Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

I'M CALLING TO ORDER THE SEPTEMBER 21, 2026, BRAMERTON REGULAR PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING. THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS A ROLL CALL TO CONFIRM THAT WE HAVE A QUORUM.

Next is the approval of the agenda as presented. Are there any comments? Hearing and seeing no objections, we will approve the agenda. Next is the approval of the August 17th minutes. Do we have a motion to approve the minutes for August 17th, 2026?

This is Chair Walker. Move to approve the minutes as presented.

any abstentions motion carries unanimously thank you okay the first public workshop tonight is on potential comprehensive plan amendments related to a white creek right creek overlay and the city county equivalency table Presenting will be Garrett Jackson, planning manager for the city of Bremerton.

Thank you, Garrett. Does anyone in the public have comments on the public workshop? Seeing none. Seeing none. Close public testimony? Yeah. So we're going to close public testimony.

Hi, this is Commissioner Peterson. I don't have any comment on the equivalency table, but about the Wright Creek overlay, it seems how all of the landowners have expressed no desire to participate in a voluntary program. It looks like there wouldn't be a big impact, but I do disagree that a purely voluntary incentive program is an encumbrance. So just because all of the current landowners have, or any of that have responded have expressed no desire to participate, properties change hands over time. And if we're only just offering a purely voluntary program, I don't see any harm in that. And a

Commissioner Miller, Garrett, the large landowner um has said they don't want to participate at this time so they're leaving the door open and the smaller owners in the industrial freeway zone have said no is that correct that's correct and the wright creek watershed primarily runs through the larger more residential, I guess, zoned portion that's shown in the April 20 workshop diagram. Is that correct?

So my understanding is the idea with the freeway is that those properties would be being pushed back kind of to the east with their development. The ability to develop their parcels pulled more towards the east, towards the freeway, to get it out of the environmental zone or to protect Wright Creek a little bit more than would otherwise happen. Okay, I just wanted to clarify that.

Are there any other comments from the Commission?

I disagree. I argue for the code change.

so commission um let's discuss this a little bit are we interested in asking staff to prepare for the environmental review as as an option here

so i think what we're hearing then from the commission is that we go ahead with the environmental review and prep for that eventuality okay we have direction thank you The second public workshop tonight is zoning code amendments for potential prohibition of family burial grounds. Presenting again will be Garrett Jackson, planning manager for the city of Bremerton.

Thank you, Garrett. Does anyone in the public have comments on the public workshop for burial grounds? Seeing none, does anybody on the Planning Commission have comments and discussion?

Commissioner Wolford. Yes, Commissioner Wolford. I think this brings nothing but bag of worms to a potential new buyer of property. If they buy it and they plant a tree which happens to be right over the burial grounds and then several years later somebody comes in and says, I want to move that body, you know, it's just not going to work i recommend excluding it from the city ordinances i second commissioner woffords yeah i'm in agreement too i think that i like your recommendation

OK. One more public hearing public hearing tonight reviews zoning code amendments on home based businesses. The Planning Commission will review staff presentation and receive public testimony before providing a formal recommendation to the City Council on pending zoning code amendments. Presenting is Garrett Jackson, Planning Manager with the City of Bremerton.

Commissioner Wofford, I have a problem with the word should. If you want it done, it shall be done.

Thank you, Garrett, for the presentation. Does anyone in the public have comments?

Seeing none, I'm closing the public hearing.

this is commissioner miller i think the intent here is that a farm stand not sit empty for months and months on on end during like the winter or if somebody has decided they're no longer in the farm stand business that it should be removed rather than being left out in their front yard or on the on the street so that was the intent

Well, maybe this is Commissioner Wofford. Then maybe for both items, we should add the words when. We're talking farm, I guess produce or something is for sale. If nothing is for sale, then take the stand down.

I think we also discussed, and I'm not sure where it shows up here, that if the farm stand, the idea that the farm stand is portable, so that it's not set in the ground and it's not on a foundation, that it can be moved to an out-of-sight area when it's not in use. So again, trying to keep in mind that neighborhoods are neighborhoods and they should have some, people should have a responsibility to not have abandoned structures in their yards and things like that. That's the idea. So that when, say like it's wintertime and they're not selling anything in their farm stand anymore, that it be mo

Or it be removed. Is a farm license time limited?

But with should, there's no enforcement capability in it.

This is Commissioner Peterson I I also agree with staffs current language having the city haggle with farm stand owners Yeah, I that seems a little bit burdensome to have city staff go and haggling over how long a gap between uses is in use or not in use I Don't think this is super consequential and I agree with staff's current language Okay, we have a clarification so my understanding is that what is recommended is that you are

Okay, so are there any more discussions? Are we all clear? Okay, so is there a motion on the proposal?

This is Commissioner Peterson. I move to recommend that the City Council adopt zoning code amendments as shown in attachment A as amended for temporary structures and removal references based on the findings and conclusions in attachment B.

Is there any more discussion? Okay, I'm ready.

Okay, thank you. The public portion of the meeting is now closed. And now on to the business meeting. Business meeting, chair report. There is no chair report tonight. Are there any commissioner's reports?

Commissioner Walford. As usual, it's the voting season. Please mail in, drop off at the box, put in your ballot. Yes or no or what have you, it's imperative that you do vote. Thank you.

Thank you. Is there any old business to be discussed.

The next regular meeting of the Planning Commission will be held on October 19th, 2026. Thank you, and the meeting is adjourned.