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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWORKSHOP re Comprehensive Plan options JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS REGULAR AGENDA REQUEST TO: Board of County Commissioners FROM: Jeremy Willammee,Director,Community Development Joel Peterson,Associate Planner,Community Development DATE: December 15,2025 SUBJECT: WORKSHOP and POTENTIAL ACTION on Resolution Extending the Date for Adopting the Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update,and Deciding Whether to Combine the 2025 Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update with the 2026 Annual Comprehensive Plan Amendment Cycle,or Defer the 2026 Annual Amendment Cycle to 2027 STATEMENT OF ISSUE: In the December 1,2025 Board of County Commissioners(Board)meeting,the Department of Community Development(DCD)presented the issue of extending the 2025 Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan periodic update ("periodic update"or"periodic review") schedule into 2026. Two options for work planning in 2026 were presented: firstly, an extended schedule for the 2025 periodic update with a concurrent 2026 annual amendment cycle, with anticipated conclusion in December 2026; and secondly, an extended schedule for the periodic update into 2026 without an annual amendment cycle in 2026, with anticipated conclusion in spring or summer 2026. Much of the Board's discussion on December 1 weighed upon whether the public is anticipating a 2026 Annual Amendment cycle and what number of site-specific amendment applications there may be waiting for 2026. DCD returns to the Board with additional information regarding the public's interest in submitting stie-specific amendment proposals. The comprehensive plan periodic review was anticipated to be completed by the second Board meeting in December 2025. Additional time is needed by DCD and from the Prosecuting Attorney's Office(PAO)for the 2025 Comprehensive Plan periodic review. Accordingly, staff recommends extending the date for adopting the Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update. RCW 36.70A.130(6)(b) and WAC 365-196-610(1)(b) authorize Jefferson County to take up to an additional 24 months to complete the periodic update process if the county has a population of less than 50,000 and has had its population increase by no more than 17 percent in the 10 years preceding the deadline. An important aspect of the Board's decision is that the Growth Management Act(GMA) allows revision of a comprehensive plan no more often than one time per year. Therefore, DCD recommends that 2026 annual amendment cycle be deferred until 2027 and that the 2025 periodic review be completed in 2026 on its own schedule(i.e., unbeholden to the prescriptive annual amendment cycle outlined in JCC 18.45). If an annual amendment cycle were initiated for site-specific proposals in 2026,then both planning processes would need to be brought together so that cumulative impacts analyses could consider both periodic review and annual amendment proposals, as the GMA requires that comprehensive plan amendments occur no more than one time per year. 1 — ANALYSIS: DCD surveyed Planning Commissioners and other community contacts to determine if there were applications being developed for the March 1, 2026 deadline for site-specific comprehensive plan amendment proposals. DCD also posted a pop-up web request for information about any forthcoming applications in 2026. Through telephone calls to Planning Commissioners and to customers who may be submitting proposals, no people reported intent to submit a site-specific amendment proposal for a 2026 annual amendment cycle. No responses in the affirmative regarding site-specific proposals have been generated from the website outreach or telephone inquiries. That said, there may be no way to reach everyone who may have intentions to submit a site-specific amendment application, and corresponding application fee, before the March 1, 2026 deadline. Note that a county proposal for Essential Public Facility (EPF)designation is considered a Special Use Permit. The process for considering such a proposal is akin to a Type V process in the Unified Development Code, including review by the Planning Commission and ordinance adoption by the Board, but is exempt from GMA's once-a-year Comprehensive Plan amendment constraint by law and Jefferson County Code. Jefferson County has engaged in a multi-year planning process, with funding from the Department of Commerce and assistance from consultants, to update the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan, including outreach and involvement strategies with project webpages, public media,public events, and open houses hosted by the Planning Commission. As part of the periodic update, the Planning Commission held public meetings through 2024 and 2025 on public policy and proposed amendments to the comprehensive plan. The Comprehensive Plan update has generated both written and oral testimony from residents, including proposed amendments that could have significant impact to the county's land use patterns for the future. Additional time is needed by DCD and the PAO to meet requirements of Ordinance No. 02-0528-24—the "ordinance on ordinances"—to review draft Comprehensive Plan and development regulation amendment proposals and related analysis documents related to the periodic update. RCW 36.70A.130(6)(b) and WAC 365-196-610(1)(b)authorize Jefferson County to take up to an additional 24 months to complete the periodic update process if the county has a population of less than 50,000 and has had its population increase by no more than 17 percent in the 10 years preceding the deadline. Using state Office of Financial Management population numbers of the last 10 years,the countywide population grew from 31,266 in 2015 to 33,825 in 2025, or a 10-year growth rate of 8.2%,below the 17%threshold in WAC 364-196-610. Although the county has made substantial progress in its periodic review of the Comprehensive Plan and related development regulations, including the required Critical Areas Ordinance(CAO)update, DCD finds the public interest and the Board will be served to extend the decision-making date for the comprehensive plan periodic review. FISCAL IMPACT: Long-range planning activities are funded through the General Fund and, when applicable, outside grants. Originally slated to be completed by June 30, 2025,the state legislature extended 2025 periodic update deadlines to December 31, 2025. Project planning and budget anticipated the first deadline of June 30, 2025 though project funds were economized to extend as far as possible to account for a new December 31, 2025 deadline. At this point, all Periodic Update Grant funds from Department of Commerce have been expended. Costs from the periodic update and county-sponsored proposals in 2026 will be borne by the County. 2 DCD advises that finishing the 2025 Comprehensive Plan Periodic Review without a 2026 annual amendment cycle, and corresponding regimented schedule, will yield a more straightforward and efficient planning process, better interaction with the public on the comprehensive plan periodic update materials, and a more cost-efficient approach overall. The 2024 annual amendment cycle was combined with project initiation of the 2025 periodic review. This experience revealed difficulties with records development, scheduling, and public understanding of the process. If there were important and imminent site-specific rezone proposals requiring a 2026 annual amendment cycle, DCD would combine 2025 periodic update schedule with the annual amendment schedule in JCC 18.45,thereby stretching adoption to December 2026. Other long-range planning work would be affected, including adoption of development code amendments associated with the 2025 periodic update, DCD support of the pending Shoreline Master Program(SMP) update, and the capacity to see grant funding for long-range planning work in 2027. Suggested amendments are those that are subject to the docketing process, while site-specific amendments are those that are paid for by proponents through application fees. If DCD takes in applications for site- specific rezone proposals in a 2026 annual amendment cycle,the application fee covers a portion of DCD's costs. RECOMMENDATION: Receive an update on the comprehensive plan periodic review and the likelihood of site-specific rezone proposals for an annual amendment cycle in 2026. Approve one of two resolutions offered by staff for Board consideration: one extending the 2025 periodic update schedule to June 30, 2026 and deferring the 2026 annual amendment cycle to 2027 (Option 1), and one extending the 2025 periodic update schedule to December 14, 2026 in combination with a 2026 annual amendment cycle (Option 2). Staff recommends Option 1 for the reasons outlined above. REVIEWED BY: D Josh . Peters, County Administrator Date 3 Kee.,o(u '', -v STATE OF WASHINGTON IP/ ki County of Jefferson LCY 2D2� In the Matter of extending the deadline to take final action on the 2025 Comprehensive Plan Periodic Review from December 8, RESOLUTION NO. 2025, to June 30,2026, and deferring the 2026 Annual Comprehensive Plan Amendment Cycle to 2027. WHEREAS, Jefferson County chose to plan under the Washington Growth Management Act, Chapter 36.70A RCW(GMA), under 36.70A.040; and, WHEREAS, the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners (BoCC) is the legislative authority under GMA, to codify a process for amending the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan; and, WHEREAS, Jefferson County has established procedures for amending the Comprehensive Plan in the Jefferson County Code (JCC)chapter 18.45; and, WHEREAS, chapter 18.45 JCC specifies procedures for amending the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan and development regulations; and, WHEREAS, the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan was initially adopted December, 1998, underwent the last periodic update on December 10, 2018, in Ordinance No. 14-1210-18; and, WHEREAS, the BoCC initiated a comprehensive plan update in 2024 by engaging the Growth Management Steering Committee (GMSC)to update the Countywide Planning Policy (CPP) and make population projection recommendations to the BoCC as the basis for updating the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan; and, WHEREAS, GMA requires early and continuous public involvement, including provisions for open discussions, consideration, and response to public comments by the legislative body; and, WHEREAS, Jefferson County has engaged in a multi-year planning process with funding from the Washington State Department of Commerce and assistance from consultants, to update the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan,including outreach and involvement strategies with project website, public media, public events, and open houses hosted by the Jefferson County Planning Commission; and, WHEREAS, as part of the periodic update, the Jefferson County Planning Commission has held public meetings through 2024 and 2025 on public policy and proposed amendments to the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan; and, WHEREAS, the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan amendment cycle has generated both written comments and oral testimony from citizens, including proposed amendments that could have significant impact to the county's land use patterns for the future; and, WHEREAS,the county has made substantial progress in its periodic review of the Comprehensive Plan and development regulations, including the required Critical Areas Ordinance update; and, WHEREAS, GMA provides that Jefferson County, as part of the 2025 periodic update, complete the periodic update by the end of December, 2025; and, WHEREAS, Jefferson County adopted a uniform process for the adoption of ordinances and resolutions in Jefferson County through Ordinance No. 02-0528-24, which has been codified in chapter 2.55 JCC; and, WHEREAS, JCC 2.55.060 contains the rules for adoption of ordinances and resolutions, including approval by the Prosecuting Attorney's Office of all ordinances and all resolutions that require a public hearing before any public hearing by the Jefferson County Planning Commission and before a recommendation on a proposed ordinance or resolution from the Jefferson County Planning Commission is submitted or provided to the BoCC; and, WHEREAS, project delays were experienced due to the nature of new legislative requirements amending the GMA, and with the evolving guidance from state Department of Commerce about meeting these new GMA requirements; and, WHEREAS, additional time is needed by DCD and the PAO to meet requirements of Ordinance No. 02-0528-24 to review draft Comprehensive Plan and development regulation amendment proposals and related analysis documents related to the periodic update; and, WHEREAS, RCW 36.70A.130(6)(b) and WAC 365-196-610(1)(b) authorize Jefferson County to take up to an additional 24 months to complete the periodic update process if the county has a population of less than 50,000 and has had its population increase by no more than 17 percent in the 10 years preceding the deadline; and, WHEREAS,using state Office of Financial Management population numbers of the last 10 years, the countywide population grew from 31,266 in 2015 to 33,825 in 2025, or a 10-year growth rate of 8.2%, below the 17%threshold in WAC 364-196-610; and, WHEREAS, this "safe harbor" provision of GMA allows Jefferson County to take advantage of the deadline extension provision of RCW 36.70A.130(6)(b),allowing Jefferson County to remain in compliance with GMA during the extended schedule; and, WHEREAS,GMA at RCW 36.70A.130,does not allow the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan to be amended more than one time per year; and, WHEREAS, extending the Comprehensive Plan periodic update into 2026 would preclude separate amendments in the same year for the 2026 annual amendment cycle; and, WHEREAS,although a periodic review schedule extension is allowed up to 24 months,Jefferson County expects only need to extend the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan periodic update timeline to June 30, 2026; however, the county also expects to be working on the Critical Areas Ordinance and Shoreline Master Plan during 2026; and, WHEREAS,the BoCC fords that it is in the public interest to extend the decision-making date for the comprehensive plan periodic review, and to defer the 2026 annual amendment cycle to 2027. NOW, THEREFORE, THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF JEFFERSON COUNTY,WASHINGTON,HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Whereas Clauses are Findings of Fact. The Jefferson County Board of Commissioners hereby adopts the above "Whereas"clauses as Findings of Fact. Section 2. Purpose. The purpose of this resolution is to extend the date for final legislative action on the 2025 comprehensive plan periodic update and defer the upcoming 2026 Comprehensive Plan annual amendment cycle to the 2027 annual amendment cycle. Section 4.Adoption of Extended Schedule.The deadline for legislative action on the 2025 periodic update is changed from December 8, 2025, to June 30, 2026; and the 2026 annual amendment cycle will be deferred to 2027. Section 5. Severability. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or section of this Resolution or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of this Resolution or its application to other persons or circumstances shall be fully valid and shall not be affected. Section 8. SEPA Categorical Exemption. This Resolution is categorically exempt from the State Environmental Policy Act under WAC 197-11-800 (19). Section 9. Effective Date. This Resolution shall take effect and be in full force immediately upon passage by the Board of County Commissioners. (SIGNATURES FOLLOW ON THE NEXT PAGE) ADOPTED and APPROVED this day of , 2025. SEAL: JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Heidi Eisenhour, Chair Greg Brotherton, Member Heather Dudley-Nollette, Member ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM: Carolyn Gallaway, CMC Date Philip C. Hunsucker, Date Chief Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney R.,-)D14 6,7\ STATE OF WASHINGTON County of Jefferson 1 1 In the Matter of extending the deadline to ipp (-OM1/4X, � take final action on the 2025 Comprehensive RESOLUTION P Plan Periodic Review from December 8, 2025,to December 14,2026, and combining the 2025 Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update with the 2026 Annual Comprehensive Plan Amendment Cycle. WHEREAS, Jefferson County chose to plan under the Washington Growth Management Act, Chapter 36.70A RCW(GMA), under 36.70A.040; and, WHEREAS, the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners (BoCC) is the legislative authority under GMA,to codify a process for amending the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan; and, WHEREAS, Jefferson County has established procedures for amending the Comprehensive Plan in the Jefferson County Code (JCC)chapter 18.45; and, WHEREAS, chapter 18.45 JCC specifies procedures for amending the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan and development regulations; and, WHEREAS, the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan was initially adopted December, 1998, underwent the last periodic update on December 10, 2018, in Ordinance No. 14-1210-18; and, WHEREAS, the BoCC initiated a comprehensive plan update in 2024 by engaging the Growth Management Steering Committee (GMSC)to update the Countywide Planning Policy (CPP) and make population projection recommendations to the BoCC as the basis for updating the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan; and, WHEREAS, GMA requires early and continuous public involvement, including provisions for open discussions, consideration, and response to public comments by the legislative body; and, WHEREAS, Jefferson County has engaged in a multi-year planning process with funding from the Washington State Department of Commerce and assistance from consultants, to update the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan,including outreach and involvement strategies with project website, public media, public events, and open houses hosted by the Jefferson County Planning Commission; and, WHEREAS, as part of the periodic update, the Jefferson County Planning Commission has held public meetings through 2024 and 2025 on public policy and proposed amendments to the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan; and, WHEREAS, the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan amendment cycle has generated both written comments and oral testimony from citizens, including proposed amendments that could have significant impact to the county's land use patterns for the future; and, 1 of 5 WHEREAS,the county has made substantial progress in its periodic review of the Comprehensive Plan and development regulations, including the required Critical Areas Ordinance update; and, WHEREAS, GMA provides that Jefferson County, as part of the 2025 periodic update, complete the periodic update by the end of December, 2025; and, WHEREAS, Jefferson County adopted a uniform process for the adoption of ordinances and resolutions in Jefferson County through Ordinance No. 02-0528-24, which has been codified in chapter 2.55 JCC; and, WHEREAS, JCC 2.55.060 contains the rules for adoption of ordinances and resolutions, including approval by the Prosecuting Attorney's Office of all ordinances and all resolutions that require a public hearing before any public hearing by the Jefferson County Planning Commission and before a recommendation on a proposed ordinance or resolution from the Jefferson County Planning Commission is submitted or provided to the BoCC; and, WHEREAS, project delays were experienced due to the nature of new legislative requirements amending the GMA, and with the evolving guidance from state Department of Commerce about meeting these new GMA requirements; and, WHEREAS, additional time is needed by DCD and the PAO to meet requirements of Ordinance No. 02-0528-24 to review draft Comprehensive Plan and development regulation amendment proposals and related analysis documents related to the periodic update; and, WHEREAS, RCW 36.70A.130(6)(b) and WAC 365-196-610(1)(b) authorize Jefferson County to take up to an additional 24 months to complete the periodic update process if the county has a population of less than 50,000 and has had its population increase by no more than 17 percent in the 10 years preceding the deadline; and, WHEREAS,using state Office of Financial Management population numbers of the last 10 years, the countywide population grew from 31,266 in 2015 to 33,825 in 2025, or a 10-year growth rate of 8.2%, below the 17%threshold in WAC 364-196-610; and, WHEREAS, this "safe harbor" provision of GMA allows Jefferson County to take advantage of the deadline extension provision of RCW 36.70A.130(6)(b), allowing Jefferson County to remain in compliance with GMA during the extended schedule; and, WHEREAS,GMA at RCW 36.70A.130,does not allow the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan to be amended more than one time per year; and, WHEREAS, extending the Comprehensive Plan periodic update into 2026 would preclude amendments in the same year for the 2026 annual amendment cycle, which may include comprehensive plan amendment proposals important to other county projects; and, WHEREAS, although a periodic review schedule extension is allowed up to 24 months,Jefferson County will only need to extend the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan periodic update timeline 12 months,to coincide with the legislative action deadline of the 2026 annual amendment 2 of 5 cycle; and, WHEREAS,the BoCC finds that it is in the public interest to extend the decision-making date for the comprehensive plan periodic review, and to incorporate analyses of the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan periodic review into the 2026 annual amendment cycle. NOW, THEREFORE, THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF JEFFERSON COUNTY,WASHINGTON,HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Whereas Clauses are Findings of Fact. The Jefferson County Board of Commissioners hereby adopts the above "Whereas" clauses as Findings of Fact. Section 2. Purpose. The purpose of this resolution is to extend the date for final legislative action on the 2025 comprehensive plan periodic update and combine the upcoming 2026 Comprehensive Plan annual amendment cycle with the 2025 comprehensive plan periodic update. Section 4.Adoption of Extended Schedule.The deadline for legislative action on the 2025 periodic update is changed from December 8,2025,to December 14,2026;and the 2026 annual amendment cycle will be incorporated into the comprehensive plan periodic review analyses, for final legislative action December 14, 2026. 2026 Schedule benchmarks include: a) March 2,2026, 4:30 PM (March 1 is a Sunday): JCC 18.45.040(2)(a) says, "Deadline. All applications for formal site-specific and suggested amendments shall be submitted to DCD by March 1st of the current calendar year in order to be considered during that year's amendment process; except that county-sponsored proposals to amend the capital facilities element of the Comprehensive Plan may be accepted later than other proposed amendments because of their relationship to the county's annual budget process." b) March 13,2026: JCC 18.45.050(2) says, "List of Suggested Amendments. Each year,the administrator shall maintain for public review the annual list of suggested amendments made by citizens,the board of county commissioners or members of the board of county commissioners, county staff, county departments or other agencies. By the end of the second full business week of March of each year, this list of suggested amendments shall be compiled into a preliminary docket. JCC 18.45.060 sets forth the process for selecting which suggested amendments will be placed on the final docket to be formally reviewed during the annual review process." c) May 11,2026: JCC 18.45.060(4)(a) says, "Review and Decision Process. By the second regular board of county commissioners meeting in May of each year,the board of county commissioners shall review and consider the planning commission's report and recommended final docket at a regularly scheduled commissioners meeting. The board of county commissioners may adopt the planning commission's recommended final docket without a public hearing; however, in the event that a majority of the board of county commissioners decides to add or subtract suggested amendments, it shall first hold a public hearing, noticed as set forth in subsection(3)of this section, which shall be held by the first board of county commissioners meeting in July." d) October 15,2026: JCC 18.45.080(2)(e) says, "Transmittal to State. The administrator 3 of 5 shall transmit a copy of any proposed amendment of the Comprehensive Plan to the Washington State Office of Community Development(OCD) at least 60 days prior to the expected date of final action by the board of county commissioners, as consistent with Chapter 36.70A RCW." e) December 14,2026: JCC 18.45.080(2)(d) says, "Adoption by Ordinance. The board of county commissioners shall adopt any amendments to the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan by ordinance. This final action on the docket must be taken by the second regular board meeting in December of each year." f) December 24,2026: JCC 18.45.080(2)(e) says, "The administrator shall transmit a copy of any adopted Comprehensive Plan amendment to OCD within 10 days after adoption by the board." Section 5. Severability. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or section of this Resolution or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of this Resolution or its application to other persons or circumstances shall be fully valid and shall not be affected. Section 8. SEPA Categorical Exemption. This Resolution is categorically exempt from the State Environmental Policy Act under WAC 197-11-800 (19). Section 9. Effective Date. This Resolution shall take effect and be in full force immediately upon passage by the Board of County Commissioners. (SIGNATURES FOLLOW ON THE NEXT PAGE) 4 of 5 ADOPTED and APPROVED this day of , 2025. SEAL: JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Heidi Eisenhour, Chair Greg Brotherton, Member Heather Dudley-Nollette, Member ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM: Carolyn Gallaway, CMC Date Philip C. Hunsucker, Date Chief Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney 5 of 5