jobs (11)
need more senior businesses
need more small manufacturing/lumber mill (5)
economic development should be sustainable and
protect the environment (5)
live here for way of life-not economic opportunity (2)
ease regulations for permitting tiny homes (9)
increase density of ADU's and tiny homes on land (5)
Small-scale, clustered housing
increase affordable housing (17)
Provide safe, mold-free affordable housing
More senior services such as housing, eldercare,
senior transportation (9)
no sprawl (3)
gentrification is an issue, need family wage jobs,
affordable housing and sewer without high
connection fees (2)
Need smaller parcel sizes on west side. Large acreage is unaffordable to families
need higher density zoning in some areas (especially around Rural Village Center and areas not
supporting agriculture) (6)
Tri-Area Open House Meeting on August 17, 2016
at the Jefferson County Library
Port Ludlow Open House Meeting on July 6, 2016 at
Port Ludlow Beach Club
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attracting workers to move here (jobs, housing, land, farming opportunities/limitations)(16)
Increased food self-reliance (4)
Address farm worker housing (5)
Limit marijuana as agriculture-need more food (2)
year-round farmer's market
create food hubs
aging farmer and farm transition (4)
increase education relating to local food
availability
alternative energy development and electric
vehicle charging stations (2)
improve air quality (2)
climate change is a real issue that needs attention
(3)
Improve logging buffers/encroachment (Port
Ludlow MPR)(8)
Rescind Forest Transition Overlay zoning
classification
Don’t convert working forest and farms
Increase conservation and public access/trails
(specifically waterfront, bike, foot, boat trails) (5)
Add community gardens and orchards to open space
Improve safe pedestrian and bike trails and connectivity without sacrificing rural character (14)
Need space for future rail lines for non-gasoline transportation
Need Seattle foot ferry
Improve public transportation to outlying areas like Marrowstone, Cape George, Beaver Valley
Rd (2)
Need adequate mental health facilities (3)
increase number of sheriff patrols/staffing and provide training to help aging population (4)
Improve emergency planning (2)
improved intercounty medical coordination (7)
Area Specific Themes/Issues generated during open house public comment period:
Marrowstone: Broadband internet services
Quilcene: Too regulated (businesses and homes)
Gardiner: intersection/transportation/safety/bus stops, need bathroom stop, power reliability during
storms, fix boat ramp, wheelchair accessibility on busses, turn lane at Discovery Bay, modify turnoff on
Old Gardiner Rd, broadband internet services, enforce traffic laws
Brinnon: Master Planned Resort will overwhelm transportation, is inappropriately scaled for community,
has driven small businesses out of the area, and vetted poorly during the planning process. July 2016
letter represents many residents opinion on MPR. Dosewallips State Park sewer connection opportunity
should occur. Broadband internet services. Brinnon Community Center is underutilized.
Gardiner Open House Meeting on September 7, 2016
at Gardiner Community Center
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Chimacum: limit density from UGA, improve pedestrian access without suburban feel, pedestrian-
friendly trail along Hwy 19 from the schools to Ness’ Corner
Cape George: more innovative alternative waste disposal, planning for waste water treatment facilities
outside of Port Townsend, retain rural character and provide farming, industrial and other economic
activities. Need affordable housing to support business’ workers.
Specific Goal-Related Comments by Comprehensive Plan Element
SpeakUp and element surveys asked how to improve specific goals in the Comprehensive Plan. Staff
sorted these responses in Appendix E to assist with “Fitness Table” (Appendix F) completion. As the
county updates the Comprehensive Plan, county reviewers will be analyzing existing goals and policies.
County reviewers should reference the public comments with both general and specific comments as
well as stakeholder input.
Selected Miscellaneous Observations, Anecdotes, Comments, and
Testimonial
“I don't like the fact that I must drive two hours to buy shoes.”
“I'm new to Jefferson County and like the phenomenal natural landscape that has been preserved--trees,
water--and like the agriculture. I've met some interesting people. There is a lot of civility here--there are
no security police needed at these meetings which is a good thing! Small, incremental steps don't work
well any more. Think inside and outside of the box--we need paradigm changes and eliminate the box.
Gentrification concerns me. We need major resources put into the county for a sewer system.
Developers can build affordable housing with sewer infrastructure.”
“Owner of computer company since 2008, has difficulty finding skilled labor because they can't find
housing. There is a limited ability to bring in new employees to the business.”
“Concern about marijuana growing and selling in our county-would like to see less ideally - no more pot
shops or farms”
“What is most exciting is when forests and farmlands are worked in an environmentally sustainable
manner that creates jobs and valued products. Tourists are not only attracted to wild areas, but to
communities that seem to have found answers in how to thrive and take care of the environment at the
same time. Hope and inspiration will always be a good sell!”
“Phased infrastructure development. I mention this because as an owner of Chimacum Corner
Farmstand, it is frustrating how so many of the roadblocks we encounter in trying to build our business
all come back to septic limitations. That and the lack of housing for our employees which again circles
back to septic limitations in the surrounding areas. What we are trying to do is consistent with the
community’s rural character and history. We're supporting local farmers who are creating rural jobs and
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goods while stewarding the land. Seems to me this is just the type of economic industry the GMA
envisioned.”
“High technology is a false economy -trades information, money, gadgets, programs. Not items that
keep humans alive (food, water , shelter, clothes, transportation), or that builds culture and community
that is sustainable. We can build artisan, craft, tourist, maritime, health, food, shelter, natural resource-
based economies that provide family-wage jobs without bringing high tech to area.”
“Edwin Glazer article in the Atlantic [Thomas Jefferson quote] "Government works best has least hand".
If it doesn't grow here, will grow elsewhere. What businesses are allowed in Rural Village Center? Don’t
need over-regulation on types of businesses. There should no be heavy regulations on land use. Some
things regulations are okay on.”
“I have to live 35 minutes from work to afford housing on $10/hour wage.”
“Jefferson County has the oldest population in the state. We need to provide more opportunities to
attract and retain younger residents as well.”
“How can community activists put pressure on legislature to approve funding for tri-area sewer?”
“A park employee was killed this summer walking on Hwy 101. It was his first day on the job”
“My wife and I bicycled from Port Townsend to San Diego in 2014 and the most dangerous part of that
entire 2400 mile trip was the stretch of Highway 20 between Discovery Bay and Adelma Beach. It is a
very dangerous section of the otherwise beautiful and safe Olympic Discovery Trail that is used by a lot of
bikers and needs to be addressed.”
“Jobs are the main driving force behind the desire for economic development. Economic opportunity is
scant in Jefferson County - but I personally do not live here for economic opportunity. It has been hard
work to find employment but I accept it because the existing personality of this county is far more
important to me.”
“I'd like an inexpensive pub”
“I hope there are policies in place that will keep development in check and allow for some level of public
process. My hope is that the future economic development in this area will go to support existing local
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businesses, local agriculture and those who want to launch local businesses.”
“How quickly JC is changing, cost of housing is sky rocketing. To afford to live here and raise a family
here…need to find a balance of infrastructure. Housing more affordable for young people. Make it
easier for youth to be here. JC is not innovative, behind on technology.”
“Quilcene needs farm worker housing. We need to find ways to allow for smaller & less costly housing
that is safe. Tiny homes without utilities or served by a common area. More houses per acre. Economic
development would be helped with creative use of community drainfields. Water system infrastructure
needs to expand, particularly with areas prone to saltwater intrusion.”
“Housing providers increase rental rates beyond affordable 30% of income for 59% of renters.
Professional county staff turned down positions because could not find housing. Many commute from
Clallam Co. 59% of renters in the county have insecure housing and pay more than 30% of income
compared to 19% in 2000. Section 8 has a five year wait list due to no housing available.”
“Need policy around food system development. Food is central to our economy. See book "The Town
that Food Saved". Surprised that the word "food" is non-existent in the Port Townsend City
Comprehensive Plan. Need to make food that sustains us all, make it easy to grow food and make a food
hub in the county that isn't hindered [by regulation].
Conclusion
This report is a summary of all comments to date. The county will continue to accept comments
throughout the Comprehensive Plan Update process through final adoption in summer 2018. The
outreach process demonstrates key reoccurring themes citizens care about, namely that they would like
to be involved in the update, and be part of helping identify what the Comprehensive Plan can and
cannot achieve.
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Appendices
See attached documents
Appendix A: General Survey Quantitative Responses
Appendix B: Public Comment Database (master)
Appendix C: Food System Policy Line In/Line Out and element notes
Appendix D: General Suggestions/Comments by Comprehensive Plan Element
Appendix E: Specific Goal-Related Comments by Comprehensive Plan Element
Appendix F: Fitness Test Example
Appendix G: SpeakUp Output Reports
Appendix H: Element Code Table
Appendix I: Local 2020 Climate Action Group and Transportation Lab Group Input on
Comprehensive Plan