Comprehensive Plan

Land Use Amendments to Amend the 2009 Comprehensive Plan

Comprehensive Plan 2008 Executive Document

Comprehensive Plan 2008 Technical Document

Comprehensive Plan Map (1.96MB)

GMA

The State of Washington legislature provided a new framework for land use planning and the regulation of development in Washington state in response to challenges posed to the quality of life by rapid growth.  This framework is known as the "Growth Management Act".

What is comprehensive planning?

It is a process that municipalities use to help deal with the future.

How does comprehensive planning work?

 Planning is knowing the demographics of your city's population, details about your business community strengths and weaknesses, particulars about the physical and financial resources that your city has and proposing ways to accommodate the future to match your community's goals and values

What does planning do for a community?

 Planning identifies problems and points the way toward solutions. It helps communities assign priorities for spending public money and concentrating resources and is a way to provide policies to address growth and in some cases, decline. 

Does planning do anything else for citizens?

 It involves, informs and educates both citizens and public officials and in doing so helps to coordinate the community's physical functions with it's elected leader's vision.

Comprehensive Plan Process

The comprehensive planning process for the annual amendment cycle begins approximately mid-summer of each year.  At that time city staff will publish in the Tri City Herald newspaper an ad advertising the application deadline.  All applications (and potential concurrent zone change applications) must be submitted to the Community Planning Department by the end of August.  It is anticipated that the Planning Commission will make a recommendation to City Council on the annual amendments in late November or early December of the same year as the application.  City Council will hold a public hearing and make a decision near the first of the following year.  After City Council has rendered their decision, the comprehensive plan and all proposed amendments are forwarded to the State of Washington for the required 60 day review.  When this review period expires - Council will take final action on the amendments.