Growth Management Act

2006 Comprehensive Plan Update

What is the Comprehensive Plan?

Comprehensive Plan is the basic foundation for local government planning. Kennewick's Comprehensive Plan is an official statement/document adopted by the City Council setting forth goals and policies to protect the health, welfare, safety and quality of life of the residents. The Comprehensive Plan expresses a long-range course of action guiding the growth of the community in an orderly fashion. The plan coordinates many diverse activities of City departments by providing a common vision in one comprehensive document. The plan is the combined result of citizen involvement, technical analysis, judgment of the elected officials and the regulations under the State Growth Management Act (GMA).

State Growth Management Act requires Kennewick's Comprehensive Plan to include five primary elements, land use, housing, capital facilities, utilities and transportation. The Comprehensive Plan also contains general elements such as urban design, sub-area planning for a specialized geographic area, and implementation programs.

What are development regulations?

Development regulations are controls placed on the development and use of land by the City. Development regulations are measures to carry out the goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan. They include zoning and subdivision regulations, critical areas regulations, shoreline master programs, traffic, street and utility standards, planned development regulations, and binding site plan regulations together with other state and local controls (RCW 36.70A.030) .

What is the Comprehensive Plan Update?

State GMA requires that the City review and, if needed, revise its comprehensive plan and development regulations to ensure that the plan and regulations continue to comply with the requirements of GMA. The next review and revision shall be completed on or before December 1, 2006, and every seven years thereafter. This particular effort in 2006 is called the Comprehensive Plan Update.

The review and evaluation shall include consideration of development regulations, and an analysis of the population allocated to the City from the most recent ten-year population forecast by the State Office of Financial Management. The City's plan must be based on the allocated population growth for the next ten years.

Update vs. Amendment

“Update” and “amendment” are two distinguished terms under GMA. “Update” means to review and revise, if needed, the comprehensive plan and development regulations for compliance with GMA at least once every seven years. “Amendment” generally refers to the annual changes to the comprehensive plan and development regulations.

For 2006, the City intends to combine the Comprehensive Plan Update and the annual amendment into one process. In other words, as the Update proceeds, the City will continue to consider applications requesting changes or revisions to the comprehensive plan and development regulations.

What elements of the Comprehensive Plan will be reviewed and/or revised?

The following mandatory elements of the comprehensive plan and the development regulations will be reviewed under the Comprehensive Plan Update:

1.   Land Use Element

2.   Housing Element

3.   Capital Facilities and Utilities Element

4.   Transportation Element

5.   Critical Areas Regulations

6.   Shoreline Management Plan

7.   Siting of Essential Public Facilities

What are the primary aspects of the Update?

The Comprehensive Plan Update will have two major goals:

What will the updated plan offer?

The final product will offer:

•  Compliance with GMA requirements and consistency among relevant plans and regulations.

•  A user-friendly document – easy for the public to understand and staff to maintain and administer.

•  Improved implementation of the comprehensive plan through strengthened linkages between plans and regulations.

•  A guide for orderly growth of the City.

How can citizens get involved?

Citizens are encouraged to actively participate in the process by attending meetings and workshops of the Planning Commission and the City Council, visiting the City's website, or contacting planning staff.

What is Public Participation Plan?

A public participation program identifies procedures for public participation in the development, update and amendment of the comprehensive plan and development regulations in order to encourage early and continuous public participation.

Elements: