Chapter 2.36
CITY PLANNING AGENCY
Sections:
2.36.020 Membership – Appointment – Term.
2.36.030 Members – Qualification – Compensation.
2.36.040 Members – Vacancy filling – Removal.
2.36.050 Organization – Meetings – Record.
2.36.060 Expenditure limitation – Employees and consultants authorized – When.
2.36.080 Regulation of buildings and land use authorized – Board of Adjustment appointment.
2.36.090 Comprehensive Plan – Purpose.
2.36.100 Comprehensive Plan – Recommendation to Council.
2.36.110 Initial plan – Hearing – Publication – Copy – Filing.
2.36.120 Districting, map or plans authorized – Regulations of land use.
2.36.130 Plan adoption – Amendment authorized.
2.36.010 Definitions.
For the purposes of this chapter, the terms enumerated shall have the following meanings:
A. “Agency” means the City Planning Agency.
B. “Appointive members” means all members of the agency other than ex officio members.
C. “Council” means the City Council.
D. “Ex officio members” means the members of the planning agency chosen from among City officials.
E. “Highways” means and includes streets, roads, boulevards, lanes, alleys, viaducts and other traveled ways.
F. “Regional Agency” means a planning commission or agency formed by two or more counties. [Ord. 381 § 1, 1989.]
2.36.020 Membership – Appointment – Term.
The Planning Agency of the City shall consist of 10 members appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. One member shall be nonvoting, ex officio chosen annually by the City Council from its membership. At least six of the members shall be appointed from residents of the City. Up to three members may be appointed from nonresidents of the City owning property within the City, owning or operating a business within the City, or owning property, owning or operating a business or residing in the City’s urban growth area designated pursuant to RCW 36.70A.110(1). The terms of office for the first appointive members appointed to such agency shall be designated from one to three years in such manner as to provide that the fewest possible terms will expire in any one year. Thereafter the term of office for each appointive member shall be three years. [Ord. 757 § 1, 2015; Ord. 381 § 1, 1989.]
2.36.030 Members – Qualification – Compensation.
The members shall be selected without respect to political affiliations and they shall serve without compensation. [Ord. 381 § 1, 1989.]
2.36.040 Members – Vacancy filling – Removal.
Vacancies occurring otherwise than through the expiration of terms shall be filled for the unexpired term. Members may be removed, after public hearing, by the Mayor with the approval of the City Council for inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office. [Ord. 381 § 1, 1989.]
2.36.050 Organization – Meetings – Record.
The Agency shall elect its own chair and create and fill such other offices as it may determine it requires. The Agency shall hold at least one regular meeting each month for not less than nine months in each year. It shall adopt rules for transaction of business and shall keep a written record of its proceedings which shall be a public record. [Ord. 381 § 1, 1989.]
2.36.060 Expenditure limitation – Employees and consultants authorized – When.
The expenditures of the Agency shall be within the amounts appropriated for the purpose by the Council. The Agency may employ such employees and expert consultants as are deemed necessary for its work only upon prior approval of the City Council. [Ord. 381 § 1, 1989.]
2.36.070 Powers designated.
The Agency shall act as the research and fact-finding agency of the municipality for land use purposes; it shall constitute the Planning Commission of the City, where referred to in this code. To that end it may make such surveys, analyses, researches and reports as are generally authorized or requested by the Council. The Agency, upon such request for authority, may also:
A. Make inquiries, investigation and surveys concerning the resources of the City;
B. Assemble and analyze the data thus obtained and formulate plans for the conservation of such resources and the systematic utilization and development thereof;
C. Make recommendations to the City Council from time to time as to the best methods of such conservation, utilization and development;
D. Cooperate with other commissions and with other public agencies of the City, State and United States in such planning, conservation and development; and
E. Undertake such other activities having to do with the City planning process as may be directed by the City Council. [Ord. 381 § 1, 1989.]
2.36.080 Regulation of buildings and land use authorized – Board of Adjustment appointment.
The City Council may provide for the preparation by its Agency and the adoption and enforcement of coordinated plans for the physical development of the municipality. For this purpose the City Council, in such measure as is deemed reasonably necessary or requisite in the interest of health, safety, morals and the general welfare, upon recommendation by the Agency, by ordinance or resolution, may regulate and restrict the location and the use of buildings, structures and land for residence, trade, industrial and other purposes; the height, number of stories, size, construction and design of buildings and other structures; the size of yards, courts and other open spaces on the lot or tract; the density of population; the setback of buildings along highways, parks or public water frontages; and the subdivision and development of land. The Council may, on the recommendation of its Agency, provide for the appointment of an independent board of adjustment to make, in appropriate cases and subject to appropriate conditions and safeguards established by ordinance, special exceptions in harmony with the general purposes and intent and in accordance with general or specific rules therein contained. [Ord. 381 § 1, 1989.]
2.36.090 Comprehensive Plan – Purpose.
All regulations shall be worked out in conformance with the Comprehensive Plan which the agency shall prepare and maintain current for the physical and other generally advantageous development of the City, and shall be designed, among other things:
A. To encourage the most appropriate use of land throughout the municipality;
B. To lessen traffic congestion and accidents;
C. To secure safety from fire;
D. To provide adequate light and air;
E. To prevent overcrowding of land;
F. To avoid undue concentration of population;
G. To promote a coordinated development of the unbuilt areas;
H. To encourage the formation of neighborhood or community units;
I. To secure an appropriate allotment of land area in new developments for all the requirements of community life;
J. To conserve and restore natural beauty and other natural resources;
K. To facilitate the adequate provision of transportation, water, sewerage and other public uses and requirements. [Ord. 381 § 1, 1989.]
2.36.100 Comprehensive Plan – Recommendation to Council.
The Agency may recommend to the City Council the plan prepared by it as a whole, or may recommend parts of the plan by successive recommendations, the parts corresponding with geographic or political sections, divisions or subdivisions of the municipality, or with functional subdivisions of the subject matter of the plan. The Agency may prepare and recommend any amendment or extension thereof or addition thereto. [Ord. 381 § 1, 1989.]
2.36.110 Initial plan – Hearing – Publication – Copy – Filing.
Before the recommendation of the initial plan or any amendment thereto to the City, the Agency shall hold at least one public hearing thereon, giving notice of the time and place by one publication in the official newspaper of the City. A copy of the ordinance or resolution adopting or embodying such plan or any part thereof or any amendment thereto, duly certified or any part thereof or any amendment thereto, duly certified or any part thereof or any amendment thereto, duly certified as a true copy by the City Clerk shall be filed with the County Auditor. A like certified copy of any map or plat referred to or adopted by the ordinance or resolution shall likewise be filed with the County Auditor. [Ord. 381 § 1, 1989.]
2.36.120 Districting, map or plans authorized – Regulations of land use.
For any or all of such purposes, the Council, on recommendation of the Agency, may divide the City or any portion thereof into districts of such size, shape and area, or may establish such official maps, or development plans for the whole or any portion of the municipality as may be deemed best suited to carry out the purposes of this chapter and within such districts it may regulate and restrict the erection, construction, reconstruction, alterations, repair or use of buildings, structures or land. [Ord. 381 § 1, 1989.]
2.36.130 Plan adoption – Amendment authorized.
Any ordinance or resolution adopting any such plan or regulations, or any part thereof, may be amended, supplemented or modified by subsequent ordinances or resolutions adopted upon recommendation of or with the concurrence of the Agency. [Ord. 381 § 1, 1989.]