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CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
COMMUNITY DIRECTION STATEMENT,
KEY CONCEPTS AND ASSUMPTIONS
III. COMMUNITY DIRECTION STATEMENT
"The future of Port Townsend depends on the actions and plans of its citizens today. It is
important, therefore, to understand what Port Townsend citizens want their city to be like
in 20 years and beyond, what they want to preserve, and what they want to change."
(from Port Townsend 2020: Getting Together, Final Report)
Port Townsend is our legacy for the future.
Each generation makes its contribution. This Comprehensive Plan is today's attempt to define
and refine our legacy to Port Townsend. Our dream of how Port Townsend should be and could
befor generations to come is presented in this Plan. Such a plan is a statement of confidence,
optimism and belief in ourselves, a statement that our community can change without losing its
essential character.
This Direction Statement sets forth the framework for carrying out this planning effort. In the
future, the Direction Statement will be referred to when the Plan is interpreted or amended to
ensure that the basic values it embodies are not lost. The Direction Statement is in the present
tense, as if wewere speaking of Port Townsend today. While our vision is to protect most
characteristics of today's town, the vision should be read as describing the community we wish
Port Townsend to become in the next 20 years.
We envision Port Townsend as eastern Jefferson County's economic and cultural center,
Port Townsend is the County seat, and the center of eastern Jefferson County's economy and
employment. A diversity of commercial and industrial activities flourish and provide meaningful
employment opportunities for residents. The area accommodates a strong retail center catering
to residents and tourists alike. Tourism is integrated into the local economy, while at the same
time, the affordability of housing, goods and services is maintained for residents, and the
livability of the community endures.
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Cottage based industries and low impact light manufacturing have a strong presence in the
community. An important concentration of incubator industries is also found here. The urban
waterfront along Port Townsend Bay is anchored at either end by marinas and port areas
devoted to the City's marine-related commerce and industry. These areas are essential to the
character of Port Townsend as a working waterfront town.
A regional center of culture and learning. Port Townsend provides its citizens with quality
elementary and secondary instruction, as well as career training and college education needed
for success and personal enrichment. The City offers world class arts and entertainment and
continually celebrates its cultural and historical assets by hosting many exciting festivals and
events. Anywhere in town, we are only a convenient bike ride or walk from work, classes,
dining, entertainment and home. This closeness reinforces the tie between Port Townsend's
economy, culture and a large residential community People live here because they enjoy being
in the midst of the natural beauty and cultural amenities of Port Townsend.
a community with a sense of history and place,
Founded in 1851, the City harbors a National Historic District and a wealth of superb Victorian
era homes recognized on the National Historic Register. These historic buildings provide a
magnificent backdrop and preserve a tangible link to Port Townsend's vanished dreams of
being the preeminent city of the Puget Sound region. Structures and places of historical
importance are surrounded by new compatible development. Following the Highway 20/Sims
Way Corridor, a procession of distinctive buildings have been added to Port Townsend's
architectural heritage.
Port Townsend is a vital and active place that retains a small town atmosphere and a strong
sense of community. In its retail districts, sidewalks are lined with busy shops that cater to
residents as well as visitors. Historic commercial buildings, long established residential areas,
and parks, town squares and streets lined with trees give the City an atmosphere of relaxed
permanence. Parks, gateways and walkways are rich with historical monuments and public art.
Buses, trails and bikeways provide useful transportation options for workers, shoppers and
visitors and dependence upon the automobile is diminished.
The City is pedestrian oriented, and neighbors greet one another as they walk by for work, play
or exercise. The City's tree-lined walks, trails and streets provide shade and habitat and
reinforce Port Townsend's network of green spaces. Open spaces offering an opportunity for
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rest, views, contemplation and enjoyment of the natural environment are found throughout the
City. These public spaces are freeof litter, well maintained and richly planted with flora that
blends with the native vegetation.
a place that prizes its natural setting,
The natural setting of this "Key City" of the Peninsula is accentuated with buildings and green
spaces that combine with the lower Olympics, the Cascades and marine vistas to create a
dramatic backdrop for an attractive and memorable place. By ferry, the City is the gateway to
the Olympic Peninsula's natural wonders. The air is fresh and the adjacent waters of Port
Townsend Bay, Admiralty Inlet and the Strait of Juan de Fuca are clean, full of marine life, and
easily accessible. The downtown waterfront is an attraction that offers cultural, educational and
social opportunities that reinforce the City's natural setting.
The Waterwalk provides people a pedestrian path along the shore of Port Townsend Bay, tying
the City's shoreline together from the Olympic Discovery Trail to Fort Worden State Park and
North Beach. The walk connects the waterfront with a larger network of trails that lead to
surrounding districts and residential neighborhoods. This loop also unites an extensive system
of parks and open spaces, including many environmentally sensitive areas that provide
significant wildlife habitat
The City's urban wildlife corridors provide vital links between critical wetland habitats, drainage
corridors and other protected areas. These corridors connect with a larger network of wildlife
movement routes that extend beyond the City and into the County, ultimately leading to the
Olympic National Forest and Park.
a great place to live,
A wide choice of housing types and prices is available for a diversity of lifestyles and incomes.
Residential development is centered in distinct neighborhoods that are safe, secure, and have
identities and characters of their own. Opportunities for socializing, recreation, quiet and solitude
are all close at hand, as are facilities and events that enrich the body, mind and spirit.
a town that cares,
Social and health services are available and provide dignified care to dependent residents. The
community offers training and support for those able to become more independent Port
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Townsend's elderly and special needs populations are appreciated for making valuable
contributions to the life of the community and are afforded convenient access to transportation
and other human services.
Volunteerism remains essential to the fabric of the community. Citizen volunteers enrich the
community by donating their time and services to a wide variety of communityorganizations,
artistic and cultural endeavors, environmental protection and enhancement efforts, and efforts
that aid disadvantaged segments of the population.
The youth of Port Townsend are recognized as an important part of the community. The City
cultivates opportunities for the youth of our town to play, socialize, find entertainment, work, and
be involved in extra-curricular experiences.
where we work together.
The public and private sectors work together pursuing the continued strength and growth ofPort
Townsend's economy, diverse employment base, and cultural and educational opportunities.
City government is open and accessible. It provides leadership in promoting and implementing
public policy. Government is willing and able to respond quickly, creatively, and efficiently to
provide innovative ways of meeting the challenges facing the community. City and County
governments cooperate to solve common problems. The private sector participates in the
success of government by actively helping in decision-making and adding its talents to help
solve community problems.
Regulations, laws and policies are enforced with equity and justice. Development is orderly and
predictable. The inhabitants of Port Townsend feel, and are, safe. The City's residents respect
the opinions, as well as the cultural and ethnic diversity of their fellow citizens. While discussion
of civic issues remains robust, residents communicate with one another and elected officials in a
considerate manner.
Business supports the cultural andeducational life of Port Townsend. Government encourages
business, civic and neighborhood organizations to participate in decision-making and in helping
it honestly evaluate its successes and failures.
Above all, our hope for the future becomes the City'spromise to maintain and enhance
Port Townsend's special character and small town atmosphere!
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KEY CONCEPTS:
At its core, the Plan contains four fundamental concepts which are highlighted below.
Maintaining Our Small Town Character
The overriding objective of the Plan is to maintain and enhance Port Townsend's special
character and small town atmosphere. As our community grows, the very character that
attracted residents here in the first place is threatened. The Plan contains two very important
areas ofpolicy direction designed to preserve our community's essential character while
planning for inevitable growth and development.
First, the Plan encourages the development of "mixed use centers" surrounded by strong and
diverse neighborhoods, similar to the area surrounding the uptown intersection of Lawrence and
Tyler Streets today. These centers are intended to serve as focal points for new or emerging
neighborhoods and to help promote pedestrian friendly areas with small scale neighborhood
shopping and services.
Second, the Plan includes policies which would lead to the creation of a City-wide
interconnected system of open spaces and trails. These green spaces would help to protect the
small town atmosphere of Port Townsend while providing other benefits,including stormwater
control and linking key wildlife areas.
Achieving a Better Balance Between Jobs & Housing
Another major objective of the Plan is to help address the "jobs/housing imbalance." There are
many more people living in Port Townsend than there are good jobs. Because good jobs are
hard to find, many Port Townsend residents pay more than they can really afford for housing.
The Plan seeks to remedy this imbalance in two important ways.
First, the Plan contains an economic development strategy that is designed to encourage
businesses which provide "family wage" jobs -jobs that pay good money, so that we and our
children can afford to live and work in Port Townsend. It seeks to balance economic vitality with
environmental protection and preservation of our small town atmosphere.
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Second, the Plan contains an affordable housing strategy which provides more land for higher
density development, allows more creative housing types, and increases the housing choices
available to City residents.
Taken together, the affordable housing and economic development strategies should help to
make housing more affordable for Port Townsend residents in the decades to come.
Accommodating Port Townsend's Share of County-Wide Growth
One of the purposes of the GMA is to limit sprawling urban density development in rural and
resource lands. To accomplish this goal, the GMA makes clear that cities and urban growth
areas (UGAs) have a responsibility to accommodate the lion's share of growth, and to do it in a
compact, urban manner. By mutual agreement, and based upon recent demographic data,
Jefferson County and the City have determined that Port Townsend's share of County-wide
growth will be approximately 4,985 people during the period between 2000 and 2024. This
would increase the City's total population from 8,344 in 2000 to 13,329 by the year 2024. [Ord.
No. 2879, §1.1, (February 7, 2005)].
Providing Public Facilities & Services Within the City's Financial Resources
Unlike prior plans, this Comprehensive Plan is designed to balance the need for additional
public facilities and services with the City's ability to pay for them. In the past, Plans often
contained a "wish list" of capital projects with no demonstrated ability to fund the necessary
improvements. This Comprehensive Plan represents a distinct departure from past practice -
the Plan sets measurable standards for public facilities and services (i.e., level of service
standards), states what specific capital projects will be constructed, and identifies the sources of
revenue which will be used to fund the necessary improvements.
Policies concerning "concurrency" are also a key component of the Plan. Concurrency is the
concept of providing certain facilities and services at or before the time of approval of new
development projects. The Plan requires that adequate water, sewer, stormwater and
transportation facilities be in place before new development can be approved.
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Predictions for the Future
(Assumptions for Port Townsend's Comprehensive Plan)
The following basic assumptions about Port Townsend's future formed the basis for this
Comprehensive Plan.
• The assumptions influenced the development of each of the Comprehensive Plan elements.
• Port Townsend will continue to be the retailing, service, government, medical, and
transportation center for eastern Jefferson County. Diversification of the local economy will
cause the City to reevaluate its historic land use patterns, and zone more land for commercial or
manufacturing uses. Shoreline areas that are necessary for the continued vitality of the marine
trade industries will continue to be protected and reserved for such uses.
• Port Townsend will remain the principal city of Jefferson County, and as the population of the
area continues to grow andage, the City's role as the activity center for governmental,
professional, and medical and social services within the County will grow.
• Port Townsend and the surrounding portions of unincorporated Jefferson County will remain
an attractive place tolive, and population growth within the City and Jefferson County will
considerably exceed that of the state and nation as a whole.
• Port Townsend's citizens will remain active in the affairs of City government and planning,
and will demand that growth and development be responsive to the desires of the community,
with an emphasis on maintaining Port Townsend's special places and high quality of life rather
than encouraging growth for growth's sake.
• As areas within Port Townsend become more densely developed, the demand for public
services and amenities will also grow, requiring local government to plan for and provide the
services and facilities necessary to serve the growth.
• Like other local governments. Port Townsend will be forced to rely even more heavily on
local sources of revenue as state and federal funding of community services and capital
improvements become increasingly difficult, to obtain. As a result, the City will nave to
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reexamine traditional land use patterns in order to make the most effective use of its capital
facilities investments.
• The majority of Port Townsend's new residential development will occur in previously platted
areas.
• There will be significant commercial redevelopment activity along the Highway 20 corridor
and in Port Townsend's Commercial Historic District.
• As vacant and developable land becomes more scarce and population continues to grow,
the cost of housing will continue to rise at a faster rate than personal income. This will force the
City to reexamine traditional housing and residential development patterns.
• Although improvements will be made and greater emphasis will be placed upon public
transportation and pedestrian and bicycle travel, the private automobile will continue to be a
significant form of transportation for the majority of Port Townsend and Jefferson County
residents. Port Townsend must consider revisions to its traditional land use patterns and
development regulations to promote greater use of pedestrian and bicycle routes and its public
transportation investment
• Concerns about water quality and wildlife preservation, as well as other environmental
issues, will continue to generate changes to state and federal laws, which will also impact local
land use planning requirements and development regulations.
• Port Townsend's economy will expand, tourism will remain important to the local economy,
and the marine trades will increase in economic importance. The Port of Port Townsend will
also focus more attention on promoting marine trades and providing the necessary
improvements to sustain these uses.
• Port Townsend will experience growth in citizen interest in the arts and cultural activities as
the population increases. This growth will result in increased attendance at local art, cultural,
educational and recreational events, and create a demand for new and improved facilities.
• An increasingly dense population will create greater demand for recreation facilities and
open space, and Port Townsend will need to specifically identify recreational and open space
needs.
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• Port Townsend will continue to provide municipal public services (e.g., water and
wastewater) to the residents of the City and water service to certain portions of unincorporated
JeffersonCounty, as they become designated UGAs or are included within areas to be served
by the City through the City's Comprehensive Water System Plan.
Uncertainty of Assumptions (Changes Beyond Anyone's Control)
All comprehensive plans are based upon a set of assumptions about trends and events that are
likely to occur. However, we cannot predict the future, we can only adopt growth strategies
based upon our best understanding of likely growth trends and the consequences of
implementing a particular strategy.
Unforeseen events can affect the amount, rate, composition and location of future job growth,
demand for housing, vehicle trip generation, and land development. For example, the decision
of a major employer to move into or out of Port Townsend could significantly affect Port
Townsend's Plan. Construction of a major business park, a decision regarding the future
viability of the Port Townsend Paper Mill, changes in lifestyles, and technological advancements
are events beyond the control of the City that couldalter the assumptions used in the
comprehensive planning process.
Unforeseen events and changes to growth treads will cause Port Townsend and other
jurisdictions to periodically reevaluate their comprehensive plans. Plan amendments are
anticipated to occur regularly over the life of this Comprehensive Plan.
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Intercensal and Postcensal Estimates of the Total Resident Population by Year for the State, Counties,
Cities, the Unincorporated Areas, and Incorporated Areas: 1968 to 2002 (Washington State Office of
Financial Management, February 2003).
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