North Kitsap Sports And Recreation Complex

Continued from Home Page

            With a broad and basic outline in mind, community residents were invited to a meeting, hosted by Raydient, Rotary, and YMCA, to learn about the idea, that was at its earliest stages of development.  Approximately 400 people attended the June 27, 2023 meeting, which provided an overview of the idea.  A follow-up meeting to allow for questions and answers occurred July 12, 2023, with approximately 100 people in attendance.

            At the June 27, 2023 meeting, Jon Rose represented Raydient, Clint Boxman, Rotary, and Charlie Davis and Scott Smith, “the Y.”  The idea was presented as an approximately 40-acre site on Bond Road, near Stottlemeyer, owned by Raydient, that is part of a 400-acre property currently zoned for 20 twenty-acre homesites.  Raydient has applied to Kitsap County to re-zone the property for one dwelling unit per five acres, which would allow for 80 parcels.  Raydient’s intent is to use “lot clustering,” whereby the parcels are only 1 to 1.5 acres each.  With roads and storm systems, the residential project would occupy only a portion of the site, leaving potentially more than 200-acres of open space. Raydient’s hope is that a portion of the open space could be transferred to the community for little or no cost (this approach will need to be tested with a business plan after studies are performed and after talks with Kitsap County occur).

The site, at the crossroads of North Kitsap, would, potentially, feature soccer, softball, and other outdoor playing fields, and space for other activities such as basketball, pickleball, a ropes course, and frisbee golf.  It would also, potentially, have a YMCA building with indoor courts and a swimming pool, other YMCA activity space, and a cafe/restaurant.  Rose, Boxman, and Davis emphasized that this idea is in its very early stages of development.  That the purpose of the meeting was to share the idea, as currently conceived, with the public, and invite participation and ideas.  It is fair to say many in attendance were frustrated by the lack of specifics, such as environmental matters, traffic impacts, nearby trails and forest incursion, site sketches, and operations and management, among others. They were reminded the idea to be in the very early stages of “visioning;”  that it was deemed responsible to invite the public to hear about the idea and ask questions.  It should be noted a show of support for the idea was overwhelmingly positive.  With lack of adequate time for Q&A June 27, 2023, a second meeting took place July 12, 2023.  At that meeting two-hours of public input was received by Raydient, Rotary, and the YMCA.  Much of the conversation regarded concerns around several themes.  These included how the complex would disturb trails and forests; that the site is outside the Urban Growth Area of Kingston, possibly leading to “sprawl” along Bond Road; that there would be possible water and aquifer issues;  that this would significantly impact nearby residents with traffic matters; and that there needed to be collaboration with other interested organizations, such as the schools, tribes, and the city of Poulsbo, Kitsap County, and the Port of Kingston.

            All of this leads to where the idea goes next.  There is clearly a requirement to understand, in greater depth, the needs this idea is set to address.  There is a need to understand environmental, traffic, and water issues.  There is a need to involve other stakeholders, such as those listed above. There is a need to identify potential funding sources. And there is a need for continuing community conversation as next steps are taken. All of these needs are on the radar of organizers as development of “the idea” enters its next phase.  Should the idea become reality, it is estimated it could take three to five years to complete the project.

            The strong showing of support for the idea allowed Raydient to justify the cost of preliminary environmental studies such as traffic, wetlands, soils, and stormwater management.  Those studies were completed and summarized in a report, dated December 8, 2023.  Various experts looked at geotechnical site conditions, site sensitive areas, cultural resources concerns, traffic, stormwater, and water impacts of the potential sports and recreation complex. The results were presented by Raydient at a third community meeting, attended by an estimated 120 residents,  December 12, 2023.  Also presented at the meeting were updates by Rotary on youth sports demand versus supply and available, useable, land within Kingston’s UGA that would support such a complex, and an update from the YMCA on the Y’s impact on families and kids. 

            To review, the proposed project has been titled North Kitsap United (NKU).  The NKU Feasibility Report, prepared by David Evans and Associates, highlighted the very permeable soils at the proposed site. On-site inspections revealed no streams, and wetlands were not observed in most of the study area.  No groundwater was observed; there was no evidence of groundwater springs.  About cultural resources concerns, the report found no recorded archaeological sites or listed historical sites; the odds of finding such sites on the property is low.  Traffic studies at and near the property suggested that if the sports complex is built, there will be a need for remediation - traffic light, or traffic circle - along Bond Road.  Stormwater and sewer needs were cited in the study, as well as methods by which they could be addressed.  Overall, the “pleasant surprises” in the study were how well the soils infiltrate, how the site is favorable to sports field construction, and the lack of stream and wetland issues.  The “biggest challenges” will be wastewater and stormwater management, and dealing with increased traffic caused by the project. The entire David Evans Feasibility Report is available at: www.northkitsapunited.com (click on meetings and materials/materials.) Follow-up drainage wet season studies, conducted in first quarter, 2024 after rainfall events, revealed no standing water, and no stream flows on the site. These studies are posted on the NKU website.

            The Kingston North Kitsap Rotary portion of the December 12, 2023 presentation shared updated research on the need for such a sports complex in North Kitsap.  In youth sports alone, almost five-thousand kids compete for playing and practice space at 19 sites spread across North Kitsap, many of which are judged to have playing conditions that are poor or barely acceptable.  And demand is growing.  In the fall, when days get shorter, there are five sports competing for the same field space.  And with the two biggest participatory sports, soccer and flag football, there are more than 65 teams competing over the same field space every day.  One to two hour chunks of time, only two to three after-school hours of daylight in the fall. To further understand the need, Rotary invited leaders from 15 North Kitsap sports and recreation organizations to a meeting September 15, 2023.  The key takeaways from the feedback of some 25 people were: need for a central location to cut down distances families drive to activities; the need for more turf and lighted fields; the need for more indoor court space; too many teams sharing field space; and 10% yearly growth in nearly every youth sport activity.  Furthering the problem is 80% of field space is owned and controlled by North Kitsap School District, and their priorities prevail when allocating playing time to the various youth sports organizations.

            Over time there has been the misconception that a NKU sports facility needs be sited within the Kingston UGA.  Such claims are false.  The proposed site for recreation purposes clearly is in line with UGA requirements.  One important piece of the Rotary presentation focused on possible sites for such a complex within the Kingston UGA.  When Rotary initially looked into possible sites within the UGA , it found only two, and both were not large enough, and when overlaid with drainage issues, not useable.  Furthermore, a Kingston site would not be centrally located for use by all members of the North Kitsap community.

            As mentioned above, feasibility of the NKU sports and recreation complex rests on a successful rezone application Raydient has made to Kitsap County. As part of its Comprehensive Plan 2024 update process, the County has postponed action on Raydient’s rezone application to 2025. If the rezone application is approved, the NKU project will move into action on site layout and cost estimates, further environmental studies, and fundraising. 

            Are you interested in helping out?  Do you have ideas for other activities that would fit well in this central location?  Readers are invited to visit Kingston North Kitsap Rotary’s website (rotaryknk.org) or Raydient’s project website (northkitsapunited.com).