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Manchester Land Use History

December 1994 Comprehensive Plan
On December 29, 1994, the Kitsap Board of County Commissions adopted a Comprehensive Plan, which identified the Manchester area as "Village Residential" (1 to 9 homes per acre). The plan designated a region larger than the area under discussion today. It extended north halfway past the Navy fuel depot and south past Mile Hill Drive. The Comprehensive Plan was subsequently appealed to the Central Puget Sound Growth Management Hearings Board (GMHB) and declared invalid.

October 1995
In response to the invalidation of the 1994 plan, Kitsap County adopted interim development regulations and interim urban growth areas (IUGA's) as it worked to revise its Comprehensive Plan to meet GMA requirements, which remained in effect until the Plan was approved in February 1999. Manchester was designated as "Rural Residential" (1 house per 5 acres), which was the base density for the entire rural area in Kitsap County.

December 1996 Comprehensive Plan
Portions of the second Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 1996, were invalidated by the GMHB in September 1997. The GMHB found that the Rural Element of the Plan perpetuated historical patterns of sprawl development in rural areas by allowing densities that were not considered "rural". The 1996 Plan designated the Manchester area as a UGA, which allows 6 to 9 homes per acre. This designation was changed when it was found that the County's holding capacity methodology and population allocation would not support a UGA in Manchester. In addition, one of the principal criteria for designating UGA's is for the area to be adjacent to a city, which does not apply to Manchester.

May 1998 Comprehensive Plan
The current plan, validated February 1999, designated the Manchester area "Rural Residential" (1 house per 5 acres). At the time of adoption, the County decided not to undertake the concept of "areas of more intensive rural development" (AMIRD). However, it was recommended that Suquamish and Manchester be demonstration projects for development of this concept. Designated areas must have been in existence as of July 1, 1990, and must be defined and contained by a logical outer boundary that limits the extent of more intensive development. In essence, AMIRD are exceptions to the types of development that are generally permitted in rural areas and allow identification, recognition, and designation of existing areas with established development patterns. Kitsap County is required to adopt measures to ensure that these areas are limited and contained.