Chapter 17.215
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND DEVELOPMENT REGULATION AMENDMENTS

Sections:

17.215.010    Purpose and intent.

17.215.020    Type of action.

17.215.030    Suggesting amendments.

17.215.040    Identified deficiencies.

17.215.050    Docketing suggested amendments.

17.215.060    Timing and order of consideration of suggested amendments.

17.215.070    Public participation.

17.215.080    GMA/SEPA integration.

17.215.010 Purpose and intent.

The purpose of this chapter is to establish the type of action and procedures for suggesting amendments and encouraging public participation for comprehensive plan, subarea plans, and development regulation amendments. (Ord. 536 § 1 (§ 47.01), 2000)

17.215.020 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 title. (Ord. 536 § 1 (§ 47.02), 2000)

17.215.030 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:

(1) Name, address and telephone number of the person, business, agency or other organization suggesting the amendment;

(2) Citation of the specific text, map or other illustration suggested to be amended;

(3) The suggested amendment;

(4) If a suggested amendment is to a plan or to both a plan and a development regulation, a statement of how the amendment:

(a) Promotes the public health, safety and welfare;

(b) Is consistent with or in conflict with other portions of the comprehensive plan or subarea plan; and

(c) Complies with Chapter 36.70A RCW, also known as the Growth Management Act, and the appropriate countywide planning policies;

(5) If a suggested amendment is only to the development regulations, a statement as to how the amendment complies with the comprehensive plan. (Ord. 536 § 1 (§ 47.03), 2000)

17.215.040 Identified deficiencies.

If during the review of any project permit application the town identifies any deficiencies in plans or development regulations, the identified deficiencies shall be docketed on a form, as provided in CDMC 17.215.030, for possible future plan or development regulation amendments. “Deficiency” as used herein means the absence of required or potentially desirable contents of a comprehensive plan, subarea plan, or development regulation. (Ord. 536 § 1 (§ 47.04), 2000)

17.215.050 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 town’s development regulations by appropriate classification and in the order which such suggested amendments were received. (Ord. 536 § 1 (§ 47.05), 2000)

17.215.060 Timing and order of consideration of suggested amendments.

(1) 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 Hearings Board or with the court. For purposes of the comprehensive plan amendment process, an emergency is defined by those actions necessary to protect the public health, safety, and general welfare. The town council shall initiate consideration of suggested amendments by motion requesting the planning commission to prepare a recommendation.

(2) 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 town council. The annual deadlines for submitting suggested plan amendments shall be October 31st, and for suggested development regulation amendments shall be April 30th, unless otherwise stated by the town council.

(3) The planning commission and town 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. 647 § 1 (Exh. A), 2006; Ord. 536 § 1 (§ 47.06), 2000)

17.215.070 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 17.190 CDMC. (Ord. 536 § 1 (§ 47.07), 2000)

17.215.080 GMA/SEPA integration.

The town shall integrate SEPA procedures into the GMA process for adoption of comprehensive plan, subarea plans, and development regulation amendments as proposed by the director and deemed appropriate by the legislative body, and pursuant to WAC 197-11-210 through 197-11-238 as adopted by reference in this title as each currently exists or may hereafter be amended. (Ord. 536 § 1 (§ 47.08), 2000)