POULSBO – During a June 20 meeting, the Poulsbo City Council agreed to postpone voting on the 2018 Commercial Code Ordinance Update until July 11.

In a message sent June 21, Poulsbo Mayor Becky Erickson noted that the council has been reviewing the updates since May and is currently in deliberation.

Some of the changes recommended by the planning commission and currently under deliberation by the council are:

• Lowering the existing allowable building height from 45 feet to 35 feet in the C-1 (downtown Poulsbo) zoning district and decreasing the lot coverage standard for larger lots from 100 percent to 85 percent.
• Enhanced building design standards in the C-1 zoning district to ensure a continuation of the Scandinavian heritage and small village character.
• A new overlay to preserve the historical development pattern along Front Street.
• Additional building design, landscaping and screening standards for the other commercial districts outside of the downtown.
• Residential units through mixed-use development in the downtown and other commercial areas to increase housing options.

“These are meaningful and important considerations as the city continues to strike a balance of folding more people into Poulsbo in a way that builds upon the identity of the city,” Erickson said in her message.

Deliberations will resume at the July 11 City Council meeting.

– Nick Twietmeyer is a reporter with Kitsap News Group. Nick can be reached at ntwietmeyer@soundpublishing.com