Chapter 19.08
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND DEVELOPMENT REGULATION AMENDMENTS
Sections:
19.08.030 Suggesting amendments.
19.08.040 Identified deficiencies.
19.08.050 Docketing suggested amendments.
19.08.060 Timing and order of consideration of suggested amendments.
19.08.070 Public participation.
19.08.010 Purpose.
The purpose of this chapter is to establish the type of action and procedures for suggesting amendments and encouraging public participation for comprehensive plans, subarea plans and development regulation amendments. (Ord. 472 § 1 (part), 1996)
19.08.020 Type of action.
A comprehensive plan, subarea plan or development regulation amendment is a Type V (legislative) action and shall be considered in accordance with the procedures for such actions as set forth in this chapter. (Ord. 472 § 1 (part), 1996)
19.08.030 Suggesting amendments.
Amendments to the comprehensive plan, a subarea plan or development regulations may be suggested by any person, including but not limited to applicants, citizens, hearing examiners and staff of other agencies by providing the following written information on a form approved by the director to meet the docketing requirements of this chapter:
A. Name, address and telephone number of the person, business, agency or other organization suggesting the amendment;
B. Citation of the specific text, map or other illustration suggested to be amended;
C. The suggested amendment;
D. If a suggested amendment is to a plan or to both a plan and a development regulation, a statement of how the amendment (1) promotes the public health, safety and welfare; (2) is consistent with or in conflict with other portions of the comprehensive plan or subarea plan; and (3) complies with RCW 36.70A, also known as the Growth Management Act, and the Douglas County countywide planning policies;
E. If a suggested amendment is only to the development regulations, a statement as to how the amendment complies with the comprehensive plan. (Ord. 472 § 1 (part), 1996)
19.08.040 Identified deficiencies.
If during the review of any project permit application the city identifies any deficiencies in plans or development regulations, the identified deficiencies shall be docketed on a form as provided in Section 19.08.030, for possible future plan or development regulation amendments. “Deficiency” as used in this section means the absence of required or potentially desirable contents of a comprehensive plan, subarea plan or development regulation. (Ord. 472 § 1 (part), 1996)
19.08.050 Docketing suggested amendments.
The director shall compile and maintain for public review a list of suggested amendments and “identified deficiencies” to the comprehensive plan, subarea plans, and the city’s development regulations by appropriate classification and in the order which such suggested amendments were received. (Ord. 472 § 1 (part), 1996)
19.08.060 Timing and order of consideration of suggested amendments.
A. Suggested amendments to the comprehensive plan, subarea plan or development regulations shall be considered at least once each calendar year, but the comprehensive plan shall be amended no more often than once each calendar year, except that amendments may be considered more frequently for the initial adoption of a subarea plan, the adoption of a shoreline master program, in cases of emergency, or to resolve an appeal of an adopted comprehensive plan filed with a growth management board or with the court. Emergency amendments are those that require immediate action to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public or as ordered by a legal court, such as the growth management hearing board. The city council shall initiate consideration of suggested amendments by motion requesting the planning commission to prepare a recommendation.
B. Suggested amendments shall generally be considered by the planning commission in the order received, although suggestions which concern the same property, group of properties, subarea or land use topic may be combined. All the recommendations of the planning commission shall be considered concurrently by the city council. The annual deadlines for submitting suggested plan amendments shall be October 31st, and suggested development regulation amendments shall be April 30th, unless otherwise stated by the city council.
C. The planning commission and city council shall endeavor to consider suggested plan amendments between January and June, and suggested development regulations between July and December of each year. Where amendments to both a plan and development regulations are suggested, or where an amendment to the comprehensive plan would be implemented by an amendment to the development regulations, such amendments may be considered concurrently. (Ord. 564 § 1 (part), 2006; Ord. 472 § 1 (part), 1996)
19.08.070 Public participation.
The public shall be made aware of the opportunity to suggest amendments and to comment on suggested amendments through methods including but not limited to direct mailings, newsletter and newspaper articles, legal advertisements and notices posted in public places. Public notice requirements shall be as set forth in Chapter 19.03. (Ord. 472 § 1 (part), 1996)