Recent survey results showed that Oak Harbor residents are concerned with public safety, infrastructure and job opportunities on the island. Next came housing.

Drafting the housing element of the comprehensive plan is weaving complicated threads of public concerns. Councilmember Jim Woessner said it makes sense that responders put job opportunities above housing, as houses are meaningless if people can’t afford them.

Kimley-Horn, Oak Harbor’s engineering consultants, will investigate public and private housing partnerships, housing market options and patterns, incentives for developers and rental management options to tackle one of Oak Harbor’s greatest problems and make suggestions for the housing element of the comprehensive plan.

The comprehensive plan, required under the Growth Management Act, is the county’s centerpiece, long-range planning document and contains policies, visions and goals for the next 20 years. One of the first steps in updating the document was to decide where population growth should go. Under the Growth Management Act, most of the population growth is supposed to be directed into municipal areas with appropriate infrastructure.

The state predicts the county’s population will grow from the current 87,000 people to nearly 103,000 in 20 years. The bulk of the housing for population increases is planned for urban areas, which in Island County largely means Oak Harbor.

Kimley-Horn collected 308 survey results from August and September to get an understanding of existing conditions, attitudes about potential future growth and the state-required climate element of the comprehensive plan.

“Three-hundred and eight people doesn’t seem like a lot,” Woessner said, “but I got to tell you, after doing surveys where we mailed out the survey to every utility holder and we get 70 of them back, 308 is a great number.”

Oak harbor has a median age of about 32 years and a household income of $68,000. Women make up about 50% of the population, and the highest populated neighborhood is Broadview.

The results of the survey were a bit skewed, said Erin O’Kelly, a structural engineer. Most responses came from an age range of 45-54, an income of over $100,000, mostly female and most living near Swantown or Fort Nugent.

For amenities, responders said they want more neighborhood commercial businesses like coffee shops and corner stores, more community facilities and more outdoor recreation options.

Old Town has the greatest opportunity for both residential and commercial growth, and Fort Nugent has the greatest opportunity for multi-family residential development. Responders targeted Ault Field for commercial growth and Swantown for accessory dwelling units.

Woessner said Oak Harbor has a clear “marching order” for affordable housing.

“The current buildable lands analysis came up with 1,124 jobs that would be created for 5,500 households, so that math just doesn’t work, right?” he said.

Switching to a form-based code, where building use matters less than aesthetic, will help bring corner stores in residential areas, Woessner said, as housing developments have moved farther from the commercial center.

Kimley-Horn will also make suggestions for the state-mandated climate element of the comprehensive plan.

According to the survey, when it comes to the climate, Oak Harborites are most concerned about wildfires, then drought, then wind hazards.

Responders said the first climate-related personal change they would make is supporting the local economy, then renovating homes for energy efficiency, then recycling.

At the beginning of 2025, city leaders will draft the climate change element of the comprehensive plan and continue to work with the county on growth planning.

In the meantime, Kimley-Horn hopes to get a better understanding of workforce conditions. The firm wants to build partnerships with schools to involve younger people in the planning process, identify public and private partnerships, options to increase childcare and collaborate with the Navy.

A good number of people responded to the surveys, said Councilmember Bryan Stucky, but not a great number.

“I know there were some people, my mom, who thought the survey was a little confusing,” he said.

Most of the survey results come from people who are very involved in the community, Woessner said. Those who are less involved may not participate but may have a strong opinion about the results of the survey.

Because some people tend to be more vocal after the fact, this is a good time to gather more specific information, he said.