The Nora and Valari Residences at Poulsbo Place

Background and Overview

The subject properties were historically part of the Poulsbo Place Redevelopment Master Plan (PPRMP), a 36.5-acre master planned mixed-use redevelopment approved by the Poulsbo City Council on January 24, 1996. The master plan was intended to redevelop the former military housing site north of downtown Poulsbo into a pedestrian-oriented neighborhood containing a mix of residential, commercial, civic, and open space uses. The original approval vested the project to the City’s 1994 Zoning Ordinance and contemplated development over multiple phases and divisions. Division 8, the subject site, represented the final undeveloped phase of the master planned community. The original PPRMP included a 20-year validity period. In 2016, the City Council approved a five-year extension of the PPRMP, extending its validity through January 24, 2021. As part of the 2020 Division 8 application, the property owner requested an additional extension, which was ultimately approved through March 31, 2026. The PPRMP has since expired. Accordingly, the current proposal is not being reviewed under the PPRMP, its associated amendments, or the 1994 Zoning Ordinance to which the project was originally vested. Instead, the Nøra & Valari Residences proposal is being reviewed under the City’s current zoning designations, development standards, and procedures contained within the Poulsbo Municipal Code.

The project site consists of two parcels totaling approximately 2.2 acres located between Jensen Way NE, NE Sunset Street, and NE Iverson Street, immediately north and east of the United States Post Office and adjacent to the completed phases of Poulsbo Place. The western parcel is zoned C-1 Downtown, while the eastern parcel is zoned Residential High (RH). The site has remained undeveloped following demolition of the former military housing structures and represents the last significant undeveloped property associated with the Poulsbo Place development area. The proposed Nøra & Valari Residences development consists of two four-story buildings containing a total of 84 residential dwelling units and approximately 1,400 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. The western building, known as The Nøra, is proposed on the C-1 parcel and consists of an approximately 82,833-square-foot mixed-use building containing 40 residential units above ground-floor commercial space and two levels of structured parking. The eastern building, known as Valari, is proposed on the RH parcel and consists of an approximately 89,334-square-foot residential building containing 44 dwelling units, including 22 attached accessory dwelling units (AADUs), above structured parking. Together, the two buildings contain approximately 172,000 square feet of gross building area.

Across both buildings, the development includes approximately 44 one-bedroom units, 17 two-bedroom units, and 23 three-bedroom units. Unit sizes generally range from approximately 650 to 750 square feet for one-bedroom units, 900 to 1,100 square feet for two-bedroom units, and 1,200 to 1,600 square feet for three-bedroom units. The inclusion of attached accessory dwelling units within Valari increases housing choice while utilizing the density provisions available under current City regulations.

In addition to housing, the project includes a variety of resident amenities and public-facing improvements. The Nøra incorporates a landscaped forecourt and plaza area along Jensen Way, a fitness room, club room, and rooftop deck. Valari includes resident storage areas, secured e-bike parking and charging facilities, a fitness room, club room, and a pocket park located at the north end of the site. The development also includes structured and surface parking, internal circulation connecting access points on Jensen Way and NE Sunset Street, bicycle facilities, frontage improvements, landscaping, utility infrastructure, and stormwater management facilities.