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PROS Plan Vision
PROS Plan Vision
The vision expressed in the Draft PROS Plan is not appropriately connected to the Vision expressed in the 2024 Kitsap County Comprehensive Plan and the public survey data.
Pages 101 and following has the county’s 2024 Comp Plan Vision, however, it is mixed with the vision of the Parks Department staff in a confusing way. Information in these pages gives the impression that the vision for the PROS Plan is being limited by the vision of the Parks Department staff. The vision in the 2024 Comp Plan and responses of the public in Parks data gathering for the PROS Plan development is more appropriate to primarily guide the PROS Plan vision. […]
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Relationship to Existing County Policy Documents
Relationship to Existing County Policy Documents
Relationship to Existing Plans: The draft PROS Plan inadequately draws on important existing documents such as the 2024 Comprehensive Plan and the 2018 PROS Plan.
On 2/27 Carmen Smith, Parks planner provided Appendix G and H that were missing from the PROS Plan draft document. Appendix G, Review of Previous Plans, is the one referred to on p. 18 of the plan. Page 18 says “In Appendix X[G], the relevant goals and policies from each of these plans have been recoded and analyzed. […]
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Parks Department Staff Roles
Parks Department Staff Roles
The role of the Parks Department staff seemed inappropriately elevated over the public’s involvement and the proper governance structure of the County.
For example:
Table 3-1 (p. 50) lists the Governance groups. It lists Board of County Commissioners and Parks Department Staff as the governance units. The Parks Advisory Board is not included. […]
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Parks Advisory Board
Parks Advisory Board
The Parks Advisory Board (PAB) seems to be sidelined throughout the Draft PROS Plan. The PAB needs to be properly included in the development of the PROS Plan and its role presented in the Plan.
The PAB, established through Kitsap County Code (Chapter 10.12), is an important body in the operations and governance of the Parks and Recreation Department. The Parks website says that the PAB “functions as an interface between the community and the county. […]
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Trails – Mixed Use and Safety Enforcement
Trails: Mixed Use and Safety Enforcement
Many of the trails/roads in Heritage Parks are multiuse mixing bicycle, horse and pedestrian traffic. Many walkers are accompanied by pets on leash. When bicyclists exceed 10 MPH, this creates a dangerous situation. In Appendix D under safety concerns, several respondents voiced their concern about excessive bike speeds on these trails. Shouldn’t the 2025 PROS Plan address ways to control excessive bicycle speeds in county parks such as signage at park entrances and additional monitoring? This is of particular concern in Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park. […]
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Parks Carrying Capacity
Parks Carrying Capacity
We want people, especially Kitsap residents, to love our parks, but we don’t want them to love them to death. Too many visitors and pets simultaneously using a park can damage trails, disturb native animals, degrade the natural environment and user experience. So, some thought should be given to the carrying capacity for visitors in Kitsap County nature parks. This idea was previously presented in the draft North Kitsap Heritage Park Master Stewardship Plan. […]
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Park Classification
Park Classification
An effective and well-structured classification system is essential for the proper management and maintenance of our parks, in order to cater to the diverse needs of our community. The new proposed classification system outlined in the draft PROS 2025 plan requires further study and public engagement to ensure its success. This will allow the public to fully comprehend the system and would foster a sense of ownership and stewardship. […]
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Comparison of 2025 to 2018 PROS Plan
Comparison of 2025 to 2018 PROS Plan
The 2025 PROS Plan has the task to build on and make updated improvements from the previous 2018 PROS Plan. Instead the draft 2025 version is a rewritten document that doesn’t reflect back to 2018, eliminates or adds goals not presented for public discussion and doesn’t always align with the current Comprehensive Plan. As stated in the 2018 PROS Plan Preface (p.5) “The PROS Plan is intended to refresh and update”, and as stated in the Purpose section (p. 5), “is an element of the Kitsap County’s Comprehensive Plan.” The current draft PROS Plan poses concerns regarding that lack of progression and connections which are addressed specifically in other sections of this comment. […]
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PROS Plan 2025 – Overview of KEC Comments
The 2025 draft PROS (Parks, Recreation, and Open Space) Plan is now available for public review. The public comment period ends in a few days—Sunday, March 16, 2025. You need to use the PROS Plan Public Comment link to submit your comments.
This is the first and only time that the Parks Department has scheduled for you to review this policy document. (It is unusual that there is only one opportunity for public review of a draft of such an important policy document.) The document includes major changes […]
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The Role of Park Stewardship Program in Heritage Parks
Stewardship Roles
The park Stewardship Program has operated for decades as community-based groups of concerned citizens organized to maintain and enhance the county’s heritage parks, often acting independently addressing approved park projects. This system worked well with little expense or staff time from Parks and was recognized in the 2018 PROS Plan. Park users frequently express appreciation of steward’s efforts. Over the last four years, this system has been gutted […]
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